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Evidence that drinking baking soda can promote an anti-inflammatory environment
- Giorgi 8y agoYeah, what about side-effects? will there be any?
- marktangotango 8y agoSevere bloating, I went off long term ppi and tried baking soda daily. Went back to ppis.
- pault 8y agoHow much is a daily dose?
- toomuchgov 8y agoI had suffered from dueodenul ulcers, and was hospitalized, almost died. This was right before my 21st birthday, so afterwards, during that time in my life, I attended alot of parties, but my stomach would often sour (time of night, food, etc.). I was not much of a drinker, but I would use baking soda at house parties when my stomach started to turn. I would not do it daily, but 1 tsp dissolved in approx 6 oz of water as needed. Works within 15 minutes.
- megaman22 8y agoIt's basically what alka-seltzer, long-time hangover cure, is made of, with a little aspirin added.
- silencio 8y agoMy only experience with this is for chronic metabolic acidosis due to renal failure (in a parent) - there are sodium bicarbonate tablets in 325 and 650mg. Taken multiple times a day. Somewhere around 1500-3000mg/day. Looks like this study was working with a single amount of 2g dissolved in 250mL.
- sp332 8y agoI believe it, this is a warning right on the box of Arm & Hammer. Also if you have any heart problem, the high amount of sodium could aggravate it.
- debacle 8y agoDid you go back to a PPI even knowing the side effects of PPIs? Were you taking baking soda for reflux/stomach discomfort?
- pdfernhout 8y agoWhether baking soda works or not, eating a healthy diet with lots of leafy greens is a proven way to reduce inflammation in the body. Getting the right amount of vitamin D is another. Eating health fats like Omega 3s helps. And engaging in moderate exercise, getting good sleep, and having good connection to family, friends, and nature also help reduce inflammation in various ways. And of course avoid sugar and most refined carbohydrates -- as well as most food additives. Example link: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fi...
- jbreiding 8y agoSo basically no single fix, just a generally healthy lifestyle accompanied by a healthy balance of stress.
- WalterSear 8y agoExcept you can do all that (have always done that) and still be struck down with run-away inflammation, and without being some obvious genetic outlier. What you are describing is nowhere near the cure-all that unsymptomatic bystanders assume it is.
- maxxxxx 8y agoYou may also get hit by a car or get struck by lightning. Nothing is a guaranteed cure-all but what the GP describes is probably a good idea for a lot of people.
- jrace 8y agoWell cerntainly a good idea to have a balanced healthy diet, taking daily amounts of baking soda is not to keep your self healthy, but rather to help those that have an abnormal autoimmune response. For those with autoimmune disorders no amount of healthy diet is enough.
- phs318u 8y agoIve seen various versions of this story recently but can’t seem to find any that describe the dose or the formulation eg dissolved in water.
- code_duck 8y agoIt’s odd how the article ends with “Baking soda also interact with acidic ingredients like buttermilk and cocoa in cakes and other baked goods to help the batter expand and, along with heat from the oven, to rise. It can also help raise the pH in pools, is found in antacids and can help clean your teeth and tub.” Was this also sponsored by the baking powder trade association or something?
- jbigelow76 8y agoCareful or the agents of Big Soda (the powder not the beverage) will know we are onto them :)
- themodelplumber 8y agoI tried to join the discussion earlier but I didn't have enough Soda Credits. So now I'm fresh off of writing 300 social media comments sharing my love for Soda Powders of All Varieties and I just want to say how much I love the opportunity afforded me by being raised during the Third Age of Soda. Truly we are fortunate to see Soda raised to a new height by the lasting and unimpeachable reign of His Sodaness. I believe that all of the inflammations incl. inflammations of heart and gut and mind can be healed by His Remarkable Powders. Even the telling of Untruths regarding Soda Powders is becoming a thing of the past. My family is grateful for these Powders as well
- jgtrosh 8y agoI recently became more aware of the uses of baking soda and searched online for a list of what people did with it. Same thing with Vaseline another time. Both times you get these weird article written by so-called mothers who list over fifty different uses (not that different, and many dubious, or with obvious unwanted side effects). It's a bit creepy.
- KevanM 8y agohttp://www.jimmunol.org/content/200/10/3568/tab-figures-data http://www.jimmunol.org/content/200/10/3568/tab-figures-data Here's the paper if anyone wants it.
- pash 8y agoHere’s the Sci-Hub link: http://doi.org.https.sci-hub.hk/10.4049/jimmunol.1701605 http://doi.org.https.sci-hub.hk/10.4049/jimmunol.1701605 [PDF] Human subjects were dosed 2g (about a fifth of a teaspoon) in 250mL of water each day.
- JumpCrisscross 8y agoN=12. Merits further investigation, but not yet behavioural changes.
- nur0n 8y agoHonest question: does 'N' usually exclude the control group? Total human participants was 18, 6 for the control group. I agree that N is too small to warrant such hubbub.
- mattkrause 8y agoNormally, you just report them separately as in “six subjects were assigned to a control arm, while twelve received treatment.” The groups are often about the same size, though you might put more subjects in the treatment group if you suspect some heterogeneity in the response to treatment. A better design would test all subjects in both conditions—take a baseline sample, treat everyone and take a second sample, and then take a final sample after you think the treatment has washed out. An even better design would be a cross-over experiment, where half of the subjects receive the treatment first, then are “crossed over” to the control group, while the rather half get a mirror-image treatment.
- elcritch 8y agoThat's naive approach to decision making seemingly based on a narrow frequentist outlook eschewing a copious amount of prior knowledge on the subject. An analytical/scientific outlook on deciding behavioral decisions doesn't mean you only accept things based on whether a single research trial rejects the null hypothesis. I'd recommend reading more on probabilistic decision making [cf 1]. Personally this research has convinced me to try a small amount of baking soda. Specifically, I'm basing this decisions as the outcome of an internal decision matrix based on reading a lot of prior literature and personal experimentation balanced with the low risk of the behavior changes and not by taking the article in isolation. Personally, I've read a number of various "anecdotal" evidence pointing toward acidity / pH balance but didn't take it too seriously as it seemed unlikely modifying dietary pH levels could affect blood chemistry. This article provides both a plausible method of actions built around solid dual-pronged approach. The direct physiological studies with mice shows direct (and high powered results) indicating shifting populations of regulatory cells based on sodium bicarbonate intake. Combined with even a low power human based trial it overall yields a fairly convincing argument. There's lots of prior evidence linking RA severity with regulatory immune cells [2]. In the rise of recent direct links of immunology and gut flora it's very likely there's links of diet to immunological health as well. Therefore, I'm going to experiment a bit and see if it helps with periodic inflammation. Unfortunately whether any effects last long term or build up tolerance would be good to know. But even temporary relief that could cope with flare-ups would be very helpful, and given the caustic nature of auto-immune medications a bit of baking soda has small risk profile [cf 3] that I'm willing to tolerate. 1: https://cocosci.berkeley.edu/tom/papers/OneAndDone.pdf https://cocosci.berkeley.edu/tom/papers/OneAndDone.pdf 2: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1529-0131%28200003%2943%3A3%3C617%3A%3AAID-ANR19%3E3.0.CO%3B2-B https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/1529-0131%28... 3: https://www.statnews.com/2017/06/05/actemra-rheumatoid-arthritis-fda/ https://www.statnews.com/2017/06/05/actemra-rheumatoid-arthr...
- jensvdh 8y agoI'll stick with biologics..
- chiefalchemist 8y agoInteresting. But it also feels like this helps to return the body to a more natural state. The question then becomes: What in modern living is knocking the body off its center? How could the need for this "cure" be prevented? Any thoughts?
- aviv 8y agoAcids and large protein consumption. Meat, wheat, dairy. Toxic to the human body. It's really quite simple. You eat death, you get death.
- perfmode 8y agoPlants are death too no?
- aviv 8y agoIf you think a melon or celery represent death more than a piece of steak sliced out of a dirty, diseased cow full of nasty man made food, hormones and "medications".. then you are quite far gone. Hopefully you will see the light before the illnesses kick in for you.
- a_t48 8y agoI hope you remember to sanitize your keyboard daily. :)
- aviv 8y agoI'm not sure I understand your point - are you comparing the cleanliness of my keyboard to the horrible living conditions of a typical cow? I highly doubt the keys on my keyboard have manure on them.
- matte_black 8y agoYou’d be surprised. If you’ve ever taken a dump and then returned to your keyboard right after without taking a shower then fecal matter has almost certainly found its way to your keyboard. Fecal flakes proliferate through the air when you take a shit. The stronger the smell, the more flakes there are. They stick to your body and clothes, and then inevitably smeared on your keyboard.
- natch 8y agoWouldn't this lead to an overdose of sodium? (yes I'm ignorant about this subject matter).
- Nomentatus 8y agoYou can certainly overdose on Baking Soda and cause serious harm, so you want to get the dosage right.
- gcb0 8y agoyou will get very bad diarrhea before it's dangerous. and keep in mind the study was a gram a day.
- sverige 8y agoNot directly related to creating an "anti-inflammatory environment," but I've suffered from GERD for years and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. None of them worked, some even caused internal bleeding. A few years ago I was told to try a little baking soda solution when the reflux came on strong. It worked very well, and is now my go-to solution when I wake up with tasty hydrochloric acid in my mouth while sleeping. (Yes, I could go on and on about diet, exercise, chiropractic cures for hiatal hernias, etc., but if you suffer, you'll find your own path, and if you don't, undoubtedly I've already disgusted you with too-graphic language.) It's simple: counter the overactive stomach acid with a weak base. It works. Not sure I agree with the idea of making an entire diet out of it, though.
- deskamess 8y agoWhat is your baking soda to water mix ratio? Or do you take it straight?
- sverige 8y agoI use about a half teaspoon in a half cup (4 oz.) of water.
- leephillips 8y ago"and have tried all of the AMA's recommended cures. None of them worked" But sodium bicarbonate is a standard medical treatment for acid stomach or reflux. They even have it in pill form.
- elchief 8y agoI wonder how it compares to curcumin. Substantially cheaper no doubt
- lerie82 8y agopretty sure my grandma has been doing this for 80 years lol, not news at all.
- caio1982 8y agoI don't have any links off hand now but if you are interested in a more "natural" (add yourself a few extra nested quotes in there please) try googling for ACV or apple cider vinegar drinks, which promotes the same results with far less risk. Folks into ketogenic eating habits and intermittent fasting love this, although I couldn't get past the first glass due to the bitter taste.
- dsr_ 8y agoVinegar is an acid, so it tastes sour. Ditto citrus fruits. Bases taste bitter and feel slippery. Human bodies are usually capable of dealing with quite a lot of acid or base coming in through the digestive system. I really don't know what sort of "risk" you're talking about.
- caio1982 8y agoThanks for the vocabulary fix. As for the risk, google for the effects of too much acidic drinking to teeth and esophagus. People remove deep rust from iron using vinegar, I'd rather don't underestimate it myself.
- scythe 8y ago>the problems were hypertension and chronic kidney disease, It's interesting that these are both conditions usually normally associated with excess sodium in the diet. However, baking soda, as the name suggests, contains sodium! So that it would prevent these diseases is surprising. But sodium is normally consumed as a component of salt, which, in addition to sodium, contains chloride. That raises a question I'm surprised I can't answer: how do we know that any of the problems we blame on sodium are not in fact the result of chloride? I found this: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/222/4628/1139 http://science.sciencemag.org/content/222/4628/1139 http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/2168457 http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/2168457 I definitely did not expect to find that much support for this idea when I started this. I'm not convinced yet, though.
- toasterlovin 8y agoMy guess is that the real explanation for this conundrum is that “associated with” is not the same thing as “caused by”. Nutrition science and especially reporting on nutrition science makes too much of correlation because randomized controlled trials are expensive.
- pkaye 8y agoI'm in kidney failure and one of the pills I take is sodium bicarbonate.
- ryanmarsh 8y agoI’m sorry to hear that. Best wishes to you. I don’t know what to say that must be terrifying. I wish you good health and healing.
- pkaye 8y agoThanks for the well wishes. It was terrifying when I was first diagnosed but I've learned to accept and move ahead one day at a time. Thankfully dialysis is an option to extending my life despite being inconvenient and limiting.
- kristo 8y agoAs a professional cyclist, my little brother has been doing this for many years
- nerdponx 8y agoBack when I was rowing, I heard of a way to boost your performance in sprint races called "soda doping". The idea was that lactic acid buildup (leading to fatigue and pain) limits rowing performance. Therefore, consuming something basic should help, right? Apparently, drinking a baking soda solution right before a race could make you go a lot faster -- the caveat was that you would have be shitting like crazy soon after. I have no idea if this is true or even plausible, but it seems somewhat relevant.
- gh02t 8y agoThis sounded like BS to me so I looked it up, but it seems like there is some genuine scientific evidence that this is a real thing. The baking soda doesn't actually make it into your muscles, but it does lower the pH of your blood, which in turn pulls the lactic acid out of your muscles. http://doctoroffitness.com/resources/fitness-articles/item/q-a-using-bicarbonate-to-buffer-lactic-acid-in-athletes-2 http://doctoroffitness.com/resources/fitness-articles/item/q... . Checked a couple of the referenced articles and they seemed pretty legit.
- narrator 8y agoHere comes the Science: "The effect of chronic progressive-dose sodium bicarbonate [baking soda] ingestion on CrossFit-like performance: A double-blind, randomized cross-over trial." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29771966 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29771966 "CONCLUSIONS: Progressive-dose SB [baking soda] ingestion regimen eliminated GI side effects and improved CrossFit-like performance, as well as delayed ventilatory threshold occurrence."
- moz23 8y agoIt can also induce diarrhoea. And taking substances for performance enhancement is essentially doping (as in: not permitted for most sports).
- yerry 8y agoNaturally occurring salts available as commodity food ingredients at every grocery store? Eating is essentially doping? Brushing your teeth is doping? Wearing corrective lenses improves performance. Is wearing glasses considered doping too?
- Nomentatus 8y agoNote, however, that almost anything that hampers your metabolism (such as fasting or a ketogenic diet) or overburdens your body, will strongly tend to be anti-inflammatory, for the simplest of reasons: your body wants to fight an invader or toxin (that maybe it shouldn't) but you've clamped down on its ability to do as much as it likes; you've put it on a budget. This will also limit your ability to repair DNA and much else. I'm not saying that's the mechanism here, but it could be, and is for very many anti-inflammatory effects. Granted, fasting is part of our evolutionary history, some of it does seem to be healthy, overall.
- rolandnsharp 8y agoWhat's the invader in the case of keto and fasting diets? Keto would be a pretty natural state on a hunter gatherer diet, no?
- JoshMnem 8y agoThere is some interesting research on fasting and the immune system: https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regeneration-of-damaged-old-immune-system/ https://news.usc.edu/63669/fasting-triggers-stem-cell-regene...
- jetsnoc 8y agoI'm 35, I've had issues with heartburn for most of my adult life. A few times, I've used baking soda temporarily when I don't have access to another antacid. I quit doing that, because of the last three times. The two times before last, my right knee dislocated ("popped out") hours after and I fell to the floor. That was startling. I didn't "correlate" that it could be related until the second time it happened. The final time I had it, I woke up to a burning and excruciating pain that coursed my entire back. I don't know if it was the ligaments, the discs, or what not but it was painful. I've felt that a few more times in the middle of the night without having had baking soda. So, very likely not related since it was a single dose. But, I'm not experimenting with baking soda as an antacid again with my knee having dislocated twice! There must be no relation but it's a lot like never eating a food again after getting terribly ill. Not gonna do that again!
- coretx 8y ago/!\ HOAX Alert /!\ For some weird reason this story or a variation thereof keeps going viral while both the cited article and the journalist involved have been burned over and over again at various places. TL;DR Correlation is not causation. Also: The human body generally regulates acidity using the kidney ( takes some time ) or the respiratory system. ( Quick, breathing CO2) If drinking acids or a base would directly supersede the values created by the aforementioned system this would not be a good thing.
- amelius 8y agoDon't go wild on this, or I suppose you might end up with another condition, which could be worse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydria
- biggio 8y agoQuitting sugar worked wonders for me