Baking soda is magic!
Its uses are almost endless...
From the house to the garden, it is used for almost everything.
Its uses for health and hygiene are also countless:deodorant, skin care, digestive problems...
But do you know the dangers of baking soda?
Yes, like any effective product, bicarbonate can also have undesirable effects if used incorrectly.
Discover now the 7 dangers of baking soda that everyone should know :
Bicarbonate is a natural product. It has no negative impact on the environment.
It can be used without risk directly in powder form, dissolved in water or mixed with other products.
It is still necessary to know how to choose your bicarbonate according to the use you want to make of it.
As a household product, technical baking soda is perfect.
It effectively replaces all commercial household products.
It is perfect for cleaning, washing clothes, deodorizing the fridge, neutralizing bad smells...
...or unclog the pipes, clean the car, sanitize the mattresses, rugs and carpets.
But of course, it absolutely must not be swallowed!
The ingestion of technical baking soda is to be avoided.
So can we drink baking soda? Yes if it's baking soda.
Indeed, for medical or food use, it is necessary to choose another type of bicarbonate as pure as possible.
So prefer a food-grade or pharmacy-grade bicarbonate.
It is the same molecule as technical bicarbonate, but the quality and purity are superior.
Food bicarbonate is indicated for cooking, body care, beauty care and body hygiene (toothpaste, deodorant).
Baking soda for medical use is recommended to treat heartburn, digestion problems, nausea, to make masks, to relieve flatulence, against coughs, as an antifungal (but not to lose weight)...
As we have just seen, baking soda is not a health hazard.
Quite the contrary! On the other hand, this magic white powder should not be confused with other white powders.
For example, soda, which is also a white powder, has nothing to do with baking soda.
You have to be careful not to confuse it with bicarbonate, because it is a dangerous and irritating product.
It is the same with sodium percarbonate which should not be confused with baking soda either.
Sodium percarbonate should never be ingested or brought into contact with the skin.
To avoid confusion, keep the baking soda in its original packaging in the kitchen or bathroom cupboards...
...and far from other products which are also white powders!
Baking soda is not dangerous if you do not exceed the recommended dose. Ingesting too much bicarbonate is dangerous for your health.
But don't panic!
You have to take very high doses for there to be negative health consequences.
It is only from 200 to 300 g of bicarbonate that it begins to be dangerous for health.
You will have understood it, you have the margin unless you want to put on a whole package!
Even at normal doses, it is best to avoid taking baking soda for too long because of its high sodium content.
It is therefore best to avoid taking baking soda after EVERY meal for months if you want to digest better.
In the same way, we do not brush our teeth EVERY day with baking soda, even to whiten them.
You have to know how to be reasonable and avoid excesses, even with baking soda . Why?
Because because of its sodium concentration, excessive use can lead to sodium overload in your body.
The consequences can be vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, nausea...
...swelling of the legs or in the most severe cases seizures or kidney failure.
For internal use, bicarbonate should not be administered to pregnant women and children under 6 years of age.
For this reason, keep baking soda out of the reach of children.
Always seek the advice of a doctor before using any bicarbonate remedy on a pregnant woman or child.
Similarly, bicarbonate should not be used in people on a salt-free diet or with high blood pressure. It should be avoided in case of high blood pressure or stomach ulcer.
The same for people with heart or kidney failure, pulmonary edema, kidney disease, liver disease, respiratory acidosis or metabolic alkalosis.
If you are undergoing medical treatment, avoid ingesting baking soda.
Of course, if you use baking soda in a cooking preparation, no problem.
But if you want to take it to soothe heartburn, for example, you better be careful.
There are indeed risks of interaction between bicarbonate and drugs that you take.
It is therefore important to always seek the advice of a doctor or pharmacist before ingesting a bicarbonate-based remedy if you are under medical treatment.
Although very rare, side effects may occur in some people.
Side effects can be swelling of the feet, hands or ankles, weight gain, dizziness, muscle aches...
And the risk of allergy, also very rare, is not zero either!
This can lead to itching, pimples, hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or face.
This is why we recommend that you seek advice from a doctor or pharmacist before taking bicarbonate for the first time.
If you want to use it on the skin, do a test on a small area first to make sure you don't have any allergies.
You can find it in pharmacies (Cooper), organic stores, but also in supermarkets like Auchan, Leclerc, Carrefour, Lidl...
You can also find technical baking soda here on the internet or food baking soda here.
Know that there is no difference between baking soda and sodium bicarbonate. It is the same product.
