What is baking soda?
Baking soda, also called sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline white powder often used as a familiar baking ingredient in kitchens. Baking soda acts as a chemical agent because of its leavening properties -which means it reacts with acids from lemon and vinegar to make the cake or cookies tender, moist and fluffy in shape. The only item present in baking soda is Sodium bicarbonate.
Sodium bicarbonate is primarily used in the case of heartburn and stomach ulcers. People use sodium bicarbonate in sports, kidney wounds, improper digestion, dental plaque, tooth disorientation and many other conditions.
How does baking soda work?
Sodium bicarbonate in baking soda forms fluids after reaction with blood and urine and forms sodium and bicarbonate. This breakdown regulates the blood and makes it less acidic. This acid neutralisation helps cure conditions related to high acidity in the body, such as improper digestion caused by a very high density of acids in the stomach.
What are the primary uses of baking soda?
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is used for its versatility. The following points provide the various uses of baking soda:
Booster for athletes
Research suggests that consuming sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) increases power in athletes while performing tough exercises.
Best product wash
Typical baking soda and water soak for 10 to 20 minutes are sufficient to remove 90 per cent of pesticides content from apples — more efficient than water bleaching.
Best natural cleaner
Baking soda with water can be an aggressive cleaner. It can be utilised to clean old food residues inside the refrigerator.
Baking soda is sprinkled with hot water to clean pipes, sinks, tubs and stains down the floor.
Cleaning pots and pans
American Cleaning Institute recommends adding warm water and baking soda would be an excellent agent to clean the pan and pots.
Adding 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda during rinsing completely removes the stains from the clothes without any chemical supplements.
Bug bites
Do you know that bug bites cause annoying itchiness? By applying baking soda paste at the annoying region, or the bug bite region of the body, the wound from bites heals within 7 days.
To care for your teeth during pregnancy, rinsing the mouth with one tablespoon of baking soda during vomiting (especially in case of food poisoning) may help solve your vomiting problem.
Nail infection
The anti-fungal properties of baking soda may help solve your mild and severe nail infection.
Rinsing your mouth with 2 tablespoon mixtures of salt, baking soda, and water can help ease any throat disorders caused by chemotherapy or radiation. This method may also prevent mouth discomforts and infections. The American Cancer Society recommends this method.
Bathroom cleaners
Baking soda is used in commercial bathroom cleaners to specially clean surfaces like:
- Bathroom sinks
- Bathroom tubs
- Bathroom tiles
- Bathroom showers
Oil fire extinguisher
Most of the fire extinguishers contain baking soda. It is also known as chemical dry fire extinguishers to extinguish oil, grease and electric fires. Baking soda, when heated, produce carbon dioxide, extinguishing the fire. However, we cannot smother the fire in big houses or buildings.
Silverware polishers
Commercial silver polishers primarily use baking soda. You will need ingredients like:
- Aluminum baking pan
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 cup of white vinegar
What are the main side effects of baking soda?
Side effects caused in the mouth
Taking high doses of sodium bicarbonate by mouth is unsafe for many of us. It may sometimes form wounds around the corners of the mouth which would be extremely painful.
Side effects caused in skin
Though we have numerous good recommendations about sodium bicarbonate in the skin, most journals and researchers suggest it may cause some unforeseen infections in the upper layer of the skin.
Side effects caused during pregnancy
Sodium bicarbonate is unsafe when taken by mouth, especially during pregnancy days. Researchers suggest that it might increase the risk of water retention or disrupt the PH balance in the body. However, there is no factual data to prove that it is unsafe during pregnancy.
Side effects caused in children
- Infants and children may feel uneasiness and fatigue after consuming baking soda.
- Baking soda may reduce the Iron and potassium content of infants and children.
- Sodium present in baking soda may increase the risk of swelling in children's bodies. People with heart and liver disorders are not advised to use sodium bicarbonate or baking soda.
- Baking soda may react differently in children's skin due to their soft and composite skin structures.
In Conclusion
Baking soda is one of the versatile ingredients used in various fields more than cooking. In addition to that, baking soda has numerous health benefits. This can also reduce heartburn, exercise fatigue and whiten your teeth.
