Baking Soda Is Helping Me So Much - Looking To Clarify A Few Things

[teds]

I would not take Baking Soda with protein TOGETHER.

I think it's pretty clear that Baking Soda + Protein (meat or probably even milk) WILL neutralize your stomach acid.

I believe waiting at least 2 hours after you eat a protein-containing meal to ingest baking soda is prudent.

Mmm- I’ve been doing this lately.. haven’t noticed any issues.. baking soda w milk and a little chocolate powder is like heaven in my mouth!

I’ve never had any obvious stomach acid issues.. I assume if it was affecting me poorly I’d have trouble digesting the milk - is that what you’re saying?

 

[TylerDurden]

Im going to buy some, I would like to know if baking soda and baking powder are the same thing. In the UK I don't think it is listed as baking soda I think it is listed as baking powder or bicarbonate soda although I could be wrong. Anyone know where I can buy it or if there is a particular brand I should buy? I did a Google search and found results stating baking soda for cleaning, which I am assuming is not edible.

 

[TylerDurden]

I bought bicarbonate soda, that is what baking soda is called here in the UK. I was wondering does drinking baking soda raise the levels of CO2 in the body, I took some yesterday and my senses feel much sharper and I feel more relaxed and less fatigues so I am assuming this is the case. Although I have not been able to find any confirmation of this online.

 

[lvysaur]

Up until now I've avoided taking it because I have low stomach acid, and one of my lifelong diet idiosyncrasies is strong vinegar cravings especially after eating starch or pufa, so I've been paranoid about doing anything that could interfere with acidity.

I've always felt exactly the same way, and at times have avoided taking aspirin because I felt like it would lower my stomach acid.

Even have the strong vinegar cravings (lemon juice for me) with any salty savory meal.

 

[jet9]

I'm early into a first time experiment with baking soda. I'm on about day 5 now of taking 3 separate teaspoon (4g) doses a day for a total of 12g. Up until now I've avoided taking it because I have low stomach acid, and one of my lifelong diet idiosyncrasies is strong vinegar cravings especially after eating starch or pufa, so I've been paranoid about doing anything that could interfere with acidity. I've struggled with what I believe is primarily some kind of gut dysbiosis for possibly my whole life. I was very underweight and tired as a child and developed strong estrogen and low thyroid symptoms as soon as I hit puberty, and have struggled ever since then with histamine intolerance, depression, acne, edema, fatigue, brain fog etc etc. I've tried most Peat related things up til now and NOTHING has come even remotely close to what I'm experiencing with baking soda. ((Peat supplement experiments include thyroid, niacinamide, progesterone, cyproheptadine - all of which I have dosed cautiously and still keep in rotation. I've used oregano oil extensively with limited success (though more success than all other strategies). I've also tried sulfur, diatomaceous earth, charcoal, enzymes, B vits, fat soluble vits, magnesium. High fat, low fat, starch, no starch, vegetables, no vegetables, lots of meat, no meat, lots of dairy, no dairy.)) This $1 lazy solution is clearing up my skin (I'd tried everything, my acne is stubborn clogged pores all over and not hormonal cystic type acne, Accutane still couldn't clear it. It was also very dull and now it's glowing), making me seemingly invincible to stress, to sleep deprivation, to perfumes (my nemesis), to foods I normally can't tolerate like orange juice, everything. My swollen painful eyes which had been an increasingly severe problem no longer look bulgy or feel sore. I'm feeling like a whole person for once and not just like I'm hungover all the time.

With that 5 day testimonial out of the way I'd like to understand more about why this is likely working for me so I can be aware of the right things as I go along. The way I use the baking soda is mixing 1 tsp with 2 TABLESPOONS of apple cider vinegar which I then mix with a cup of water - does this cancel out a CO2 benefit since the reaction is happening before I ingest it or does it still contain a good amount of CO2? Could it be primarily the sodium helping me, either via metabolism or direct antibiotic effect? Is it the alkalization? The ACV isn't a new factor as I consume lots of that every day, usually added to salads and soups.

I don't want to be overly optimistic after such a short amount of time but I don't see baking soda trumpeted all that much on here relatively speaking despite it being an official Peat Friendly Substance, perhaps because it's deceptively cheap and simple. So any discussion on the subject is welcome.

artist hi, are you still taking baking soda with great results ?

 

[artist]

Hi everyone, sorry I kind of abandoned this thread. I went through a pretty insane year starting pretty much immediately after I made this thread and a lot of things fell through the cracks including with my health. I stopped doing this protocol for a while because it was slowing my bowels down so much, and then I just got distracted with other issues. I now wonder if I should've tapered off to a lower dose because I could definitely feel that I needed it less and less (probably due to better saturation with sodium), and if this contributed to the increased transit time.

I also got kind of sidetracked trying to figure out diet stuff again because as much as it helps, the BSV wasn't quite a free pass to eat a "normal diet" (yet?). I'm thinking of going all in on the BSV again but with with more significant magnesium intake (more like 800mg+ a day as opposed to only 200-400 or 0 as it often had been when I first trialed this.) I have made headway in realizing what types of foods I react to and I tolerate starch much better than I used to (in my estimation this is a direct result of the therapeutic effect of the BSV). When not doing the BSV I relied on simply salting my food heavily and accompanying meals with broths and salads, something I've always had a taste for. I've also continued to supplement magnesium glycinate at 200-400mg a day. These things help A LOT but are not quite the same thing as doing the BSV and I'm not sure if it's as simple as the dose of sodium being higher or what. My attention is returning to this topic and I will be experimenting with dosages and whatnot again. I still highly recommend everyone give this intervention a shot at least once. (tagging @jet9)

 

[tara]

Im going to buy some, I would like to know if baking soda and baking powder are the same thing. In the UK I don't think it is listed as baking soda I think it is listed as baking powder or bicarbonate soda although I could be wrong. Anyone know where I can buy it or if there is a particular brand I should buy? I did a Google search and found results stating baking soda for cleaning, which I am assuming is not edible.

Baking soda is bicarbonate of soda. Baking powder is something else - often a mixture of 3 or more powders, one of which might be bicarbonate of soda.
Baking soda can be effective for cleaning too - it's quite good at removing grease and odors.

 

[artist]

I just started baking soda (1/2 t) with ACV (1 T). If you get the proportions right, it is a weak base after it reacts, not acidic. Just combine them and wait 5 minutes (probably 30 seconds is enough though).

Its made a HUGE difference to me. Its only been a week but its dramatically reduced my asthma/allergy symptoms. It gave me mild flu symptoms for a few days and has sped up transit time while overall reducing bloating and gas.

That's great! Are you still using it? I think it's interesting it sped transit time for you but I think you're also using a higher ratio of baking soda to vinegar. Baking soda by itself runs right through me whereas the 1:12 ratio of BS to V reeeeallly slows things down...

Hi @artist , on the “tmi front”, I have struggled with constipation my entire life and to be honest I’m still trying to figure out some parts of puzzle. However, there a few things that I have learned through extensive experimentation, and one of them is that when I have too much acid in my diet (normally OJ, but sometimes I experimented with ACV, as well as pineapple, kiwis, etc), the following day I’ll be constipated for sure.

Talking to a good friend who’s a gastroenterologist, he says that the colon needs to be at a certain PH to function properly, and it is obviously a lot less acidic than the stomach (I don’t really remember, but I think colon needs to be around 6.8, which would be considered slightly acidic I guess since it’s a notch less than 7). So if we introduce to much acid in the diet, be it citric, acetic, or even hydrochloric, there’s a risk of us creating an “acidic colon”, which could really halt peristalsis.

I suppose there might be a similar risk of the colon being to alkaline, which I would speculate is why sometimes when people have acidic foods (such as OJ for example), it will trigger a bowel movement. So I suppose there’s a certain balance here that we need to find, in terms of PH, for the colon to function properly (along with good thyroid function and all of that, but I’ll assume that’s a given for us here in the forum).

I have noticed that even with coffee. Too much coffee always contributes to constipatipn for me, but when I switched to darker roasts (less acidic), I saw a big improvement. When I have too much dairy on the other hand, that also contributes to constipatipn but that probably from the alkalinozing properties of calcium (big guess here), and on these days I’ll crave more acid.

What I am suggesting is that it is not necessarily the baking soda that is contributing to your constipation, but maybe the ACV?

This is a good insight, I really think you might be right. Like I said above, baking soda alone speeds transit time like crazy, sometimes too much (although I think it might be just irritation from the sodium?). The less vinegar I use the saltier the mixture tastes and the less binding I find the effect. Starting this protocol again I may try using a BS:V ratio of only 1:6 or less

Mark Sircus's book "Sodium Bicarbonate: Nature's Unique First Aid Remedy" gives a solid explanation for why baking soda works. https://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Bicarbonate-Natures-Unique-Remedy/dp/075700394X

Two key quotes from the book: 1) "Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) immediately reacts when it mixes with stomach acid. NaHCO3 + HCl → NaCl + H20 + CO2. That is: Sodium bicarbonate + stomach acid yields salt + water + carbon dioxide." 2) "According to Henderson, carbon dioxide exerts at least three well-defined influences: 1.It is one of the prime factors in the acid-base balance of the blood. 2.It is the principal control of respiration. 3.It exerts an essential tonic influence upon the heart and peripheral circulation."

Very good info, thanks!

Im going to buy some, I would like to know if baking soda and baking powder are the same thing. In the UK I don't think it is listed as baking soda I think it is listed as baking powder or bicarbonate soda although I could be wrong. Anyone know where I can buy it or if there is a particular brand I should buy? I did a Google search and found results stating baking soda for cleaning, which I am assuming is not edible.

I bought bicarbonate soda, that is what baking soda is called here in the UK. I was wondering does drinking baking soda raise the levels of CO2 in the body, I took some yesterday and my senses feel much sharper and I feel more relaxed and less fatigues so I am assuming this is the case. Although I have not been able to find any confirmation of this online.

Sorry for the late reply, are you still having success with this? Baking soda is often discussed on these boards as raising CO2. I would look at JohnA's post above. And yes, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is a multipurpose product in the States, safe for ingestion.

I've always felt exactly the same way, and at times have avoided taking aspirin because I felt like it would lower my stomach acid.

Even have the strong vinegar cravings (lemon juice for me) with any salty savory meal.

I tried aspirin before and I didn't find it lowered my stomach acid (is it known to do that? It's acidic in itself) However I found it seemed to increase gut permeability, or perhaps increased histamine release. Unsure, but either way it made me feel sicker.

 

[managing]

That's great! Are you still using it? I think it's interesting it sped transit time for you but I think you're also using a higher ratio of baking soda to vinegar. Baking soda by itself runs right through me whereas the 1:12 ratio of BS to V reeeeallly slows things down...


This is a good insight, I really think you might be right. Like I said above, baking soda alone speeds transit time like crazy, sometimes too much (although I think it might be just irritation from the sodium?). The less vinegar I use the saltier the mixture tastes and the less binding I find the effect. Starting this protocol again I may try using a BS:V ratio of only 1:6 or less


Very good info, thanks!



Sorry for the late reply, are you still having success with this? Baking soda is often discussed on these boards as raising CO2. I would look at JohnA's post above. And yes, baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and is a multipurpose product in the States, safe for ingestion.


I tried aspirin before and I didn't find it lowered my stomach acid (is it known to do that? It's acidic in itself) However I found it seemed to increase gut permeability, or perhaps increased histamine release. Unsure, but either way it made me feel sicker.

I have not done it in quite awhile. At one point I switched to magnesium carbonate + ACV. And then to mg glycinate.

 

[Caitlin]

I'm early into a first time experiment with baking soda. I'm on about day 5 now of taking 3 separate teaspoon (4g) doses a day for a total of 12g. Up until now I've avoided taking it because I have low stomach acid, and one of my lifelong diet idiosyncrasies is strong vinegar cravings especially after eating starch or pufa, so I've been paranoid about doing anything that could interfere with acidity. I've struggled with what I believe is primarily some kind of gut dysbiosis for possibly my whole life. I was very underweight and tired as a child and developed strong estrogen and low thyroid symptoms as soon as I hit puberty, and have struggled ever since then with histamine intolerance, depression, acne, edema, fatigue, brain fog etc etc. I've tried most Peat related things up til now and NOTHING has come even remotely close to what I'm experiencing with baking soda. ((Peat supplement experiments include thyroid, niacinamide, progesterone, cyproheptadine - all of which I have dosed cautiously and still keep in rotation. I've used oregano oil extensively with limited success (though more success than all other strategies). I've also tried sulfur, diatomaceous earth, charcoal, enzymes, B vits, fat soluble vits, magnesium. High fat, low fat, starch, no starch, vegetables, no vegetables, lots of meat, no meat, lots of dairy, no dairy.)) This $1 lazy solution is clearing up my skin (I'd tried everything, my acne is stubborn clogged pores all over and not hormonal cystic type acne, Accutane still couldn't clear it. It was also very dull and now it's glowing), making me seemingly invincible to stress, to sleep deprivation, to perfumes (my nemesis), to foods I normally can't tolerate like orange juice, everything. My swollen painful eyes which had been an increasingly severe problem no longer look bulgy or feel sore. I'm feeling like a whole person for once and not just like I'm hungover all the time.

With that 5 day testimonial out of the way I'd like to understand more about why this is likely working for me so I can be aware of the right things as I go along. The way I use the baking soda is mixing 1 tsp with 2 TABLESPOONS of apple cider vinegar which I then mix with a cup of water - does this cancel out a CO2 benefit since the reaction is happening before I ingest it or does it still contain a good amount of CO2? Could it be primarily the sodium helping me, either via metabolism or direct antibiotic effect? Is it the alkalization? The ACV isn't a new factor as I consume lots of that every day, usually added to salads and soups.

I don't want to be overly optimistic after such a short amount of time but I don't see baking soda trumpeted all that much on here relatively speaking despite it being an official Peat Friendly Substance, perhaps because it's deceptively cheap and simple. So any discussion on the subject is welcome.

hi Artist,

Just wanted to follow up on this earlier post. Are you still using Baking Soda and ACV? Is it still working?

Thanks,
Caitlin

 

[GreekDemiGod]

@artist I just read your post and I identify with a lot of symptoms you experienced since childhood

I suspect I have low stomach acid as my digestion is slow. Even when I was on the Carnivore Diet, I got the feeling that the meat just sits in my stomach, felt no movements
At 17, I was diagnosed with ulcer dyspepsia & H. Pylori.
Dealed with GERD for a while, too
At 21, diagnosed with IBS, but it somewhat went away quickly

I haven't done gastrointestinal investigations ever since (I'm 28 now).

It's interesting how you said it benefitted your skin. My skin has imperfections, and even going on the Carnivore Diet made no difference (which is supposed to help with skin issues).
I remember getting an advice to put baking soda on your face.

I started taking it orally. I'm new to Peating.

 

[artist]

I'm starting this protocol again for those who are interested (@Caitlin). Last time I stopped it was because I ran into issues with my digestion getting too slow and probably sodium overload. I probably should have just dropped down to a lower maintenance dose, or increased my potassium intake, but instead I dropped it altogether. Then I experimented with a starchy/wheat-inclusive diet and some prebiotics and now found myself with SIBO symptoms again and worsened histamine intolerance. So I think going back to some known quantities and trying this again will be useful. I'm expecting it to be helpful again, so fingers crossed !

@GreekDemiGod It's frustrating to have these vague issues for sure. After many years of researching and experimenting I lean towards believing that infection/dysbiosis is the main cause of most chronic issues like this and low stomach acid definitely predisposes one to reoccurring gut infections/problems. I don't find low carb of any kind is enough to control them and it also worsens my quality of life so much to eat low carb. It seems like actual antibiotic protocols are needed because microbes have ways of hiding/hibernating/burrowing/migrating/changing their food source. My skin has been a lot more consistently nice even since stopping this protocol so I feel like there was some therapeutic benefit even though I wound up falling back into these problems again. Pretty much all my breakouts seem to be histamine mediated for me and my histamine issues are imo a result of some kind of gut problem.

Can't remember if I mentioned this up thread, but it's really important if you do this to keep your baking soda fresh/well-sealed. It doesn't react correctly and seems way more irritating if the baking soda gets stale.

 

[managing]

I'm starting this protocol again for those who are interested (@Caitlin). Last time I stopped it was because I ran into issues with my digestion getting too slow and probably sodium overload. I probably should have just dropped down to a lower maintenance dose, or increased my potassium intake, but instead I dropped it altogether. Then I experimented with a starchy/wheat-inclusive diet and some prebiotics and now found myself with SIBO symptoms again and worsened histamine intolerance. So I think going back to some known quantities and trying this again will be useful. I'm expecting it to be helpful again, so fingers crossed !

@GreekDemiGod It's frustrating to have these vague issues for sure. After many years of researching and experimenting I lean towards believing that infection/dysbiosis is the main cause of most chronic issues like this and low stomach acid definitely predisposes one to reoccurring gut infections/problems. I don't find low carb of any kind is enough to control them and it also worsens my quality of life so much to eat low carb. It seems like actual antibiotic protocols are needed because microbes have ways of hiding/hibernating/burrowing/migrating/changing their food source. My skin has been a lot more consistently nice even since stopping this protocol so I feel like there was some therapeutic benefit even though I wound up falling back into these problems again. Pretty much all my breakouts seem to be histamine mediated for me and my histamine issues are imo a result of some kind of gut problem.

Can't remember if I mentioned this up thread, but it's really important if you do this to keep your baking soda fresh/well-sealed. It doesn't react correctly and seems way more irritating if the baking soda gets stale.

Two thoughts: one is, do you have a history of Crohn's in your family? Second is, I am having pretty good success with microdosing ketotifen and famotidine to control histamine issues. Nibbling pepcid ac and using 10 microgram per drop of ketotifen.

 

[Opioidus]

I love sodium bicarbonate, it's the only thing in the world that gets rid of All my symptoms at once, but I can't take it since it gives me very bad reactive stomach acid reflux, I haven't taken it with vinegar tho, maybe I'll give that a try. At one point I was so desperate that I thought about bypassing the stomach and mixing it with DMSO and go the trans dermal way. But I was scared of contamination.

 

[Lewistx]

I'm dealing with low to virtually no stomach acid issues I used Tums last year for a month can baking soda work in my case

 

[artist]

Two thoughts: one is, do you have a history of Crohn's in your family? Second is, I am having pretty good success with microdosing ketotifen and famotidine to control histamine issues. Nibbling pepcid ac and using 10 microgram per drop of ketotifen.

Interestingly enough the one time I took famotidine it made my digestion like...disgusting. I don't wanna go into detail but it was almost like some kind of infection ran wild or something. I usually have like zero digestive upset of any kind, almost to the point that it's bizarre. It almost makes me wonder if high histamine in my gut is somehow keeping something in check or having some impact on motility or something else. I haven't tried ketotifen yet but I am very interested in ordering it. I'm just worried it's gonna be another cypro type disappointment where it feels just like benadryl.

My brother actually had such bad IBS he had to drop out of HS but it seems to be just us with these bad issues. I think they tested him for Crohn's and it came up negative but obviously some kind of massive gut problem. He still has IBS to a lesser extent.

 

[managing]

Interestingly enough the one time I took famotidine it made my digestion like...disgusting. I don't wanna go into detail but it was almost like some kind of infection ran wild or something. I usually have like zero digestive upset of any kind, almost to the point that it's bizarre. It almost makes me wonder if high histamine in my gut is somehow keeping something in check or having some impact on motility or something else. I haven't tried ketotifen yet but I am very interested in ordering it. I'm just worried it's gonna be another cypro type disappointment where it feels just like benadryl.

My brother actually had such bad IBS he had to drop out of HS but it seems to be just us with these bad issues. I think they tested him for Crohn's and it came up negative but obviously some kind of massive gut problem. He still has IBS to a lesser extent.

I think with all 3 of these, the dosage is all wrong, FWIW. 10 to 100 micrograms are effective doses. And I am taking them directly on my tongue, not swallowing them (much). I've been using Pepcid AC but it appears that Walmart has a generic famotidene with nothing but carnauba wax. I am going to look for that soon, but I am the one remaining American w/o a Walmart nearby . . .

 

[tankasnowgod]

It's nice to see that some of Peat's ideas are gaining acceptance in the Hip Hop community.

 

[Inaut]

It's nice to see that some of Peat's ideas are gaining acceptance in the Hip Hop community.

Haha I’m glad people still have a sense of humour. I just had some BAKING SODA

 

[Adrienlcrx]

Good results with baking soda again if I may ask @artist ?