Baking Soda - Its uses in solving everyday health and beauty issues

Did you know that a simple ingredient in your kitchen can help in solving a number of health and beauty issues? Be it indigestion, gas, acidity or a pimple on your face, it works wonders in all these cases.

What is sodium bicarbonate or baking soda?

It is a soluble white powder called Nahcolite. It is a part of the natural mineral called natron that is found in different parts of the world as well as naturally occurring mineral springs. It has natural cleansing properties because of which it is used in most of the household cleaning products, but it has a number of amazing medical benefits too.

How does sodium bicarbonate in solving health issues?

It is important for the human body to maintain its acid-base balance to remain healthy. The bicarbonate in soda is found in all the fluids in the human body and also in the organs to help maintain its pH balance.  When taken orally, sodium bicarbonate turns into carbon dioxide in the stomach after reacting with the organic acids in it. This results in an increase in the carbon dioxide level of the blood and tissues, which in turn also increasing the level of oxygen in the blood. A gain in one gas does not result in the loss of the other. Carbon dioxide helps in forming the bond between the oxygen and haemoglobin and results in release of oxygen from haemoglobin.

Some doctors give their patients oral, intravenous and aerosol doses of sodium bicarbonate to treat diseases like prostate cancer, breast cancer etc. Cancer cells multiply rapidly and result in the breakdown of sugars and the production of organic acids in the vicinity of the tumors. This acidic environment around the tumor in turn helps the cancer cells to spread rapidly. Thus, by raising the pH level around the microenvironment of the tumor prevents the cancer from spreading by starving the cancer cells. It also protects the organs from the harmful effects of chemotherapy and other cancer drugs.

What are the other everyday health and beauty benefits of sodium carbonate?

Treating cold and flu: One of the first uses of baking soda for medical purpose was to treat cold and flu. Consuming it with water helped in prevention of cold and flu, and also its treatment by reducing its symptoms in a day or two.

Treating heartburn and indigestion:  To treat heartburn and indigestion, you can stir half a teaspoon of baking soda into half a cup of water and drink it an hour or two after meals. Avoid drinking this alkaline liquid too often as this can also weaken your gut and the digestive system in general.

Reducing allergic itching: Baking soda can be applied as a topical antiseptic agent that helps in reducing itching caused by allergic skin reactions. It helps in balancing the pH balance of the skin and sooth itching.

Preventing blisters and scarring: Since blisters are tender areas on skin that are filled with fluid, application of baking soda on them can help in drying them out. Since it sooths itching, it also reduces your desire to scratch and pick at scabs and thus helps in avoiding scars from forming. A paste of three parts of baking soda combined with one part water can be used as a scrub to remove dead skin and lighten scars.

Treating pimples: A teaspoon of baking soda can be mixed with a little water and applied directly on the pimples. It can be kept on for about 15 minutes and should then be rinsed off with water. The paste can be applied and kept overnight too but with precaution as it quickly dries out skin. You must apply moisturizer to the skin after the application of baking soda to keep it hydrated.

Removing splinters: Baking soda can be mixed with a few drops of water and applied to the affected area and kept for a few minutes twice daily. After a few applications, the splinter will come out on its own.

Busting plaque and stains from teeth: A mixture of six parts of baking soda to one part of sea salt can be stored in a container and used to clean gums and remove plaque from teeth. This mixture can also be used with a few drops of lemon and applied to remove stains from teeth. This should be done just once a week as using it more often and keeping it too long on teeth can damage the tooth enamel.

Deodorizing feet and underarms: You can add one-half cup of baking soda to bathwater to sooth your skin and also remove bacteria from it to make it odour free. You can also mix a little of baking soda and water to form a paste and apply it on your feet or on the underarms to deodorize them.

I’m sure that by now you are convinced to bring out the unused packet of baking soda lying in your kitchen drawer and try it out to see its magical properties work wonders for you!