Superpowers

SUPERPOWERS!

Baking Soda POWERS

You can use it to: calm indigestion, treat insect bites, keep mouth healthy, control odors, help chemotherapy work, treat kidney disease......

That box of baking soda, also known as bicarbonate of soda (or sodium bicarbonate), can do some major things.

Its superpowers come from a two-letter term: pH. That stands for “potential (or power) of hydrogen” to make something either an acid or a base (alkaline). Baking soda is an alkaline substance. When it mixes with an acid, it alters the pH level. That’s why it can quickly soothe an upset stomach or cover a bad smell.

Calm indigestion: Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water to zap acid in your stomach. But acid doesn’t cause all kinds of indigestion, so if your symptoms don’t improve after 2 weeks, call your doctor.

Don’t take baking soda within 2 hours of other medications. When the baking soda lowers stomach acid, it can slow the rate at which your body absorbs some medicines and change the way others work. Don’t give it to a child under 6 unless your pediatrician tells you to.

Treat insect bites and stings: While it isn’t good for everyday use on your skin, it can soothe the redness, itching, and stinging that are signs of a mild reaction to an insect bite. Many over-the-counter creams contain baking soda. You can also make your own paste of one part baking soda to three parts water. This also works for poison ivy and rashes. 

Keep your mouth healthy: Brushing your teeth with toothpaste that has baking soda can hold off tooth decay and keep your gums and mouth in good shape. A half-teaspoon of baking soda mixed in a glass of water can also freshen your breath.

Control odors: Most bad smells come from either strong acids (think sour milk) or bases (like spoiled fish). When you add baking soda and change the pH balance, the odors in your fridge or your carpet come into a neutral state. Try it for yourself. Put an open box of baking soda in your fridge. Sprinkle it over the layers of garbage in your trash can or toss it into the bottom of your dishwasher.

Help chemotherapy work: While no scientific studies have found that baking soda cures cancer, research does show that it can help some cancer treatments work better. Some chemotherapy drugs need alkaline conditions. Others become more toxic in an acid environment. That’s why some doctors suggest using some form of sodium bicarbonate for best treatment results. Your oncologist can tell you if your drugs will get a boost from baking soda. 

Mouth and throat changes are common chemo side effects. If this happens to you, rinse your mouth three times daily with a mixture of 1 cup warm water, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, followed by a rinse with plain water.

Treat kidney disease: A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate can help people whose kidneys can no longer remove enough acid from their blood.

YOU MAY ALREADY BE SUPER HUMAN WITH POWERS UNKNOWN OR WELL ADVERTISED, BUT WE ALL NEED SOME HELP FROM TIME TO TIME.  BAKING SODA IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

Blessings to you,

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