Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a mineral found and mined around the world. Throughout history, baking soda has been used as a leavening agent in baking, as it causes batter to rise. Baking soda has a variety of uses that can benefit your health, home, and general wellness. A popular addition to most kitchen cupboards, it has invaluable uses in cooking and cleaning, as well as being an inexpensive remedy for many common ailments.
Aside from its uses in baking, baking soda is best known for its natural cleaning abilities. While it is an incredibly effective, inexpensive, and versatile cleaning agent, it also boasts a wide variety of wellness benefits.
From calming irritated skin to upset stomachs, baking soda can go a long way in keeping your family healthy. Baking soda is very alkaline, meaning its makeup has the properties of an alkali and is very basic. It is this alkalinity that makes it such an effective levener in baking because of its basic pH level, baking soda can neutralize stomach acids quickly to counter any digestive issues. Additionally, baking soda is lightly abrasive and is therefore a gentle way to clean your teeth and body.
1. How To Use Baking Soda To Calm Insect Bites And Stings
Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to your skin. Apply the paste up to three times a day. This is an effective method to combat itchy bites as well as painful bee and wasp stings.
2. How To Use Baking Soda To Make Natural Mouthwash
Rinsing your mouth with baking soda mouthwash daily helps to treat and prevent halitosis, discourage the formation of plaque, prevent gum disease, and maintain a healthy oral pH balance. If you have a canker sore, rinsing your mouth every few hours with this solution will help to heal the sore faster and alleviate some of the pain.
To make the mouthwash, mix 1 teaspoon baking soda into a glass of water and stir until the baking soda is dissolved.
3. How To Use Baking Soda To Relieve Heartburn
Baking soda is a safe antacid—it can help to neutralize acid buildup and improve pH balance in the body. To help heartburn from eating acidic foods, slowly drink 1/4 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a glass of water to neutralize the acid and correct your body’s pH balance.
4. How To Use Baking Soda To Soothe Irritated Skin
Add 1 cup baking soda to bathwater to soften your skin and relieve irritation. Two tablespoons baking soda added to your baby’s bathwater can relieve diaper rash.
To counter more aggressive irritations, make a paste of equal parts baking soda and water and apply it to skin affected by poison ivy and poison oak to reduce discomfort. Do not use this method on broken skin. The paste also works for skin affected by sunburn and rashes caused by allergic reactions. Leave this mixture on the skin for several minutes before rinsing. Repeat a few times per day as needed.
5. How To Use Baking Soda To Remove Splinters
If you have a stubborn splinter, try soaking the area in baking soda and water. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with warm water and soak the area twice a day. Using this method, splinters will come out naturally after a few sessions.
6. How To Use Baking Soda To Boost Your Workouts
You can use baking soda before and after your workouts in order to get the most out of them. Some studies indicate that baking soda reduces post-workout fatigue and potentially enhances athletic performance when taken before a workout. The ideal dosage of baking soda as a pre-working supplement is 135 mg of baking soda per pound of body weight.
Mix the baking soda with warm water and stir until the baking soda is completely dissolved. Drink the mixture slowly, about 90–120 minutes before your workout for best results.
7. How To Use Baking Soda To Improve Kidney Function
Baking soda buffers acids in the body and helps to keep pH levels balanced. Consuming baking soda can help with removing acid from the body and research has suggested it may slow the progress of chronic kidney disease in some cases.
Caution: When it comes to ingesting baking soda, less is more! Consuming too much baking soda can cause an increase in acid production.