Baking soda is a white powder with many uses and many names. Chemists refer to it as NaHCO3, sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium acid bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda. It is an acid salt formed when you combine the carbonic acid with the sodium hydroxide base. Baking soda is used in cooking and cleaning, but it can also be used as an antacid to ease stomach problems.
Use
Baking soda is considered an antacid. Since it can neutralize stomach acid, it can relieve indigestion and heartburn. Baking soda is also sometimes used as a treatment for stomach ulcers. While it appears to be relatively harmless, you should consult a medical professional before using it for any gastrointestinal ailments. As the name suggests, sodium bicarbonate contains sodium and may be contraindicated for some individuals.
Mechanism
Baking soda works by neutralizing odors and acids in foods -- or in your stomach. Seven is considered a neutral number for pH and baking soda will maintain a pH of 8.1, even when acids with lower or higher pH values are added to it. This is what makes it a good cleaner and neutralizing agent. Baking soda has the ability to alter the pH in your stomach to a neutral level, making it an effective antacid when the cause of your stomach distress is acid.
Dosage
Arm & Hammer, a well-known producer of baking soda, recommends taking its product as an antacid. While you should check with your doctor for his opinion, the dosage provided is 1/2 tsp. in 4 oz. of water taken every two hours. Arm & Hammer points out that you should not take this dose for more than two weeks unless advised by your doctor, and you should never exceed seven doses in a 24-hour period.
Warning
You should always consult with a physician before beginning a medical treatment, but it can be especially dangerous to use baking soda to alter your pH acid level if you are on a sodium-restricted diet since baking soda is very high in sodium. Baking soda may also interfere with certain prescription medications. It should not be taken before it has been fully dissolved in water. It should also not be given to a child under the age of five without instructions from a pediatrician.
