(Credit: Luis Echeverri Urrea/Shutterstock)
One of the current dietary fads gaining popularity is drinking baking soda water. One website advocating for this beverage published an article entitled “The most amazing health benefits of baking soda water.” However, in the last sentence, as a sort of “oh, by the way,” they mention that it could have interactions with prescription drugs.
Another website declares that there are “29 incredible benefits of drinking baking soda water daily.” Number 29 was that it “May help with passing drug tests.”
There’s more, though, to drinking baking soda water than the promise of superhuman health. Let’s take a more balanced look at this drink and its potential to boost health.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a pantry staple with a variety of potential uses. Usually, it’s sold as a powder. Baking soda can ease indigestion – temporarily. Mix in a few drops of water to make a paste and it can take some of the itch out of mosquito bites. However, using large amounts of baking soda as a self-administered cure-all does carry some risks.
Poisoning
It’s easy to use too much baking soda when it’s in powder form. It can end up upsetting your digestive system rather than soothing it.
It’s the chemical’s high sodium content that’s the problem. When your body is overloaded with sodium, it will try to correct the salt balance by drawing water into the digestive system, leading to diarrhea and vomiting.
If the baking soda doesn’t stay in the digestive system and the body absorbs it, the consequences can be dire:
- dehydration
- seizures
- kidney failure
- abnormal breathing (slow and shallow)
If any of these occur, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Ruptured Stomach
The stomach secretes a powerful acid, which is essential for digestion. When baking soda comes into contact with an acid, there is a chemical reaction, part of which is the release of gas. It’s rare, but there are cases in which the release of gas was so great it ruptured the stomach (causing it to burst). That is more likely to happen if a person has consumed copious amounts of food or alcohol.
Medication Interaction
Baking soda can interfere with the absorption of medication. Depending on what medications a person is taking, the consequences can be mild, or they can be deadly.
Heart Attacks
In substantial amounts, the sodium in baking soda can affect the heart. It has caused dysrhythmias (abnormal rhythms). There have been some cardiac arrests – the heart stops completely, which can be fatal. It is unclear if consuming baking soda can raise the risk for a heart attack. Anyone with heart disease, and people who must limit salt intake, should never consume baking soda or other forms of sodium bicarbonate.
Toxicity In Children
Children should never be given baking soda or any substance containing sodium bicarbonate. If a child has swallowed baking soda, call Poison Control at 800-222-1200, and observe them for signs of toxicity, such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Benefits
The benefit of ingesting baking soda is the transient relief of heartburn. There is also evidence that it may relieve muscle fatigue during training. A review of pertinent medical literature in 2020 found that sodium bicarbonate can improve muscle endurance but not muscle strength.
Anyone considering the use of baking soda for fitness or health should consult with a physician before using it.
Potassium citrate is a much smarter idea. It neutralizes acid in the body but not in the stomach.