Many of us think of baking soda as an ingredient used for cooking. Baking soda or also known as sodium bicarbonate is a chemical compound that is a white solid crystalline, but it can also appear as a fine powder.
It has a salty and alkaline taste. Besides being used for cooking, baking soda has other purposes as well, and the most important one is that it is very beneficial for your kidneys.
We can say that baking soda is here since forever. The fact that the ancient Egyptians used natural deposits of baking soda for their hieroglyphics indicates that sodium bicarbonate was used for many centuries.
Austin Church and John Dwight are two bakers from New York who established the first factory developing baking soda back in 1846.
As we said before, baking soda has a wide range of uses. It can be used as a cleaning product, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo. But, you probably did not know that it can be used for medical purposes as well.
Some of the medical benefits include:
- It creates an extremely effective antacid
- It elevates pH levels
- It treats allergic reactions from poison ivy/sumac
- It helps with the removal of splinters
It is recommended for people with kidney failure since it can reduce the progression of the disease
Sodium bicarbonate is of utmost importance for our health. The pancreas and kidneys produce bicarbonate within our body in order to protect the kidneys.
When these organs deal with a decline in production of bicarbonate this leads to acid build-up up, which in turn makes our body to have difficulties neutralizing this build-up.
At this point, it begins cellular deterioration and our body needs a treatment in order to eliminate the acid build-up and supply an increase of water, oxygen, and nutrients.
How to Repair Your Kidneys Naturally Using Baking Soda (and why you should)
Proper dose for people who are in danger of developing kidney disease:
On the first day, you should dissolve ½ teaspoon baking soda under your tongue
The second day, you should mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda with a ½ teaspoon of salt into 1.5 liters of water, and consume this every day, for 2-3 days.
People who have kidney disease usually suffer from low bicarbonate levels, a condition known as metabolic acidosis.
According to Dr. Thomas P. Kennedy,
“It seems that using a baking solution for saline infusion just before administration of radiocontrast material can reduce the incidence of nephropathy.”
It is estimated that only in the UK, 3 million people suffer from chronic kidney disease. 37,800 of these patients need renal replacement therapy which includes dialysis and possibly a kidney transplant. This will cost the patient $45,165 (£30,000) per year.
The Whitechapel Hospital in Royal London conducted a study which showed that sodium bicarbonate can significantly slow the effects of kidney disease. Magdi Yaqoob, The team leader and a Professor of Renal Medicine claims that this is just incredible.
Even though baking soda is a simple remedy, if you use it properly, it can provide amazing results. Out of 134 patients who had advanced kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, a small group was given a tablet made of a small amount of baking soda on a daily basis, for 1 year.
People in this group were less likely to require dialysis and they experienced a decline of the kidney function at a rate that is expected with normal aging. The results showed that people in this group had a 2/3 slower decline of health compared to the untreated group.
9% of the group who took baking soda experienced a rapid progression of kidney disease while 45% of the untreated group had a rapid progression.
According to Professor Magdi Yaqoob, the results are a proof that sodium bicarbonate can be extremely beneficial for people with kidney failure. Well, as long as the dose is appropriate and under supervision.
Baking soda prevents the inflammation of kidney because a chemical reaction takes place which in turn limits the production of ammonia in the kidney.
This simple and cheap remedy can also improve the nutritional well-being of the patients. In addition, it can improve the quality of life, thus eliminating the need for dialysis.
The research team at the Whitechapel hospital said further testing should be conducted including a placebo group. This will help determine the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate as a treatment for patients experience kidney failure and metabolic acidosis.
