Baking Powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. It is a mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar, and sometimes cornstarch.
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Uses
- Natural Deodorant: If you want to avoid the parabens and aluminum found in many deodorants and antiperspirants, try a pinch of baking soda mixed with water instead. This simple paste makes an effective and simple natural deodorant. You can also simply brush some dry baking soda under your arms.
- Insect Bites and Poison Ivy: Apply a paste made of baking soda and water to insect bites to help relieve itching. You can also try rubbing the dry powder onto your skin. This is also effective for itchy rashes and poison ivy. Baking soda helps to relieve minor skin irritation and itching by neutralizing toxins and irritants on your skin’s surface.
- Heartburn, Indigestion, and Ulcer Pain: Most over-the-counter antacids contain some form of bicarbonate. Baking soda works by immediately neutralizing stomach acid, helping to relieve heartburn, indigestion and even ulcer pain. I have personally recommended this to many, including family members, and have been surprised how remarkably effective it is.
- Foot Soak and Exfoliator: Add three tablespoons of baking soda to a tub of warm water for an invigorating foot soak. You can scrub your feet with a baking soda paste for additional exfoliation. A paste made from three parts of baking soda combined with one part water can be used as an exfoliator for your face and body, too. It’s natural, inexpensive and gentle enough to use every day.
- Relaxing Soak: Baking soda and apple cider make a wonderful spa-like bath for soaking. It also cleans the tub and the drain, as a bonus!
- Hand Cleanser: Mix three parts baking soda with one part of water to make a natural hand cleanser that will scrub away dirt and neutralize odors.
- Splinter removal: Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a small glass of water, then soak the affected area twice a day. Many splinters will come out on their own after a couple of days using this treatment.
- Sunburn Remedy: Add ½ cup of baking soda to lukewarm bathwater, then soak in the tub for natural relief. When you get out, let your skin air dry, rather than toweling off the excess baking soda, for extra relief. You can also add a mixture of baking soda and water to a cool compress and apply it to the sunburn directly.
- Enhanced Sports Performance: Distance runners have long engaged in a practice known as “soda doping” — or taking baking soda capsules — before races to enhance performance, a measure that’s thought to work similarly to carbohydrate loading. It’s also been shown to improve speed among swimmers. While I don’t suggest you try this at home, it’s another example of baking soda benefits.
Benefits
- Health benefits of baking soda include reduced risk and prevention of diarrhea, metabolic acidosis, acidity, peptic ulcer, and drug intoxification. It has anti-ich or antipruritic properties which helps in maintaining healthy skin. It is effective home remedy in cold and flu and plaque removal. It is a good source of sodium prevents hyperkalemia, bladder infection and kidney stones.
- It has antimicrobial properties which may protect body and feet from infections. Usage of baking soda is not just limited to health, it is used in cooking and cleaning.
- Baking soda also known as sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is commonly used and found in almost every household. It is odorless, salty in taste and available as a white powder. It has various uses such as cooking, medical uses etc.
Cautions
- Milk-alkali syndrome: Excess consumption of sodium bicarbonate may cause health ailments such as milk-alkali syndrome.
- Side effects: Overdose of baking soda may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness and spasms. Care must be taken while consuming products that contain baking soda.
- It is advisable to consult your health specialist if you have blood pressure related ailments, kidney diseases, if you are pregnant or breast feeding as they may have side effects on consumption.
Interactions
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Other names
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References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder#How_much_to_use
Mercola, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/02/11-health-benefits-baking-soda.aspx
Organic Facts, https://www.organicfacts.net/baking-soda.html