Baking Soda Does THIS to Your Body (Most People Have No Idea)

Summary

Ben Azadi organizes the video around a central idea: baking soda works mainly where it makes contact. He divides its uses into three zones:

1. Surfaces and materials it touches: The evidence is strongest.
2. Body surfaces it touches, such as teeth or skin: Effects may be real, but dose and frequency matter.
3. When swallowed: Some uses are legitimate, but broad claims about changing the body’s pH or “detoxing” it are misleading, and repeated use can be risky.

Main claims and uses

• It does not alkalize the blood. Azadi says blood pH is tightly regulated and that the pancreas already produces bicarbonate for the small intestine. He argues that a small amount of baking soda will not meaningfully change the body’s overall pH.
• Washing produce: Baking soda may help remove some pesticide residue from produce surfaces, but cannot remove residue that has penetrated inside. Azadi recommends buying organic where possible rather than treating washing as a complete solution.
• Reducing odors: Baking soda can neutralize some odor-producing acids and absorb moisture. Azadi describes using it in shoes, trash cans, and refrigerators.
• Teeth and surface stains: He cites research suggesting that baking-soda toothpastes can help control plaque and remove external stains, often with relatively low abrasiveness. He stresses that abrasiveness varies depending on a toothpaste’s other ingredients.
• Itchy skin: A baking-soda paste or bath may ease irritation from bites, poison ivy, or sunburn, according to the presenter. He characterizes the supporting human evidence as limited and largely anecdotal.
• Toenail fungus: Azadi disputes claims that baking soda is a proven cure. He says the cited laboratory study tested fungal samples outside the body—not patients—and that the organisms responsible for many nail infections required higher concentrations. He presents a soak as, at most, a possible odor-reducing addition to proper treatment.
• Exercise performance: Bicarbonate may improve performance during high-intensity efforts lasting roughly 30 seconds to 12 minutes by increasing buffering capacity—not by changing blood pH. Azadi notes that the studied doses are much larger than a small household amount and may cause stomach discomfort.
• Heartburn: Baking soda can be used as an occasional antacid, but frequent heartburn needs its underlying cause addressed. Azadi also cautions that regular use can lead to serious electrolyte or blood-alkalinity problems.

Practical directions described in the video

These are the presenter’s suggestions, not individualized medical advice:

• Produce: Mix 1 tablespoon per liter of water. Soak for 12–15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. For berries, he suggests 5 minutes.
• Shoes: Put 2 tablespoons of dry baking soda in each shoe overnight.
• Trash cans: Place ½ cup at the bottom of the can, beneath the liner, and replace it monthly.
• Teeth: Use a wet toothbrush dipped in baking soda, or mix it with toothpaste, 2–3 times a week. He advises against pressing hard or using it daily, and says to spit rather than swallow. He also mentions adding ¼ teaspoon to rinse water.
• Itchy skin: Apply a paste made from 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or add a few tablespoons to a cool bath.
• Occasional heartburn: He suggests ¼ teaspoon in 100–150 ml of water, sipped slowly. He warns against using this as a frequent solution.
• Product selection: Choose food-grade or USP-standard baking soda whose sole ingredient is sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder is different: it includes baking soda plus acid and cornstarch.
• Laundry: Azadi says he adds about ¼ cup of baking soda to a wash.

Cautions and other points

• A quarter teaspoon contains about 315 mg of sodium, according to Azadi. He advises people with kidney disease, heart failure, very high blood pressure, those taking diuretics, or those on sodium-restricted diets not to drink it without medical guidance.
• Azadi says baking soda does not break a fast under his definition of fasting because it does not meaningfully raise glucose or insulin.
• Partway through the video, Azadi promotes MyoScience magnesium and vitamin D3 with K2 supplements, including a discount offer. This is a sponsored product segment, separate from the baking-soda discussion.

Speakers and sources featured

• Ben Azadi — Presenter and narrator; the only identifiable speaker in the subtitles.
• 2019 systematic review — Described as a review from the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam about baking-soda toothpastes.
• 2013 Strassburg study — Cited regarding sodium bicarbonate and fungal samples.
• International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) — Cited for its position on bicarbonate and high-intensity exercise.
• Poison-control centers and clinical case reports — Referred to by Azadi in his warning about repeated internal use.
• MyoScience — Sponsor and product source named in the supplement promotion.