Yield: 1 glass (8 fl oz)

Drinking Baking Soda and Water Benefits, Ranked

Which claimed benefits of baking soda in water hold up? Sourced verdicts from heartburn to sports to kidney disease, what bicarbonate does in the body, and one measured glass with its sodium in mg.

Prep Time2 minutes

Total Time2 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 fl oz (240 mL) cool water, 240 mL; MedlinePlus minimum is at least 4 oz (120 mL), this is our recipe
• 1/4 tsp (1.15 g) food-grade, aluminum-free baking soda, 1.15 g; level measure, not heaped; sodium bicarbonate only

Instructions

1. Check the box. Read the ingredient list. You want sodium bicarbonate only, food-grade and aluminum-free.
2. Level the spoon. Fill a 1/4 teaspoon (1.15 g) and sweep the top flat with the back of a knife. A heaped spoon holds more, and the sodium rises with it.
3. Pour the water first. Pour 8 fl oz (240 mL) of cool water into a clear glass. Don't go below 4 oz (120 mL), the minimum MedlinePlus gives for dissolving the powder.
4. Stir until clear. Add the baking soda and stir until the water is clear and no white grains sit at the bottom. It will fizz as it releases carbon dioxide.
5. Sip, don't gulp. Wait for the fizz to settle, then drink slowly, not on an overly full stomach. Mix one glass at a time and don't save leftovers.

Notes

Metric amounts are rounded. The 1.15 g figure is our division of the USDA household weight of 4.6 g per teaspoon, not a USDA portion.

The 8 fl oz (240 mL) of water is our recipe. MedlinePlus gives at least 4 oz (120 mL) as the minimum for dissolving the powder. It is not a medical rule.

Nutrition values are estimates calculated from typical USDA FoodData Central values for baking soda (27,360 mg of sodium per 100 g). Plain water adds none. They are not measured.