CNN — You may think the baking soda lurking in the back of your cupboard is only useful for absorbing gross refrigerator smells, cleaning produce or making baked goods.
But some people would probably recommend you think again — because they’re adding it to their water and sharing online that they’ve found the ingredient improves their exercise performance, acid reflux, energy levels and more.
But experts said whether the practice is helpful for various conditions is a nuanced matter due to limited and mixed research, risks and personal health.
“Baking soda is a very cool natural ingredient that can do a lot,” said Frances Largeman-Roth, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “Everyday Snack Tray.”
“It can (also) neutralize odors and help you remove stains from your clothes,” Largeman-Roth said via email.
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However, just because baking soda is produced from natural ingredients doesn’t mean it’s safe to ingest without regulation, she added.
The need for caution is due to the chemistry of baking soda and that of the body, and how the sensitive interplay between the two is the very thing that could help or harm.
Baking soda, formally known as sodium bicarbonate, is an alkaline substance composed of sodium, hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, said Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The primary way baking soda could be helpful for issues such as acid reflux is by neutralizing acid.
On the pH scale of acidity and alkalinity, anything with a pH of less than 7 is acidic, while 7 to 8 is neutral and anything from 8 to 14 is alkaline, or basic.
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The normal pH range for the human body, measured by blood, is 7.35 to 7.45, Derocha said, but specific body parts and substances have their own pH — such as the stomach’s highly acidic pH of 1 …