Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3 is a white coloured, very common and useful edible household chemical. It is also referred as bread soda. It is commonly used in kitchen as leavening agent for bakery in preparation of cakes, biscuits etc. It is also used for cleaning teeth, removal of stains, soothing feet, and countless other uses. Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda has alkalising effect on body. It makes urine less acidic and gives relief in excessive acidity.
For using sodium bicarbonate as antacid, take one teaspoonful of baking soda in glass of water. If required, repeat after every four hours. Baking soda should be used as antacid in case of indigestion, heartburn and upset stomach. It should be kept in mind that it neutralises acidity of stomach and should not be consumed in other digestion related problems such as nausea, cramps, peptic ulcers, stomach distension in case of excessive eating/drinking. Also its use should be avoided if a person is on restricted sodium diet and elevated blood pressure.