Sodium Bicarbonate

Also Known As : Baking Soda

Vegetarian

Taste Profile

It tastes bitter and salty.

Usage Tips

  1. Sodium Bicarbonate is a leavening agent which is used in cooking and baking to make food rise.
  2. It can be used to make cookies, cakes, breads and biscuits.

Common names and forms

  1. Baking Soda
  2. Baking Soda E500
  3. Baking Soda/ Soda Bicabonate
  4. Bi-carb of soda(khaber soda)
  5. Bicarbonate Soda
  6. Cooking Soda
  7. Leavening Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate)
  8. Leavening Agent Sodium Bicarbonate (INS 500 ii)
  9. Leavening Baking Soda
  10. Meetha Soda
  11. Permitted Raising Agent -500(ii)
  12. Raising Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate
  13. Raising Agents Sodium Bicarbonate (INS 500 ii)
  14. Soda Bi Carbonate
  15. Sodabicarb
  16. Sodium Bicarbonate (INS 500(ii))
  17. Sodium Bicarbonate E500
  18. Sodium Bicarbonate refined
  19. Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
  20. Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate (Raising Agent)

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)

Note

Large amounts of sodium bicarbonate may result in some adverse health effects, like coughing and sneezing, gastrointestinal irritation, mild irritation, such as redness and slight pain, may result from eye contact.(2)

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