Can Drinking Baking Soda Help You Lose Weight?

People are adopting different methods to lose weight. A new product emerges every day, realizing the demand for weight loss, and is purported to aid in weight loss. In addition, there is also an increase in utilizing things at home for weight loss.

Baking soda is a such component that is claimed to aid in losing weight in recent times. People use baking soda for various reasons, including indigestion and whitening of teeth, whereas some athletes take baking soda in the form of supplements to improve their muscular endurance. We shall discuss in detail the effects of baking soda on weight loss.

Does Baking Soda Work for Weight Loss?

Baking soda has alkaline effects that are purported to aid in losing weight. But there is not much scientific evidence to support the claim. This is because your body naturally balances pH levels, so there can only be a little effect of baking soda in regulating pH levels. Though taking baking soda has fewer benefits for weight loss, the liquid added to it supports weight loss.

Commonly, baking soda is mixed with water, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Water helps to enhance your metabolism and aids in breaking down fat. When you drink apple cider vinegar regularly, it lowers your appetite and helps you have a fuller feeling. Lemon juice has detoxifying properties that help to burn fat, thereby promoting weight loss.

When you consume the baking soda mixture daily, your body will have increased fluid intake every day, which improves hydration levels. This increase may reduce cravings, rev up metabolism, and enhance the loss of body fat. Again, these benefits are linked to the liquid added to the mixture.

In addition to that, baking soda is usually used for indigestion or to relieve an upset stomach. Since it promotes healthy digestion, it may support losing weight indirectly in this way.

Baking Soda and Athletic Performance

Though baking soda has fewer direct effects on weight loss, it is found to enhance your workouts. A particular study showed that taking baking soda before a strength-training session helped participants perform better with less muscle fatigue.

Baking soda may help to improve endurance during cardio exercises. When you have more energy to do workouts, you can actively engage in any physical programs and burn calories.

Baking soda may also help to relieve muscle soreness. During a physical program, lactic acid gets produced in the body, which increases acidity levels within muscles.

When you drink the mixture of baking soda and water, the alkaline solution helps to balance the pH level in your body. Thus, baking soda helps to boost your athletic performance. But there is a need for more evidence to support these claims.

How to Consume Baking Soda?

Baking soda is claimed to aid in losing weight. You can consume baking soda in three ways. In these following methods, you can add baking soda to your daily routine.

• You can take ½ teaspoon of baking soda and mix it in 240 – 480 mL of water. Whenever it is convenient for you in a day, you can drink this concoction.
• The second method is preparing a mixture by mixing one teaspoon of baking soda with 30 mL of apple cider vinegar. You have to give some time to release gas since both are alkaline in nature. Then you can dilute the mixture with water and drink it.
• The third method requires you to take one teaspoon of baking soda and mix it with two tablespoons of lemon juice. You can give some time for gas to release from the mixture. Then you can add water to it to dilute it and drink it.
• The dilution part is significant because there is a risk of throat burning or tooth enamel eroding as the acidity level may be high. It would be best if you drank the baking soda mixture on an empty stomach to avoid stomach-related problems.

Who Should Not Take Baking Soda?

Though baking soda is used for many beneficial purposes, it may not be suitable for some people. They are:

• People with kidney problems should avoid taking baking soda.
• People, who have lung-related problems, should not consume baking soda.
• It is not suitable for consumption in people who have a lower volume of blood or high blood pressure.
• Pregnant women and lactating mothers should avoid taking baking soda.
• Children under the age of 5 should not drink baking soda mixture.
• People with alcoholism and older adults are advised to consume baking soda through the prescription of their doctors

Is Baking Soda Safe?

Baking soda is safe for consumption when taken in smaller quantities. When you overdose on baking soda, it brings many harmful effects to your body. The overdose may cause metabolic acidosis, which is a condition where your body loses its ability to control pH levels in the body. As a result, your muscles will weaken, and heartbeats will turn irregular.

People, who consume baking soda, will have a tendency to urinate more. Your body loses chloride, salt, potassium, and other substances that are required for regular bodily functions while urinating more frequently than usual. An excessive amount of baking soda might harm the kidneys.

High levels of baking soda consumption tend to cause high levels of sodium in the blood, which is a condition known as hypernatremia. This may lead to seizures and brain hemorrhages in extreme cases.

Some people had difficulties breathing after excess ingestion of baking soda, as the high alkalinity prevents the release of carbon dioxide. There is also a risk of high blood pressure.

Some of the common side effects associated with an overdose of baking soda are vomiting and diarrhea due to excess sodium. A serious side effect of excess baking soda is stomach rupture.

The Bottom Line

Baking soda is claimed to aid in losing weight. But there is not much evidence to ensure its efficiency in losing weight. In addition, baking soda consumption has some serious side effects when we exceed the recommended dosage.

Also, it is best to consult your physician before taking baking soda to avoid any harm to your health. Alternatively, you can adopt a healthy lifestyle to burn fat.

When you follow a balanced diet in conjunction with a regular exercise program, you can lose weight steadily and healthily.

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