Baking Soda in food: Is it harmful?
Baking Soda is chemically Sodium Bicarbonate (SB).
Did you know that baking soda or SB is also used as a medicine, especially to treat excess acid in the stomach? It is a very quick-acting antacid useful to treat heartburn, indigestion and upset stomach. However, it should be used only for temporary relief. If problem persists after a single spoonful dose use, consult a doctor. It is also used to treat some other medical conditions.
Baking soda in food is not harmful to health per se. Based on available information there are no indications that sodium bicarbonate causes cancer. According to a publication by the United Nations Environment Programme or UNEP, there are no studies that directly relate to long-term exposure to sodium bicarbonate. The publication notes that evidence of negative effects of long-term sodium bicarbonate use do not exist. The UNEP suggests that lack of negative long-term effects of sodium bicarbonate explains the persistent practice of using this chemical as an antacid. However, the UNEP does not recommend long-term use of sodium bicarbonate for antacid therapy.
Side-effects of baking soda or SB used in foods mainly include a bloating feeling in the abdomen. If you get a bloating feeling after eating food, it is likely that the food is cooked using baking soda or SB. Make sure you don’t eat food that is cooked in baking soda or SB.
If used in medicinal doses for a long time along with milk or calcium, SB can interfere with calcium metabolism and lead to milk-alkali syndrome. Your doctor is aware of this and will keep a track on it.
The bottom line is that baking soda or SB is used in foods, be it bread or cake or restaurant foods. If it suits you, there is no harm to health in continuing its long-term use as per current research. If it upsets your stomach repeatedly, simply avoid food that is cooked in baking soda.
Dr. Ajay Sati.
