Baking soda is a true miracle for people with kidney disease.
A daily dose of baking soda can make your body more alkaline, can lower your serum potassium
levels and can even help patients stop the progression of chronic kidney disease and
avoid the need for dialysis.
So today I'm going to show you everything you need to know about baking soda and kidney
disease:
I'll show you dosages, uses, possible dangers and also what to expect in terms of results
from starting to take baking soda.
Yes, today's video is going to be a handy guide to lower your creatinine levels using
baking soda.
In just 10 minutes!
My name is Katherine, and I've been working with kidney disease patients for 7 years,
now.
I've seen patients stopping the progression of kidney disease with an improved diet and
lifestyle and Yes, when used wisely, baking soda is definitely
the magic potion that can save your kidneys.
But today I'm also going to dispel some misconceptions - a lot of people here on Youtube are talking
about baking soda without the proper knowledge, and this misinformation is really dangerous
for people suffering from kidney disease.
Remember that if you have any disease or you are taking medications, not all home remedies
are safe for you.
So don't start using baking soda without getting informed first, ok?
Now guys, it's out of question that baking soda can save your life, if you have kidney
disease.
So don't keep this golden nugget of information just for yourself,
Share it with anyone you know who may benefit from a better kidney health...
Click the share button below or send them an email!
Now, baking soda is not going to give everyone the same results.
The reason behind this, the most important thing you need to know about baking soda and
kidney disease is
metabolic acidosis.
Metabolic acidosis can be alleviated with baking soda.
This is a complication of CKD, alright?
Now, one of the most important jobs of the kidneys is to keep acidity-alkalinity in balance.
In people with kidney disease, this balance is often compromised.
The kidneys cannot remove enough toxins from the body, and this cause acid to build up.
This is not the same as heartburn, ok?
metabolic acidosis is A VERY dangerous condition, because all this extra acid is going to cause
damage to the whole body and, mostly, to the kidneys.
This condition is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fast heartbeat,
nausea and loss of appetite.
Many kidney patients have these symptoms.
LEGGI RAPIDA Now, untreated metabolic acidosis will also
cause bone loss, endocrine disorders and muscle loss.
The other problem with metabolic acidosis is that it will cause further kidney damage.
It will make kidney disease progress faster.
So, in my opinion, being able to SOLVE all these problems with a home remedy such as
baking soda is absolutely amazing.
This works because baking soda is alkaline, and it neutralizes the effects of this excess
of acid.
But, before starting to take baking soda
How to tell if you have metabolic acidosis?
You need to do the CO2 blood test or serum bicarbonate level test.
This test should be done regularly by kidney patients, but this is not always the case,
so talk to your doctor and be sure that you're being tested for CO2.
Now, the CO2 test is usually done as a part the Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) and of the
routine health exams kidney disease patients should do regularly.
So maybe you have already done it?
On your labs, it is called tCO2.
And the normal range for CO2 is 23 to 29 mEq/L (milliequivalent units per liter of blood).
In case you are out of the range, meaning that your level is 22 or below, well,
Then you need to take baking soda.
Ok, let's say that you actually need baking soda.
How should you take baking soda and what are the correct dosages?
Baking soda can be ingested or taken sublingually.
Patients are recommended to start with small doses of sodium bicarbonate.
Usually, the dosage is 1,000mg of sodium bicarbonate 3 times a day, to start.
Then, after a while, the patient needs to do the CO2 test again.
The dosage will then be adjusted as necessary to maintain total CO2 level greater than 22mEq/L.
Now, 1000mg is about 1 forth of a teaspoon.
Baking soda is usually taken several times a day, to minimize the discomfort.
So don't take it all together.
Also, remember to take it between meals on an empty stomach to avoid bloating.
Now, there are several ways a patient can take baking soda orally.
You can find it in 840mg capsules.
Some patients prefer to take sodium bicarbonate in tablet format.
Usually 1 tablet is 650mg.
Both these products can be found in pharmacies or online.
The advantage of taking it this way is that you don't have to bear the taste of baking
soda.
But, if you don't mind the taste, it's also possible to use regular baking soda, and buy
it at the supermarket.
This is what many people use to wash fruit and veggies or as a Kitchen cleaner.
It's just regular baking soda.
YOU CAN PUT IT in a glass of water and just drink it.
Now, if you have to drink this, the taste is a bit harsh, but it costs a lot less and
it's easier to find than the other formats.
So, talk with your doctor, get tested for CO2.
Then, if he advises so, start with a small dose of baking soda.
Then, schedule another test as soon as you have to do your next analysis for CKD and
see if things are going better or worse.
Then your doctor can adjust your dose.
Now, there some questions about baking soda I've received in comment section multiple
times, so I want to give you some definitive answers now.
To dispel some misconceptions.
And by the way guys, let me know if you are already taking baking soda and what is your
experience with it.
I know that many of you following me right now are very knowledgeable in this topic so
let everyone know about your experience
Now, what many patients ask is,
why can't I just take baking soda without doing all these tests and analysis?
There are mainly two reasons why this wouldn't be advisable.
First of all, you don't know if it will help you, ok?
If you don't have metabolic acidosis, if your CO2 levels are in the correct range,
taking baking soda will just compromise this delicate balance.
So, you could be doing more harm than good.
Ok, this is not common, but can happen.
It's important to know that baking soda as a supplement is safe.
People take it to relieve heartburn, sometimes I use it too.
There are not many drugs it can have interactions with, and none of the most commonly prescribed
drugs for kidney patients have interactions with it.
Still, you should talk to your doctor before starting to take it.
Also because of hypokalemia, or too low potassium levels.
Now, as I was saying baking soda can be useful to lower serum potassium levels in kidney
disease patients.
Which is good, because kidney disease patients tend to have too high levels of potassium.
So, if you have high potassium levels baking soda can help you.
So, this is another reason why baking soda can lower your creatinine levels: it reduces
serum potassium levels.
But there's a problem here: there's also the chance that your potassium is already too
low.
Yes, this is not impossible for kidney disease patients.
It can happen.
And if it happens, you don't want to make the situation worse by taking baking soda,
alright?
So, in conclusion, before taking baking soda, your doctor needs to monitor both your serum
potassium and your bicarbonate levels.
Now, another frequently asked questions:
Is it true that baking soda contains salt?
Can it raise blood pressure?
Yes, it's true that baking soda contains salt, or sodium.
Baking soda is also called sodium bicarbonate, so it is sodium.
It's a different form of sodium, actually.
And yes, excess of sodium can raise your blood pressure.
But, with the right dosage for baking soda, and a low sodium diet, this shouldn't be a
problem at all.
On the other hand, if you already get too much sodium from the diet, adding baking soda
can give you troubles, yes.
So, my advice here is to start taking baking soda only with your doctor knowledge.
This way, your diet can be adjusted for the slightly increased sodium intake.
Another very frequent question: is baking soda the same as baking powder?
No, they are not the same.
baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, it's what I'm talking about in this video.
Baking powder is a leavening agent, something you put in baked goods like cakes and muffins.
Not the same as baking soda, so don't use it instead of baking soda, alright?
Now guys, if have other questions... write them down in comment section!
I always do my best to answer all the questions I can!
This is all for today, thank you for watching!