Everyone is familiar with a product like baking soda. It is a sodium salt of a carboxylic acid. Dissolving in water, it forms an aqueous solution of carbon dioxide. But this is from a chemical point of view, and we will talk a little about something else.
Baking Soda Properties
It has long been said that this product is often used in cooking and medicine. In addition, in our time it became known even more interesting and useful facts about this white powder. The harm and benefits of baking soda have always been of interest to scientists, so this product has been subjected to repeated scientific research. There was an opinion that soda is harmful to the human body, and its alleged use can lead to cell damage, but this is far from the case. In fact, an aqueous solution of soda is a weak alkali, which has absolutely no negative effect on body tissues.
In cooking, soda is used as a baking powder for dough, contributes to a faster preparation of meat dishes, and is also used to create drinks. Baking soda is also used to wash dishes and clean the microwave and other surfaces. The benefits and harms of this product, unfortunately, are still not fully understood and partly remain a mystery. But it can definitely be argued that this product, being quite cheap, is an indispensable assistant in the house.
The harm and benefits of baking soda
In addition to cooking, a solution of baking soda is widely used for medical purposes. For example, it is used:
- for gargling with a cold;
- for rinsing the mouth with toothache;
- for cleaning the gastrointestinal tract and removing toxins from the body;
- a weak solution of baking soda helps calm a strong heartbeat ;
- to soften the skin on the heels and elbows;
- used for inhalation for colds and so on.
This is a very considerable list. But the harm and benefits of baking soda are closely related. For example, a solution of this product is used as a good tool for whitening teeth, but at the same time, tooth enamel is destroyed during such cleaning, which makes the teeth very sensitive.
You should also be careful not to get soda powder in the eyes or its prolonged contact with the skin, as this can cause serious burns. If powder enters the mucous membrane of the eyes, rinse them immediately with running water. In addition, a solution of baking soda was used to get rid of heartburn, but this is not recommended, because there is an intensive release of carbon dioxide, causing bloating, and as a result, acidity in the stomach is disturbed.
Using this product can also reduce itching after an insect bite, but you should not overexpose the powder in an inflamed area. We can safely say that there are harm and the benefits of baking soda. But it does harm only in cases of its improper use. Caution should not be neglected with the concentration of baking soda in aqueous solutions, try to avoid long contact of the product with the skin and just be careful. In such cases, the product will forever remain a true friend and assistant in the household.