HomeLifestyleHealth & FitnessBaking soda for almost everything: 5 surprising uses

Baking soda for almost everything: 5 surprising uses

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Remove acidity, whiten teeth, clean the home and garden and even put out fires. Can you believe that the same substance is capable of doing all this and more? Know the uses of sodium bicarbonate and how to use it correctly so that it does not have adverse effects.

In general, we usually associate baking soda with a solution to relieve heartburn. In fact, this is the most common medical use for this substance. But what exactly is this substance that is used for almost everything?

What is baking soda?

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), also known as sodium acid carbonate, is a white crystalline solid compound, soluble in water. It can be obtained from nature through the mineral natron, and it is also produced artificially. In contact with acids, it decomposes forming carbon dioxide (CO2) and water, which makes it possible to neutralize acids.

Baking Soda Uses and Precautions

The compound serves multiple purposes, from eliminating heartburn to completely cleaning your washing machine and oven. Here are some of its main uses.

  • Heartburn

Indeed, sodium bicarbonate eliminates the sensation of heartburn or indigestion due to its ability to neutralize acids. Typically, doctors prescribe it for this purpose in the form of tablets or powder that are taken by mouth, but some precautions must be taken into account.

Sodium bicarbonate is taken between one and four times a day, depending on the condition, as indicated in the National Library of Medicine in the United States.

If it is taken as an antacid, it is necessary to wait between one and two hours after the last meal and drink it dissolved in a glass with plenty of water.

  • Eliminate hangover 

A recent study by physiologists from the Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany) found that sodium bicarbonate, together with a combination of plant extracts, can be a good solution for hangovers.

The mixture, which proved to reduce headaches and nausea, consisted more precisely of the following ingredients: water with a dissolved supplement of ginger root, acerola, nopal, ginkgo Biloba, willow, magnesium, potassium, sodium bicarbonate, zinc, riboflavin, thiamine and folic acid.

  • Home clean

Floors, tiles, kitchen appliances, appliances – Baking soda helps remove dirt from various surfaces, such as metal, with ease. The mixture of cooking soap and baking soda is a classic in the world of cleaning and is often recommended to remove grease from surfaces.

It is also useful for removing stains from clothing, especially white or light-colored clothing. How should you do it? Mix baking soda with lemon juice: it does not leave traces of spilled tea or coffee.

  • Whiten teeth?

The possibility of using baking soda as a teeth whitening method has divided dentists. While some argue that the substance is useful and harmless as long as it is not used in excess, others say that it is better to opt for mouthwash or a more regular toothbrush.

The European oral health information platform Dentaly indicates that, although the abrasiveness of sodium bicarbonate by itself is low and harmless, care must be taken about certain “home remedies” for whitening teeth that circulate on the internet.

This is what you should not do. Some homemade teeth whitening formulas include mixing baking soda with lemon or vinegar and rubbing it over your teeth. “Lemon is a highly acidic substance, which makes it very dangerous for tooth enamel. Acids have the ability to weaken enamel quickly causing erosion. Now, if you mix lemon with baking soda, the acid will make the enamel weak. and the abrasive properties of bicarbonate will be increased “, they assure.

  • Turn off the fire

This compound can also save your life. In case of fire, and in the absence of a proper extinguisher, you can use this substance.

In fact, fire extinguishing powders also have sodium bicarbonate among other components. Since the compound releases carbon dioxide when heated, it can take the oxygen out of the fire and be able to put it out.

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