Yield: 1 glass (about 8 fl oz)

Vicks and Baking Soda: Does the Viral Trick Work?

The Vicks and baking soda trick promises fat loss, clear nails and a better chest rub. Here is what the label and the sources say, and a separate measured glass of baking soda water.

Prep Time3 minutes

Total Time3 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 fl oz (240 mL) plain water, 240 mL; stir until the powder dissolves
• 1/4 tsp (1.15 g) food-grade, aluminum-free baking soda (not baking powder), 1.15 g; level, not heaped; baking powder is a different product and doesn't substitute

Instructions

1. Level the soda. Fill a 1/4 teaspoon (1.15 g) with food-grade, aluminum-free baking soda and sweep the top flat with the back of a knife. The spoon should look flush, not mounded.
2. Pour the water first. Pour 8 fl oz (240 mL) of plain water into a clean glass before adding anything, so the powder has room to dissolve.
3. Stir until dissolved. Add the soda and stir until the water looks clear and no white grains sit on the bottom. Nothing else goes in this glass.
4. Drink it fresh. Drink the glass in one sitting, and not when you're overfull from food or drink. Mix a new glass each time, since we found no sourced storage time.

Notes

This card is a plain baking soda glass. It is not the viral mix and contains no ointment of any kind.

Metric amounts are rounded. The 1.15 g figure is 1/4 teaspoon at a household weight of 4.6 g per teaspoon, which we did not confirm on an opened USDA page.

Nutrition values are estimates calculated from typical USDA FoodData Central values for baking soda and plain water. They are not measured. Sodium is our arithmetic from 27,360 mg per 100 g.

The 8 fl oz (240 mL) of water is our recipe, not a medical rule. MedlinePlus gives at least 4 oz (120 mL) for antacid use.