Can baking soda really help treat rheumatoid arthritis?

Answer:

There is no clinical evidence demonstrating that consumption of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reduces the symptoms rheumatoid arthritis or the risk of developing it.

The only reason to speculate that baking soda might be helpful was a small study in healthy young people that showed a decrease in cellular inflammatory activity after drinking a single cup of water into which baking soda was dissolved. Although intriguing, this is far from proof that baking soda will help people with rheumatoid arthritis or that daily consumption would have a beneficial effect without harm. In this study, 12 healthy young men and women consumed 2 grams (just under ½ teaspoon) of baking soda dissolved in an 8 fl oz cup of water. Two to three hours after ingestion, blood levels of certain inflammatory cells decreased and levels of anti-inflammatory cells increased. Blood levels of potassium also modestly decreased in those who drank the baking soda solution (Ray, J Immunol 2018 May).

Be aware that regular consumption of baking soda can cause low blood levels of potassium (hypokalemia), which can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting and irregular heartbeat. This occurred in a 50-year-old man who had been adding one teaspoon of baking soda to drinks as an antacid (the most common reason for baking soda consumption) on an as-needed basis for several years (Al-Abri, J Med Toxicol 2013). Chronic use of baking soda can also cause low calcium levels, leading to muscle spasms and irregular heartbeat, and other metabolic disturbances, such as metabolic alkalosis. Baking soda should not be taken for more than two weeks and should not be taken without physician supervision if you are on a sodium restricted diet or take other medications. It should not be taken on a full stomach, as this can cause expansion and spontaneous rupture of the stomach. Baking soda should not be taken by children under the age of five (Al-Abri, J Med Toxicol 2013).