However, more and more people claim that soda water improves their physical performance, gives them energy and relieves stomach reflux. However, experts are not so sure about the health benefits of baking soda.
“Baking soda is a really cool natural ingredient that can do a lot of things,” said Frances Largeman-Roth, registered dietitian and author of The Everyday Snack Plate.
“It can also neutralize odors and help remove stains from clothes,” said Largeman-Roth.
However, she emphasized that the fact that soda is made from natural ingredients does not mean that it is safe to use without any rules – caution is needed.
Baking soda, known in the chemical world as sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline substance composed of sodium, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. It can be used to relieve the symptoms of gastric reflux by helping to neutralize acids.
On the pH scale of acidity and alkalinity, anything with a pH below 7 is acidic, 7 to 8 is neutral, and substances with a pH of 8 to 14 are alkaline.
According to registered dietitian Grace Derocha, the normal pH of the human body, as measured in the blood, is between 7.35 and 7.45. However, it can be different in different body systems. For example, the stomach medium is extremely acidic – pH 1.
Therefore, consuming too much baking soda, which has a pH of around 8.3, can be risky.
What does the research show?
Already several decades ago, there were scientific studies that confirmed that baking soda can improve physical endurance. It is true that their volume was not large, and the validity of the conclusions raised debates.
When performing physical exercises, particularly intense ones, such as sprinting or jumping rope, hydrogen ions are produced in muscle metabolism, explained exercise physiologist Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler from Wayne State University (Detroit, USA). The breakdown of muscle glycogen, from which energy is produced, also produces lactate and hydrogen ions.
Accumulated ions in the blood and muscles increase acidity, which limits an athlete’s performance.
“Therefore, pre-exercise baking soda has the benefit of reducing acidity in and around the muscles, which may improve performance during short-term, high-intensity exercise,” Hew-Butler said.
Some studies have shown that consuming baking soda an hour or two before exercise can improve the performance of high-intensity exercise lasting up to 12 minutes.
These activities can be varied: cycling, running, rowing, boxing or karate. This was observed in the 2021 edition of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. in a large-scale research review. But it’s possible that the effect of baking soda on pH could last up to three hours, Hew-Butler said.
Study participants who consumed edible soda were able to perform more exercises during exercise and experienced less muscle fatigue.
Baking soda can also reduce stomach acid and ease reflux or indigestion, which is not surprising since baking soda is an ingredient in over-the-counter medications that treat these conditions.
Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that baking soda may also slow the progression of kidney disease.
Risk control
However, self-medication does not lead to good, experts warned. Regarding the use of baking soda, consult a doctor who can properly assess your condition and decide whether such a health practice is appropriate. After all, every person’s body is different, emphasized G. Derocha.
For example, baking soda can affect how your medications work.
There are people for whom baking soda is not recommended at all, including children, people with cardiovascular problems, acidosis or alkalosis, and pregnant women.
Beware of the high sodium content, as 1 teaspoon of baking soda contains more than 1,200 milligrams of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends an ideal daily amount of sodium for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure, of 1,500 milligrams and no more than 2,300 milligrams per day.
Experts say that there is no universal dosage recommendation. However, if you have indigestion, you can try mixing a quarter of a teaspoon in a glass of water.
A whole teaspoon can be significantly too much, warned G. Derocha. This can cause diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting. Baking soda is best taken after a meal, as the stomach acid needs to digest food first, the registered dietitian added.
In studies looking at the effects of baking soda on physical activity, dosages typically range from 0.2 to 0.5 grams of baking soda per kilogram of body weight—which means that a person weighing about 59 kilograms can consume about 1 tablespoon of baking soda. However, in real life, many athletes cannot consume this amount.
In case of kidney diseases, the dose of medicine is determined by doctors based on the patient’s blood tests.
Taking too much or too much baking soda “can have disastrous consequences,” experts stressed. Sometimes people go to the hospital emergency room because they have developed metabolic alkalosis, which means the body’s pH is higher than 7.45. Alkalosis can damage the heart, reduce blood flow to the brain, cause mental confusion, and reduce oxygen delivery to body tissues.
Your stomach may also get used to producing more acid to soften the effects of the baking soda.
Baking soda isn’t the only way to relieve acid-induced discomfort. A recent study on edible gardenia, kidney disease and hypertension found that a balanced diet worked best. This is another proof of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Prepared by CNN.
2024-08-13 05:25:53