Description

Sodium Bicarbonate is a white odourless, solid crystalline substance, that appears as a white powder. It is most commonly used as a leavening agent to make baked goods such as cake or bread. It is an alkaline compound, and when mixed with acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, vinegar, yogurt, or lemon juice, it releases carbon dioxide through bubbling. These bubbles get trapped, making dough or batter to expand, or rise, resulting in an airy texture in cakes, pancakes,  bread, and other foods. Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening/raising agents, meaning they are added to baked goods to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to rise. Baking powder always contains baking soda, but the two substances require different conditions for use. Baking soda is alkaline and will give a bitter taste if not mixed by an acidic ingredient, such as buttermilk, while baking powder contains both an acidic and an alkaline ingredient giving an overall neutral effect in taste.

Health benefits

• Sodium Bicarbonate helps to treat heatburn by neutralizing stomach acid.⁽¹⁾
• It helps to soothe itching from sunburns.⁽¹⁾
• It helps to freshen your breath and provides antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.⁽¹⁾
• It has a high pH, which may helps to delay fatigue, allowing a person to exercise at their peak for longer.⁽¹⁾
• It helps to make cancer tumors less acidic, that benefits chemotherapy treatments.⁽¹⁾