Baking soda acts as a leavening agent for baked goods, increasing the size of bubbles in the batter and helping the batter rise during baking. Adding baking soda to a recipe changes the nutrition content of the finished product, so you need to understand the composition of this common ingredient.
Basic Nutrition
Baking soda has no calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber or cholesterol. This ingredient also lacks most minerals. It has no calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, selenium, manganese, zinc, iron or phosphorus. Baking soda also lacks vitamins, as it has no thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D or vitamin K.
Ash Content
Baking soda has an ash content of 1.7 g per tsp., according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Ash content represents the total number of minerals in a food item. The amount of ash in an ingredient such as baking soda affects the quality, nutrition and stability of the ingredient.
Sodium
One tsp. of baking soda has 1,259 mg of sodium. This represents a significant percentage of the recommended daily value for sodium. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises healthy individuals to reduce daily sodium consumption to less than 2,300 mg. African-Americans, men and women over the age of 50, and people with chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. With 1,259 mg of sodium per tsp., baking soda has 54.7 percent of the daily value for healthy individuals and 83.9 percent of the recommended daily amount for those in high-risk groups.
Myths
Some athletes believe that drinking baking soda improves their endurance during events and competitions. This practice, known as soda loading, often has the opposite effect. The University of Maryland Medical Center says this performance enhancement method leads to muscle spasms, convulsions, diarrhea, vomiting, frequent urination, muscle weakness and irritability. Emergency medical treatment for baking soda overdose includes the administration of activated charcoal, medications to control complications and administration of intravenous fluids.
Warning
The high sodium content of baking soda makes it unsuitable for someone with kidney disease or congestive heart failure. In people with kidney disease, the damaged kidneys do not filter excess sodium out of the body as they should. As a result, sodium builds up in the bloodstream, increasing the volume of the blood circulating in the body. This increased blood volume forces the heart to work harder to pump blood. Excess sodium intake also affects the amount of potassium in the bloodstream, which could lead to complications with the heart, muscles and nerves. If you have a chronic medical condition, talk to your doctor before increasing the amount of baking soda in your diet.
