What are the harm and benefits of baking soda?

Everyone is familiar with such a product as baking soda. It is the sodium salt of a carboxylic acid. Dissolving in water, it forms an aqueous solution of carbon dioxide. But it's from a chemical point of view, and we'll talk a little bit about something else.

Properties of baking soda

It has long been said that this product is often used in cooking and medicine. In addition, in our time, it became known more interesting and useful facts about this white powder. Harm and use of baking soda has always been of interest to scientists, so this product has undergone repeated scientific research. There was an opinion that soda is harmful to the human body, and allegedly its use can lead to cell damage, but this is far from the case. In fact, an aqueous solution of soda is a weak alkali, which has absolutely no negative impact on the tissues of the body.

In cooking, soda is used as a baking powder for the dough, contributes to faster cooking of meat dishes, and is also used to create drinks. For washing dishes and cleaning the microwave oven and other surfaces, baking soda is also used. The benefits and harms of this product, unfortunately, have not yet been fully studied and partly remain a mystery. But you can definitely say that this product, being cheap enough, is an indispensable assistant in the house.

Harm and benefit of baking soda

In addition to cooking, the baking soda solution is widely used for medical purposes. For example, it is used:

• For gargling with colds;
• For rinsing the mouth with toothache;
• For cleaning the gastrointestinal tract and removing toxins from the body;
• A weak solution of baking soda helps calm a strong heartbeat ;
• To soften the skin on the heels and elbows;
• Used for inhalation for colds and so on.

This is a very considerable list. But the harm and benefit of baking soda are closely interrelated. For example, a solution of this product is used as a good tool for teeth whitening, but at the same time, tooth enamel is destroyed during such cleaning, which makes the teeth very sensitive.

It should also beware of the ingestion of soda powder in the eyes or prolonged contact with the skin, as this can cause serious burns. If the powder gets on the mucous membrane of the eyes, they should be rinsed immediately with running water. In addition, before the solution of baking soda was used to get rid of heartburn, but this is not recommended, because there is an intensive release of carbon dioxide, causing bloating, and as a result, acidity in the stomach is violated.

With this product it is also possible to reduce the itching after an insect bite, but do not overdo the powder in a sore spot. It can be safely asserted that there are both harm and benefits of baking soda. But it harms only in cases of its incorrect application. It is necessary not to neglect the caution with the concentration of baking soda in aqueous solutions, try to avoid long contact of the product with the skin and just be more careful. In such cases, the product will forever remain a faithful friend and assistant in the household.