There are a handful of things I always like to have on hand in my home. Epsom salts, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. I like to have them on hand all for different various reasons. Some for detoxification, some for digestion, some for cleaning etc. Baking soda is one of those things that I personally like to have on hand for a few reasons. It makes a great cleaner, a great scrubbing agent to clean the sink or the bathtub.

It also has valuable health effects and at the price of about 98 cents a box, you can’t beat it!

What is baking soda exactly? Chemically it’s NaHCO3, also known as sodium bicarbonate, we call it baking soda! It’s a chemical salt that occurs in its natural form as the mineral nahcolite. Baking soda typically reacts as an acid, but in an aqueous solution such as water it is slightly alkaline. It’s an amazing cleaning agent and great for other health-related purposes as well.

Drinking Water With Baking Soda: The Benefits

1. pH Balancer:

   Many diseases and conditions including cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and others thrive in an acidic environment. An acidic pH is necessary and normal in certain parts of the body such as the gut, where acid is needed for digestion. The skin is also acidic as an external layer between your internal and external environment. It’s a detoxifying organ. The pH of healthy blood is between 7.3 and 7.4. 7 is a neutral pH so the blood in good health is slightly alkaline. Drinking baking soda water on an empty stomach allows your body to absorb this and has an alkalizing effect. This is beneficial for blood health which helps to heal your entire body as well as keep things in homeostasis. Drink baking soda water on an empty stomach to alkalize your blood and body!

2. Antacid Effect:

   Heartburn and acid reflux are symptoms of an overly acidic body. They are also typically signs of mineral deficiencies such as magnesium or potassium. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is also not working properly. It is not properly contracting. The lower esophageal sphincter is a valve that connects the stomach to the esophagus. If it were contracting properly it would keep the acid in your stomach and not allow the acid to rise leading to heartburn. Getting magnesium and potassium rich foods such as leafy greens, avocado and bananas in your diet will help the LES work better. Simply drinking baking soda water on an empty stomach is beneficial also. Water with baking soda helps your gut to produce and benefit from hydrochloric acid. This helps your body to burp, helping subvert the issue. It also helps with heartburn and gas.

3. Prevention Kidney Stones:

   Very acidic urine is an indicator that you have an iron deficiency. If you’re too deficient in iron and your body is too acidic then kidney stones can form, causing a lot of pain. Other factors such as a mineral balance of your magnesium, calcium and potassium ratios are important also. Your CA/MG (calcium to magnesium) ratio is important also. It’s important to have plenty of magnesium and potassium rich foods in your diet. When you’re deficient in magnesium and potassium but have too much calcium then calcification will occur in the body. This will lead to the formation of kidney stones and other calcium-deposit related conditions. These include arthritis, stiff joints, even stroke or heart attack if calcium builds up in the arteries. Another cause that will contribute to the formation of kidney stones is simply being dehydrated. You need to drink more water. Drinking water with baking soda helps to keep the blood in a healthier homeostasis to carry minerals to where they need to be in the body.

4. Prevention Of UTI’s:

   Urinary tract infections (also known as a UTI) are caused by a weakend immune system. An infection needs an immune boost! Baking soda is known to prevent urinary tract infections. It has anti-septic properties. Drinking baking soda water helps to clean and purify the blood as well as the kidneys and bladder. This helps you prevent urinary tract infections. It also helps keep your bladder and kidneys in better shape in health!

How To Drink Baking Soda Water?

You can simply add a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and drink that twice daily, better on an empty stomach. You can measure your pH in the morning and once during the day over time. Your pH will be higher in the morning because your body is cleaning and detoxifying during sleep. During the day your pH will be higher than in the morning. Start to monitor your pH each morning and throughout the day once you start drinking baking soda water. Over time it should increase, which means you’re becoming more alkaline.  You can increase the dose to (an extra glass or two) each day if you want to see more of an improvement in your ph Each day.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tpapi/3275375488, https://pixabay.com/en/photos/glass%20cup/

About The Author

David Benjamin

More from this Author David Benjamin is the founder of HealthyWildAndFree.com. He's a health and & green living advocate. He is the author of Dirt Cheap Weight Loss: 101 Ways To Lose Weight On A Budget. He believes that if we take care of ourselves and take care of our planet we can enjoy a much more sustainable, healthy, happy and harmonious life. Eat your greens, Live green and appreciate the green around you! Pura Vida :)You can connect with me on Facebook, Youtube,