Baking soda has a lot of tricks up its sleeve, however, one of the best ones doesn’t usually feature in lists of household tips.
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda has been found to fight inflammation and autoimmune disease at a cellular level, according to a new research published in the Journal of Immunology. It turns your body into an anti-inflammatory environment by influencing the cells in the spleen to stop the inappropriate immune response involved in the autoimmune disease.
When the immune system attacks a person’s body in error, autoimmune diseases occur. Included in the diseases that fall into this category are inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes, treatment for these conditions involves suppressing the immune system so much that infections and even cancer can set it. Fortunately, baking soda now appears to be a safer way to protect against inflammation and autoimmune disease.
While acting on the mesothelial cells to stop the false alarms that tend to trigger exaggerated immune responses, baking soda stimulates the stomach to produce greater amounts of digestive acid. Researchers found that drinking water mixed with baking soda for two weeks can cause macrophage immune cells in the kidneys, spleen, and blood to shift from the variety that promotes inflammation(m1) to the type that reduces it (M2).
These effects were noticed in a rat model with kidney damage. Aside from this, models without kidney damage were found to had fewer inflammatory macrophages in their kidneys and spleen.
Researchers enlisted healthy medical students to drink two grams of baking soda in 250 milliliters of bottled water daily. The same response was also found, and these confirm their findings. Furthermore, they also saw a shift n other types of immune cells like the regulatory T cells that turn down immune response and prevents your immune system from attacking your tissues.
Renal Physiologist Dr. Paul O’Connor, the corresponding author of the study, said that this could prove to be a very safe method for treating inflammatory disease.
Baking Soda Could Enhance Cancer Treatment
Lately, baking soda has been getting the attention of people due to its potential to help immunotherapy treatments in attacking tumor that is difficult to deal with. According to the researchers, when the rat drank water with baking soda in it, a more favorable condition within tumors for the therapy to do its work is created.
Benefits For Chronic Kidney Disease
Additionally, baking soda can help those with chronic kidney disease. In a randomized and controlled two-year trial, it was found that as compared to those who were given standard care, patients with chronic kidney disease and metabolic acidosis who took 1800 mg per day of baking soda supplements were less likely to see their kidney disease progress rapidly.
Minor ailments have been long addressed by baking soda and it now appears that it can also be useful in more serious illnesses as well. If you’re trying to use it on your own, it’s important to proceed with caution as taking too much of it could have unwanted effects.
