Quote: (08-31-2012 07:38 AM)MikeCF Wrote:
Thomas the Rhymer, would it be a good idea for us to start adding, say, 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda to our protein shakes and vegetable juices?
Look, I'm proud to be a practitioner of Western Medicine. I honestly think Western Medicine practiced correctly kicks ass. I've seen Western Medicine work wonders. But Western Medicine requires data - I don't know if there is any data to support baking soda use in healthy people. That said, healthy people tolerate baking soda well except for a mild decline in potassium levels and slightly higher bonding strength between oxygen and haemoglobin, meaning you absorb oxygen more easily but will have less oxygen release into your tissues.
If you are sick, backing soda will neutralise acid in your blood. In medicine that is useful for:
- crush syndrome (when someone has beaten the hell out of you and myoglobin, a weak acid, leaks into your blood stream)
- dehydration
- aspirin poisoning (aspirin is a weak acid)
- kidney failure
- potentially, tumours with an acidic core
- etc etc
- oh, and it neutralises acid in your stomach too, if you have reflux
If you believe that you are suffering from an acid generating disease process, baking soda may help. That said, pretty much any sickness can derange your acid balance in the blood. Acid products (carbonic acid from co2, lactic acid) are constantly being produced by your body and your body has to constantly neutralise them; I'd imagine that since disease process are often linked to higher metabolic rates (eg Fever is generated by forcing your cells to burn energy faster), some baking soda may be helpful to give your body a break.
But in terms of everyday supplementation, if you're not sick, I don't know if its beneficial. In general, I've noticed that health is more about what you don't eat. If you avoid eating junk, it's harder to be unhealthy.