Baking soda does work for indigestion, and it works fast. It’s a legitimate antacid, approved as an over-the-counter remedy for heartburn, acid indigestion, and sour stomach. Half a teaspoon dissolved in a glass of water can neutralize stomach acid within minutes. But the relief is short-lived, and the trade-offs matter, especially if you’re reaching for the box regularly.
How Baking Soda Neutralizes Stomach Acid
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a basic (alkaline) compound. When it hits the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, the bicarbonate reacts with hydrogen ions to form carbonic acid, which quickly breaks down into water and carbon dioxide gas. That reaction directly reduces the acidity in your stomach, which is why the burning sensation fades.
The carbon dioxide, though, has to go somewhere. Most of it comes out as belching. That’s normal, but in rare and extreme cases involving a very full stomach, the sudden release of gas has contributed to gastric rupture. This has been documented in people who consumed baking soda after binge eating or after a very large meal following a long fast. The combination of extreme stomach distension and a burst of gas can overwhelm the stomach wall. For a typical person taking a normal dose on a moderately full stomach, this is not a realistic concern.
How Quickly It Works and How Long It Lasts
Oral sodium bicarbonate acts almost immediately. You’ll typically feel relief within a few minutes of drinking the solution. The downside is that the effect is brief, generally lasting only about 8 to 10 minutes before stomach acid production catches back up. That makes baking soda useful as a quick fix but not a sustained treatment. Commercial antacid tablets tend to last longer because they use compounds that dissolve more slowly in the stomach.
Dosage and Limits
The standard dose is half a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a full glass of cold water, taken no more frequently than every two hours. The Mayo Clinic lists a maximum of 5 teaspoons per day, though most people won’t need anywhere near that amount.
Here’s the part that catches people off guard: a single teaspoon of baking soda contains about 1,260 milligrams of sodium. That’s more than half the daily sodium limit recommended by most health organizations (2,300 mg). Even half a teaspoon puts roughly 630 mg of sodium into your system, about the same as a large order of fast-food fries. If you’re watching your sodium intake for blood pressure, heart health, or kidney function, this adds up quickly.
Who Should Avoid It
Baking soda isn’t a good fit for everyone. The high sodium load makes it a poor choice if you have high blood pressure, heart failure, or kidney disease. Your body may struggle to process the extra sodium, leading to fluid retention and increased strain on your cardiovascular system.
During pregnancy, sodium bicarbonate is best avoided. A 2022 review in the medical literature found that it can contribute to fluid overload and a dangerous shift in the body’s acid-base balance in both the mother and the developing baby. Calcium-based or magnesium-based antacids are generally considered safer alternatives during pregnancy.
Because baking soda changes the pH of your stomach, it can also interfere with how your body absorbs certain medications. If you take prescription drugs regularly, particularly antibiotics or heart medications, spacing them at least two hours away from a baking soda dose is a reasonable precaution.
Baking Soda vs. Store-Bought Antacids
The appeal of baking soda is that it’s cheap and already in your kitchen. But compared to commercial antacids, it has some real disadvantages:
- Duration: Baking soda’s relief lasts roughly 10 minutes. Chewable antacid tablets typically provide 30 to 60 minutes of relief, and some formulations last longer.
- Sodium content: Most commercial antacids contain far less sodium per dose. Some are sodium-free.
- Dosing precision: A half-teaspoon measurement at home is imprecise. Tablets deliver a consistent dose every time.
- Rebound acid: The rapid neutralization from baking soda can trigger your stomach to produce more acid in response, sometimes leaving you worse off than before. Slower-acting antacids are less likely to cause this rebound effect.
When Baking Soda Isn’t Enough
If you’re using baking soda for indigestion more than a couple of times a week, the indigestion itself is the problem worth solving, not the acid. Frequent heartburn or acid reflux that keeps coming back often points to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a hiatal hernia, or a food sensitivity that dietary changes could address. Over-the-counter acid reducers work differently from antacids: instead of neutralizing acid after it’s produced, they reduce how much acid your stomach makes in the first place, offering longer and more consistent relief.
Baking soda is a reasonable one-time remedy when you have occasional heartburn and nothing else on hand. It genuinely neutralizes acid, it works within minutes, and it’s safe for most adults in small doses. But the short duration, high sodium content, and potential for rebound acid production make it a better emergency option than a regular habit.