The Truth Behind Baking Soda for Weight Loss

Weight management and obesity is a growing concern across the globe. In the United States the situation has become so dire that 93.3 million people, almost 40% of adults, are now considered overweight or obese [1]. Child obesity is also an issue in most first-world nations. In North America, 20% of individuals between 2-19 years old suffer from obesity.

For people hoping to reverse this trend, the key to successful weight loss is consistency and sustainability. It’s being able to incorporate healthy habits into your life that are easy to maintain and sustain.

One easy change some people incorporate into their routine is increasing daily intake of baking soda. Most households already have baking soda in their cupboard and, according to market research, sodium bicarbonate is a $300 million industry in North America [2].

Baking soda provides plenty of benefits that go beyond losing pounds and shedding inches. Interested? Read on to learn more about the plentiful benefits of this kitchen staple:

What is Baking Soda?

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has been a kitchen staple for hundreds of years [3]. The common chemical compound is used primarily as a rising agent for baked goods.

This compound is primarily found in trona deposits. Trona deposits were created four million years ago when prehistoric salt lakes began to dry up.

Baking soda was first distributed commercially in 1846 by brothers-in-law Austin Church and John Dwight. By 1860, the brothers-in-law had produced various marketing materials (including cookbooks) to cement baking soda as a versatile and necessary part of every household. Their campaigns were so effective that now, over 150 years, later almost every household in America has baking soda in their refrigerators.

Baking Soda vs Baking Powder

Despite their similar names, baking powder and baking soda are not the same thing.

In the kitchen, baking soda is used for recipes that include acidic components like lemon or cream of tartar. Consequently, baking powder is a complete leavening agent. This means that it doesn’t mean any acidic component in order to give rise to a pastry.

When it comes to weight loss, there are more studies surrounding baking soda than there is baking powder. Best to pick the former during your grocery trip.

Benefits of Baking Soda

Incorporating baking soda in your daily routine provides plenty of benefits. These include:

1. Weight Loss

Similar to how drinking water before a meal can reduce caloric intake, ingesting sodium bicarbonate on a regular basis can reduce your chances of overeating.

The byproduct of ingesting baking soda is carbon dioxide. This means that a build-up of carbon dioxide would be present in your stomach if you take baking soda and lemon before a meal. Because carbon dioxide makes you feel full, you are most likely to eat less.

2. Indigestion Relief

Baking soda is also popularly used as a natural antacid. When you eat a big meal, your body produces stomach acid to process the food that you ingested. The acid can cause you to bloat and feel uncomfortable. Because baking soda is a basic compound, it neutralizes the effect of acid and makes you feel less bloated.

3. Improved Gym Performance

At present, the effects of baking soda on exercise performance have yet to be defined. However, there is some research that shows a link between sodium bicarbonate and improved gym performance. In a study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, a small test group showed improved performance, decreased fatigue and shorter recovery periods after ingesting a sodium bicarbonate mixture [4].

While this research leaves much to be desired, the results are definitive enough to give drinking baking soda for weight loss a try.

4. Kidney Pain Relief

Kidney stones form as a result of too much acidity in the body. Since baking soda neutralizes the amount of acid present, it is known to prevent the development of kidney stones.

Drinking Baking Soda for Weight Loss

Truth be told, ingesting baking soda isn’t enjoyable because the chemical compound is very salty. While you can have baking soda with water, mixing baking soda and apple cider vinegar or lemon can make the experience less daunting and more worthwhile.

Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

Combining baking soda and apple cider vinegar is a one-two punch when it comes to weight loss [5]. Apple cider vinegar is known to suppress appetite, boost metabolism, and lower blood sugar. This means that adding vinegar as part of your day to day would curb your cravings and allow you to maintain a caloric deficit.

Given that research surrounding baking soda has shown that it can improve your exercise performance, mixing apple cider vinegar and baking soda may help you reduce food intake and increase physical activity.

Baking Soda and Lemon for Weight Loss

Like vinegar, lemon and baking soda are complete opposites – with lemon being acid and baking soda being a base. Nevertheless, combining lemon and baking soda can help you lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way [6].

Lemon is known to be an effective means to detox your body. It is a diuretic, meaning that incorporating lemon in your diet helps you to urinate and release toxins in your body. Baking soda, on the other hand, can improve digestion. It neutralizes the PH balanced of the stomach in cases that you overeat.

Incorporating baking soda and lemon in your daily routine would allow you to have a clean, blank, and healthy slate for weight loss.

Dosage and Caution: Risks of Baking Soda

Baking soda, as well as lemon and apple cider vinegar, are all naturally occurring ingredients. This means that they don’t contain any chemicals that might harm your body. Nevertheless, anything in excess can do you harm.

Here are a few precautions that you should take note of:

• Baking soda is high in sodium. You might experience thirst in days that you include it in your diet. It is best to take a week off from your baking soda routine every week that you are on it.
• If you suffer from high blood pressure, liver disease or kidney problems, do not take baking soda because of its high sodium content.
• Children under 5 and women who are pregnant or nursing should not partake in this diet.

Baking Soda for Weight Loss: Is it Effective?

At the end of the day, there is no secret to weight loss. Weight loss is hard work, but the strategy is simple: create a caloric deficit. No amount of baking soda will help if you don’t maintain healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle.

Baking soda isn’t a miracle cure, but it is an excellent weight loss aid that can hasten your journey into living a better, healthier life. And, in most cases, it doesn’t hurt to try! 

Have you tried drinking baking soda for weight loss, or are you interested in trying it? Share your questions and experiences with us in the comments section below!

REFERENCES

1. Adult Obesity Facts. (2018, August 13). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
2. North America Sodium Bicarbonate Market: Industry Report, 2018-2025. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/north-america-sodium-bicarbonate-market
3. About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.armandhammer.com/about-us
4. Krustrup, P., Ermidis, G., & Mohr, M. (2015, June 4). Sodium bicarbonate intake improves high-intensity intermittent exercise performance in trained young men. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4475610/
5. Maia, L. (2019, July 16). Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda for Belly Fat. Retrieved from https://www.getleanertoday.com/apple-cider-vinegar-and-baking-soda-for-belly-fat/
6. Staughton, J., Staughton, J., Staughton, J., & Staughton, J. (2020, January 24). 9 Amazing Benefits of Baking Soda and Lemon. Retrieved from https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/baking-soda-lemon.html