Sodium Bicarbonate for Digestion

The bicarbonate is one of the main "Grandma's Remedies" for digestion, still used today by millions of people all over the world.

Considered by many patients as the best anti-acid remedy, for digestion disorders, burning and stomach acidity.

Please note - even if it's a safe remedy it could create problems in some cases. This article aim is to give you some tools to understand what is it, how to use it and what are the risk in which situations.

A little bit of Chemistry

The bicarbonate for digestion is sodium bicarbonate, inorganic salt with the raw formula NaHCO3. More precisely it is sodium salt of carbonic acid.
Dissolved in water, sodium bicarbonate creates a slightly basic solution, which can be used to counteract digestive disorders and excessive stomach acid.

White crystalline powder is how it looks it is soluble in water and insoluble in ethanol.

Sound complex ? No worries it's not hard to find around.

How does it work?

Since dissolved in water creates a weakly basic solution, the bicarbonate is able to counteract excessive gastric acidity by interacting with the hydrochloric acid present in the stomach according to the following reaction:
NaHCO3 + HCl → NaCl + H2O + CO2↑
The intake of bicarbonate to digest neutralizes the acidity of the gastric juices producing carbon dioxide, thus favoring digestive functions and counteracting acidity and heartburn.

Warnings

What should you know before take it?
Like other anti acids the sodium bicarbonate gives a temporary relief but it is not able to act on the cause that generated the symptoms.
Consequently, it is recommended to use for acute manifestations that appears occasionally (like, for example, after an excessively large meal) but it cannot be used regularly (also because of the side effects it can cause)

However, if acidity and heartburn are symptoms that persist and occur frequently, they probably represent signs of a possible underlying disease that has not yet been diagnosed (gastroesophageal reflux, Helicobacter pylori infection, etc.)

Therefore, in latest cases it is necessary to request the intervention of the doctor who - having carried out the necessary checkups and an adequate diagnosis - will be able to indicate to the patient the most suitable therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the disorder that afflicts him (for example, antibiotic therapy to eradicate Helicobacter pylori).

Furthermore, it must be remembered that since bicarbonate for digestion contains sodium, its use by individuals who have to follow a hyposodic diet should be done with great caution, especially in the presence of heart failure, hypertension and renal dysfunction. Patients who are in similar conditions should, before taking bicarbonate to digest, seek the advice of their doctor.

How to use Bicarbonate to digest?

The use of bicarbonate to digest is extremely simple. In fact, it is sufficient to dissolve one or two teaspoons of product inside a glass full of water, possibly at room temperature. After mixing well, once the bicarbonate for digesting has melted, it is possible to drink the solution thus obtained.
In order to guarantee its effectiveness, the bicarbonate solution to digest must be taken immediately after its preparation. Furthermore, it is good to remember that, to encourage digestion, sodium bicarbonate should not be taken immediately after a big binge, but after one or two hours from the meal.

Can Bicarbonate for digestion interfere with other drugs?

By altering the pH at the gastric level, it is able to alter the absorption of acidic drugs, with a consequent decrease in their therapeutic efficacy. Also because of the alteration of the gastric pH, it can cause an increase in the absorption of basic drugs, causing an increase in their toxicity.
Similarly, bicarbonate to digest can slow down renal elimination of basic drugs, increasing duration of action and toxicity. Because of the same mechanism of action, it can also promote the renal elimination of other drugs, decreasing their effect.
For such reasons, in case of ongoing therapy with other medicines, before taking bicarbonate to digest, it is good to seek the advice of your doctor.

Side Effects

Although it is considered a safe remedy (if properly used), bicarbonate to digest may in any case give rise to some undesirable effects, such as:

Flatulence;
Stomach cramps;
Water retention;
Metabolic alkalosis (especially in patients with renal failure).

Furthermore, the possible occurrence of allergic reactions in sensitive individuals should not be forgotten.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Can Bicarbonate for digestion be used in Pregnancy and during Breastfeeding?

Studies conducted on the use of bicarbonate to digest during pregnancy have shown that this product does not exert harmful effects on the fetus. However, the intake of sodium-containing products - such as bicarbonate to digest - could worsen the water retention and edematous state of pregnancy. Therefore, before using this product, it is good to seek advice from your doctor.
As for breastfeeding, however, the use of bicarbonate to digest is considered safe and free of contraindications.

Contraindications

The use of bicarbonate to digest is contraindicated in the following cases:

In case of known hypersensitivity to the same bicarbonate to digest;
In patients with heart failure;
In patients with hypertension;
In patients with renal impairment;
Pregnant;
In pediatric age.