Although it is regularly used in daily life, many people are still unaware of the advantages and properties of baking soda.
Baking soda has several healthful qualities that are beneficial to the body in addition to its use in cooking.
Defining Baking Soda
Baking soda is completely composed of sodium bicarbonate. This compound can be used in the culinary field, helping the dough to rise and enriching other dishes in flavor and texture. Baking soda has been used to make bread for centuries back, and it is even used for that purpose today.
Naturally, baking soda is known as nahcolite, a derivative of the mineral natron.
In Egypt, people used natron for cleaning their households. Then, in 1846, Dr. Austin Church and John Dwight began the process of creating baking soda that is still used today.
However, it wasn’t until the 1920s that baking soda was first used as a medical mean.
11 Ways to Use Baking Soda for Your Health
Baking soda is extremely cheap and available in all stores. It is often used to heal accidents and injuries, but it found a place in other cosmetic products as well.
Natural Deodorant
Store deodorants can contain plenty of parabens and aluminum, so if you want to avoid these heavy compounds, baking soda is the key.
By solely brushing baking soda under the arms and on the feet, you’ll get rid of the unpleasant smell of sweat.
Insect Bites and Poison Ivy
Prepare a baking soda and water paste and apply it directly on insect bites to stop the itching.
Baking soda can also help with treating poison ivy rashes and other itches.
Heartburn, Indigestion, and Ulcer Pain
Baking soda is very powerful when it comes to treating stomach acid, heartburn, indigestion and even ulcer pain.
The ideal recipe is to mix ½ teaspoon baking soda in a half a glass of water. Take this every two hours, and be mindful if you are over 60- this might be a huge dose for you.
Foot Soak and Exfoliator
Mix three tablespoons of baking soda with warm water and soak your feet in it. Also, you can prepare a paste and scrub the feet with it. It is also beneficial to use this method to cleanse the skin without any side-effects.
Relaxing Soak
Combine baking soda with apple cider vinegar and you’ll get an amazing soak-in bath.
Afterwards you can leave it a little bit more to clean the bathtub as well!
Hand Cleanser
Combine three parts baking soda with one part of water and use this to clean your hands from dirt and unpleasant smells.
Splinter removal
Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a small glass of water. Use this on affected area two times per day. It takes only days for the splinters to go away.
Sunburn Treatment
In lukewarm water, add ½ cup of baking soda and lie in a bathtub full of this soak to treat heavy sunburns. You can also dip a towel or a cloth in the mix and apply directly on painful areas.
Enhanced Sports Performance
Baking soda capsules are known to athletes who use them all the time as an energy booster. Still, make sure to do a full research before trying this at home.
Here is what researchers pointed out on the subject:
“Essentially, sodium bicarbonate is an alkali substance that increases the pH of the blood. This seems to reduce and offset the acidity produced in the muscles during intense, anaerobic exercise that produces lactic acid most quickly, such as fast running or swimming.”
Tooth and Gum Paste
Teeth can benefit amazingly from using baking soda. However, keep in mind not to abuse this method in order to protect your dental health. According to a study, baking soda soda “enhanced plaque removal effectiveness of tooth brushing to a significantly greater extent” than the traditional toothpaste brushing.
The oral hygiene is very important and baking soda can help you get rid of all bacteria, such as the Streptococcus mutans bacteria, in no time.
Mix six parts of baking soda with one part of sea salt.
Pulse them in a blender for 30 seconds and transfer to a tube. To get the gums clean, use index finger to massage a small amount of it on the gums directly.
Let the paste act for 15 minutes and then rinse your mouth. Still, be careful not to overuse baking soda as far as the teeth and gums are concerned.
Teeth whitener
Use a ripe strawberry and combine it with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Apply on your teeth and let it act for five minutes. Brush teeth and rinse well. Repeat once a week, but not more, because you might hurt the teeth enamel.
Baking Soda as a Natural Cleanser
Baking soda has long been used as a household cleanser, and even served to clean the Statute of Liberty during its 1986 restoration.
Baking soda can help you clean your kitchen just by sprinkling it on the dirty surfaces. To enhance the effect, add a couple of essential oil drops.
Also, by combining baking soda and apple cider vinegar you can clean the bathroom, and even the drain. Mix baking soda with hot water and soak pans in it. Let it act for 15 minutes and then clean them well.
The same method is great for cleaning the grill as well. This is also good for cleaning toys- all you need to do is combine 4 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 quart of water.
Furthermore, feel free to use baking soda as a fabric softener or a fabric whitener.
Use this marvelous product to clean your carpets, by sprinkling it and letting it sit for 15 minutes. In the end, vacuum well.
Cutlery and silverware can be cleaned with baking soda, too. Just fill kitchen sink with hot water, add a sheet of aluminum foil and baking soda, and throw in all cutlery.
Finally you can clean your veggies by using baking soda when you wash them- this will help get the dirt away.
