You might think that baking soda hiding in the back of your cupboard is only good for absorbing unpleasant odors from your fridge, washing vegetables, and making baked goods.
But some might encourage you to think twice, as many people online share that they’ve added it to their water and found the ingredient improves athletic performance, acid reflux, energy levels, and more. But experts say whether the practice works for a variety of conditions is a nuanced issue due to limited research and a range of risks and individual health conditions.
“Baking soda is a fantastic natural ingredient that can do so many things,” says Frances Largeman Ross, R.D., Ph.D., registered dietitian and author of Everyday Snack Tray.
“It also helps neutralize odors and remove stains from clothing,” Largeman-Ross said in an email.
But just because baking soda is made from natural ingredients doesn’t mean it’s safe to ingest without regulation, she adds. The reason you need to be careful is because of baking soda and your body’s chemistry, and the subtle interactions between the two can have positive or negative effects on your health.
Baking soda, formally known as sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline substance made up of sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, says Grace DeRocha, M.D., a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The main reason baking soda is effective against problems like acid reflux is because it neutralizes acid.
On the pH scale of acidity and alkalinity, anything below 7 is acidic, 7 to 8 is neutral, and 8 to 14 is alkaline or basic. The normal pH range of the human body as measured in blood is 7.35 to 7.45, but certain body parts and substances have their own pH, for example the stomach has a pH of 1, which is very acidic.
With an alkaline pH of about 8.3, baking soda can make you sick if you consume too much of it. Here’s what the research and experts say about the health effects, key risk factors, and other things you need to know.
What the research shows (and doesn’t show)
When it comes to what taking baking soda can improve, athletic endurance is one of the most well-supported purposes, with research dating back to the 1980s, though some of the studies have been small and/or have drawn mixed conclusions.
During exercise, especially during intense anaerobic exercise like sprinting or jumping rope, muscle metabolism produces hydrogen ions, said exercise physiologist Tamara Hugh-Butler, PhD, an associate professor of exercise and sports science at Wayne State University in Detroit, in an email. Lactate and hydrogen ions are then produced by the breakdown of muscle glycogen to produce energy.
The buildup of ions “increases the acidity of the blood/muscle environment, limiting exercise performance (i.e. the ‘burn’ caused by exercise),” Hugh Butler added. “So the (benefit) of taking baking soda before exercise is that it reduces the acidity in and around the muscles during exercise, which may improve performance during short, high-intensity exercise.”
Several studies have shown that taking baking soda one to two hours before exercise can improve performance for up to 12 minutes of high-intensity exercise, such as cycling, running, rowing, boxing and karate, according to a large-scale 2021 research review by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. But the effects on pH can last for up to three hours, Hugh Butler said.
Participants in a strength-training study who took baking soda experienced less muscle fatigue and were able to perform more repetitions than a placebo group.
Baking soda may also lower stomach acid, which may relieve acid reflux and indigestion, which isn’t surprising since baking soda is an ingredient in antacids, a common treatment for these conditions, DeRocha said.
There is also some evidence to suggest that baking soda may slow the progression of kidney disease.
Dr. Paul O’Connor, a professor of physiology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in Georgia, said people with chronic kidney disease have organs that don’t function well and can’t excrete enough acid each day, causing their blood to become more acidic.
“Clinically, we give these patients bicarbonate supplements to essentially offset the acid load and reduce the amount of acid their kidneys excrete,” O’Connor says. “Being too acidic can lead to bone and mineral loss, muscle wasting, and several other problems.”
The latest evidence to support this comes from a randomized controlled trial of 153 people with high blood pressure and high risk of worsening chronic kidney disease. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine on August 5 found that taking baking soda twice a day (four to five 650-milligram tablets) slowed the progression of kidney disease over a five-year period. This was compared to a group that only received standard medical care. However, baking soda supplementation was not associated with any improvement in blood pressure or cardiovascular disease risk.
The findings confirm those of about 15 other studies on the subject. Some have suggested benefits for kidney stones. But a recent multicenter clinical trial showed different results, and the jury is still out on why, O’Connor said.
A 2018 study in both rats and humans found that baking soda reduced inflammation, which is a risk factor for a variety of health problems, including heart disease, depression and Alzheimer’s, Largeman-Roth said. “However, the study only lasted (two) weeks, so we can’t assume this treatment is safe in the long term,” she said.
But it’s this finding that led the researchers to suggest that baking soda may be effective in treating inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Largeman-Roth said.
Risk Management
“Whatever your situation, be sure to talk to your doctor about whether any new health regimen is right for you, because everyone’s body is different,” says DeRocha, and “low stomach acid can make medications take longer to work or affect how well they work,” says Largeman-Roth.
Experts say there are some people for whom the instructions are important and for whom baking soda supplementation is definitely not recommended, including children, people with cardiovascular disease, acidosis or alkalosis, and pregnant women.
The caution is also due to its high sodium content — more than 1,200 milligrams per teaspoon. The American Heart Association’s ideal daily sodium limit is 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults, and no more than 2,300 milligrams per day for those with high blood pressure.
Experts say there’s no universal dosage recommendation, but for indigestion, try mixing a quarter teaspoon into a glass of water, says Largeman-Roth. Some people use a full teaspoon, but DeRocha says that taking too much can cause diarrhea, gas, nausea, and vomiting in some people, so it may be best to gradually work your way up to that amount. It’s best to take it after a meal, since you need stomach acid to digest food first, she adds.
Fitness studies typically use between 0.2 and 0.5 grams of baking soda per kilogram of body weight, meaning a 130-pound person would need at least a tablespoon of baking soda, but in reality, most athletes can’t consume that much, says Largeman-Roth.
For kidney disease, O’Connor said the pill dosage would be adjusted by doctors based on the patient’s blood test results.
Drinking too much baking soda water or for a long period of time “can have dire consequences,” Largeman-Roth said, adding that some people have ended up in emergency rooms with metabolic alkalosis, a condition in which the body’s pH exceeds 7.45. Alkalosis can harm the heart, reduce blood flow to the brain, cause confusion and reduce the flow of oxygen to the body’s tissues, she added.
O’Connor said it’s also possible that your stomach may start producing excess acid to counteract the baking soda you may have ingested.
“That’s why patients with acid reflux usually take different medications, such as proton pump inhibitors,” he added. “Having more stomach acid also helps prevent bacteria from entering the digestive system.”
Some people only drink it in the morning because it disrupts their sleep, DeRocha said. That’s probably because the sodium makes the heart work harder to pump blood around the body, temporarily raising blood pressure. This effect has led some people who take blood pressure medication to take it at night to reduce the strain on their heart and help them sleep better.
Baking soda supplements aren’t the only way to alleviate health problems caused by acid: A recent study on baking soda, kidney disease, and high blood pressure showed that adding more produce to your diet was most effective, which experts say supports the fact that the basics are always the most important when it comes to overall health.
