Trend on social media: drinking baking soda. But is it really healthy?
What do smelly fridges, crispy potatoes, dirty chopping boards and homemade hummus have in common? They all get better with baking soda. For a while now, there’s also been a trend claiming that you yourself would benefit from baking soda. Literally—by drinking it. But is that really true?
Whether it actually does anything good for you or not, it sounds pretty strange to me: drinking baking soda. In this case, I can literally picture myself drinking some kind of dissolved paracetamol. Brrr…
Holy grail?
Type ‘drinking baking soda’ into TikTok and you’ll get loads of videos enthusiastically promoting the tip. I’m hearing about it more and more closer to home too. Just recently, someone at the gym loudly announced that she drinks a glass of water with a spoonful of baking soda every day. Since then, she’s never been sick again, she enthusiastically added. It’s supposed to help with nausea, prevent mouth ulcers, resolve stomach and intestinal problems and reduce bloating. A miracle cure, you might think. You almost wonder why baking soda isn’t sold in shops as a healthy holy grail .
The Baking Soda NL website also presents baking soda as a product that works wonders for your health. Among other things, you can buy a pack of baking soda from Minerala: 100% pure sodium bicarbonate (E500ii). Looking for a good antacid? Mix half a teaspoon with half a glass of water and take it every two hours. Feeling nauseous? Dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of warm water and drink it. But beware: there are warnings in various places. For example, if you’re under 60, you shouldn’t take more than seven half-teaspoons per 24 hours, it’s best to consult a doctor if you want to drink baking soda for an extended period, and its use is not recommended for pregnant women.
Dangerous and useless
Why the warnings? Baking soda has a high sodium content. If you drink too much of it, it can harm your body. Stichting Zuur-Base Kennis states on its website that baking soda—which they also call sodium bicarbonate—must be taken correctly in order to have health effects. The foundation even says that it is unhealthy ”to take sodium bicarbonate in pure form, unprotected or dissolved in liquid”. That’s because it then comes into contact with your stomach acid, causing a chemical reaction. Sodium bicarbonate and your stomach acid then convert into carbon dioxide, table salt and water.
Zuur-Base Kennis calls that reaction dangerous for two reasons and useless for one. First, the carbon dioxide causes gas to form in your abdomen. So you’re like an inflated balloon that is deflating at the same time. Secondly, you take in a substantial amount of salt, which poses a risk to your blood pressure. Bear in mind that you already consume quite a lot of salt every day, so this is truly unnecessary (and dangerous!). Finally, according to the foundation, drinking sodium bicarbonate simply serves no purpose. Because of that chemical reaction, your body can no longer absorb any sodium bicarbonate. Well then!
When it really goes too far
An article on StudyFinds is broadly in line with the information provided by Stichting Zuur-Base Kennis. The author warns that excessive sodium intake can eventually lead to dehydration and even kidney failure. The gas formation I mentioned earlier could, in the worst case, cause stomach ruptures. And if you really overdo it with those large amounts of salt, you could even develop heart problems. These are all the worst-case scenarios, of course… But forewarned is forearmed.
According to the author, baking soda may have some health benefits. For example, it can temporarily relieve heartburn and muscle fatigue. Yet this article also makes one thing clear: take it correctly. It doesn’t specify exactly what the correct way is, but Stichting Zuur-Base Kennis does have a clear idea. If you want to increase the amount of sodium bicarbonate in your body, it’s best to take the substance in special gastro-resistant tablets. Or let your body produce more bicarbonate itself. You can do that by drinking water with alkaline drops.
Conclusion
The conclusion? Use baking soda to clean your extractor hood, scrub your shower or remove grease stains from your clothes. Or use it to make those amazing crispy potatoes or hummus. But as a drink… Nahhh.
Also read:
- 7 handy cleaning tips for your kitchen
- 6 tricks to get rid of your smelly sink
- This top chef tip makes your ground meat extra delicious
Sources: Baking Soda NL, Stichting Zuur-Base Kennis, StudyFinds
