Health Benefits Of Baking Soda And Lemon Juice

Baking powder and lemon juice combinations have become a popular home remedy. Some people claim that baking soda and lemon juice can improve the skin, treat heartburn and whiten teeth.

Several scientific studies have investigated the health benefits of baking soda and lemon juice separately, but there is not much research to support the combined effects of these two ingredients.

This article describes some of the possible health benefits of using baking powder and lemon juice blends.

A note about pH

The idea of combining baking soda and lemon juice is based on the basic principles of acidity and the pH scale.

Scientists use the pH scale to measure the acidity of a solution. A solution can have a pH between 0 and 14.

The lower the pH, the more acidic the solution.

• pH values below 7 indicate an acidic solution
• pH values above 7 indicate an alkaline or basic solution
• neutral solutions such as pure water have a pH of 7

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a base. This means that people, when they dissolve baking soda in water, form an alkaline solution. For example, a 0.1 molar solution of baking powder has a pH of about 8.3.

Lemon juice contains citric acid and has a pH of about 3. The addition of baking soda to lemon juice raises the pH and creates a more neutral solution.

Skin Care

Normally, the skin has a slightly acidic pH of about 5.7. Bases like baking soda increase the pH of the skin. Higher pH levels can interfere with the barrier function of the skin, which can lead to dryness, excessive oil production and acne.

Lemon juice seems to have obvious skin care applications as it contains concentrations of vitamin C and citric acid, both of which offer strong skin benefits. Citric acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that manufacturers commonly use in chemical peels.

However, skin cells naturally repel water-soluble molecules such as vitamin C. This means that very little vitamin C actually penetrates the skin.

The high acidity of lemon juice can lower the pH of the skin. Low pH can cause skin irritation, hyperpigmentation and UV sensitivity.

Alternatives

Using a homemade mix of baking soda and lemon juice may be harmful to the skin. Instead, a person may attempt to use neutral cleansers or chemical peels containing AHAs, such as: B. glycolic acid.

Neutralizing Stomach Acid

Too much stomach acid can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as heartburn, vomiting and indigestion.

Many people with excess stomach acid take over-the-counter antacids to relieve their symptoms. If you consume baking soda and lemon juice together, the stomach acid can be neutralized in the same way as an antacid.

A 2017 study examined the antacid activity of various foods. The authors of this study produced artificial gastric acid with a pH of 1.2. Although lemon juice had almost no effect per se, sodium bicarbonate successfully neutralized the synthetic gastric acid.

Many OTC antacids contain sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. Lemons and other citrus fruits are rich sources of naturally occurring citric acid.

When a person mixes lemon juice and baking soda, the citric acid reacts with the sodium bicarbonate to form a buffer called sodium citrate. A buffer refers to a weak acid or base that prevents drastic pH changes. Although lemon juice does not neutralize stomach acid, it can help to stabilize the pH in the stomach.

Tooth Whitening

Many oral care products contain baking soda due to their antibacterial properties and the ability to remove plaque without eroding the enamel.

Baking soda can also help remove surface-level tooth stains, making it an effective and cost-effective alternative to conventional teeth whitening. However, there is little evidence that adding lemon juice to baking soda improves the dental benefits of baking soda.

A 2017 report, which reviewed 21 studies, concluded that toothpaste containing baking soda safely and effectively removed tooth stains. However, the report did not include studies on lemon juice.

It is also important to note that lemon juice contains high concentrations of citric acid and ascorbic acid or vitamin C. Acid compounds can erode the enamel and lead to tooth decay. However, the combination of baking soda and lemon juice should result in a more pH-neutral solution.