You probably have a box of Arm & Hammer sitting in the back of your fridge right now. It’s been there for six months, absorbing the smell of old takeout and half-cut onions. Most people see it as a cleaning product or a leavening agent for Sunday pancakes, but there is a long, weird, and scientifically fascinating history regarding the benefits of drinking baking soda. It’s not just an old wives' tale from your grandmother’s kitchen.
Sodium bicarbonate—that’s the scientific name—is actually one of the most studied substances in sports science and nephrology. It’s cheap. It’s salty. And honestly, it tastes kinda terrible. But the way it interacts with your blood chemistry is nothing short of a biological hack.
Why Your pH Balance Actually Matters (But Not Why You Think)
There is a lot of "wellness" nonsense out there about "alkalizing your body" to cure every disease under the sun. Let’s get one thing straight: you cannot change your blood pH in any significant way without ending up in the ICU. Your body keeps your blood between $7.35$ and $7.45$ with terrifying precision. If you move outside that range, you’re in big trouble.
👉 See also: Is Chiropractic Neurology Legitimate: What the Science Actually Says
However, the benefits of drinking baking soda aren't about changing your blood's fundamental nature; they're about assisting your body's natural buffering system. When you exercise hard or digest certain foods, your body produces hydrogen ions. These are acidic. Your body uses bicarbonate to "mop up" those ions. By drinking a bit of baking soda dissolved in water, you’re essentially giving your body an extra supply of sponges.
It's a temporary boost to your alkaline reserve. Think of it like adding an extra lane to a congested highway during rush hour. The traffic (acid) still exists, but it moves through your system much faster without causing a backup.
The Secret Weapon of Elite Athletes
If you ever see a high-level 800-meter runner or a competitive rower looking like they’re about to gag before a race, they might be "soda loading." This is a real thing. It’s been studied since the 1980s.
When you perform high-intensity exercise that lasts between one and seven minutes, your muscles produce lactic acid and hydrogen ions. That "burn" you feel? That’s the acidity. It literally shuts down your muscle's ability to contract. Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has shown that taking sodium bicarbonate about 60 to 90 minutes before a sprint can improve performance by roughly 2% to 3%.
That doesn't sound like much. But in a race decided by milliseconds? It's huge.
You’ve got to be careful, though. If you take too much, you’ll spend the race in the bathroom instead of on the track. It’s an osmotic laxative. Basically, it pulls water into your intestines. Not fun. Most athletes use a dose of about 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-pound person, that’s roughly four or five teaspoons, which is actually a lot and usually requires specialized "delayed-release" capsules to avoid a "disaster pants" situation.
Baking Soda and the Kidneys: The Medical Reality
This is where the benefits of drinking baking soda move from the gym to the clinic. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a massive problem globally. One of the jobs of the kidney is to manage bicarbonate levels. When kidneys fail, the body becomes too acidic—a condition called metabolic acidosis.
A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology followed patients with CKD who were given a daily dose of sodium bicarbonate. The results were startling. The group taking the baking soda had a significantly slower decline in kidney function compared to those who didn't. In some cases, it prevented the need for dialysis for much longer than expected.
It’s a simple intervention for a complex problem. Doctors like Dr. Magdi Yaqoob have been vocal about how this "pennies-a-day" treatment could save the healthcare system billions. But again—and I can't stress this enough—don't start self-medicating for kidney issues. That’s a conversation for an actual nephrologist because sodium is still salt, and salt raises blood pressure.
Heartburn, Indigestion, and the 2 AM Rescue
We’ve all been there. You ate the extra-spicy wings. Now your esophagus feels like it’s being dissolved by battery acid.
Baking soda is a base. Stomach acid is, well, acid. When they meet, a chemical reaction occurs:
$NaHCO_3 + HCl \rightarrow NaCl + H_2O + CO_2$
That $CO_2$ is carbon dioxide. That’s why you burp almost immediately after drinking it. It’s an instant neutralizer. It’s the active ingredient in many over-the-counter antacids like Alka-Seltzer.
Is it a long-term solution? No. If you’re doing this every night, you probably have GERD or a hiatal hernia and need to see a doctor. But for the occasional "I shouldn't have eaten that" moment, a half-teaspoon in four ounces of water is remarkably effective.
The Dark Side: Who Should Stay Away?
It's not all sunshine and rainbows. There are serious risks.
Since baking soda is high in sodium, people with hypertension (high blood pressure) or congestive heart failure need to be extremely cautious. One teaspoon has about 1,200 milligrams of sodium. That’s more than half of the daily recommended limit for a healthy adult.
Then there’s the rare but terrifying risk of gastric rupture. If you drink baking soda on a very full stomach, the rapid production of $CO_2$ gas can literally cause the stomach to tear. It sounds like an urban legend. It isn't. It's documented in medical literature. Always make sure the powder is fully dissolved and don't do it right after a Thanksgiving-sized meal.
✨ Don't miss: Taylor Hospital Ridley Park: What Really Happened and Why it Matters Now
Common Myths vs. Reality
- Does it cure cancer? No. There is zero clinical evidence that drinking baking soda cures cancer. Some researchers, like Dr. Mark Pagel, have looked at how bicarbonate might affect the microenvironment around tumors to make chemotherapy more effective, but that is a highly controlled medical procedure, not something you do in your kitchen.
- Does it help you lose weight? Sorta, but not really. It might help you work out harder, which burns more calories. But it doesn't "melt fat." Anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.
- Is it good for your skin? It can be a decent exfoliant, but its high pH can disrupt your skin’s "acid mantle," leading to dryness and irritation.
Practical Steps for Safely Using Baking Soda
If you want to experiment with the benefits of drinking baking soda, you have to be smart about it. This isn't a "more is better" situation.
- Start Small: If you're using it for indigestion, try 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in a full glass of water.
- Timing for Athletes: If you’re using it for a workout, test it on a non-competitive day first. Your stomach needs to get used to the alkalinity.
- Check Your Meds: Baking soda can change how your body absorbs certain medications, especially things like aspirin or certain antibiotics.
- Listen to Your Body: If you feel nauseous, get a headache, or notice swelling in your ankles (a sign of too much sodium), stop immediately.
The reality is that sodium bicarbonate is a powerful tool masquerading as a humble kitchen staple. It’s a performance enhancer, a kidney protector, and a digestive aid all rolled into one white powder. Just respect the chemistry. It’s more potent than it looks.
For most people, the best approach is occasional use. It’s a tool for specific problems, not a daily supplement for a healthy person. If you’re a high-performance athlete, look into enteric-coated capsules to save your gut. If you’re dealing with chronic issues, talk to a professional.
Always use a fresh box. If it doesn't fizz when you add a drop of vinegar to a spoonful, it's lost its potency. Keep it in a cool, dry place, and keep it away from the stuff you actually want to smell good, because it will still absorb the scent of your fridge if you aren't careful.