Baking Soda and Lemon: Is This Drink Safe?

Baking soda and lemon are two of the most useful things in any kitchen. Mixed together they foam up in a satisfying way, which may be part of why the combination has become a popular home remedy around the world.

Online, a morning glass of water with lemon juice and a spoonful of baking soda is said to balance your body's pH, settle heartburn, whiten teeth and even protect against serious disease. Here is what is actually happening in that glass, what the evidence says and what to do instead.

The claims behind the trend

The central idea is that modern diets make the body too acidic, and that an alkaline drink can bring it back into balance. Baking soda is alkaline, lemon is said to become alkaline once digested, so together they are promoted as an alkalizing tonic.

Other versions of the claim say the drink helps digestion, eases heartburn, supports the kidneys or fights cancer. Most of these come from personal stories and wellness websites rather than research.

What happens in the glass

Lemon juice contains citric acid, and baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a base. As an Ohio State University science activity explains, when the two meet they react and release carbon dioxide gas, which is the fizz you see. The reaction also produces sodium citrate.

In other words, much of the acid and the base cancel each other out before you take a sip. What you drink is fizzy, slightly salty lemon water, with extra sodium from the baking soda.

What the evidence says

Your blood is kept slightly alkaline, in a narrow range of about pH 7.35 to 7.45. Harvard Health explains that if a drink nudged that up, your kidneys would quickly bring it back. Your stomach, meanwhile, is strongly acidic, usually around pH 1.5 to 3.5, so the pH of what you drink makes little lasting difference there either. In a healthy body, a drink is simply not a way to change your blood pH.

Baking soda does have one real use: it is an antacid. MedlinePlus, from the US National Library of Medicine, lists sodium bicarbonate for heartburn and acid indigestion, dissolved in at least 120 ml (4 fl oz) of water, measured carefully and used for no more than 2 weeks unless a doctor says otherwise. It adds sodium to your body, so it is not suitable for everyone.

Adding lemon does not improve this. It uses up part of the baking soda in the fizzing reaction, so you get less antacid and an unpredictable dose. There is no good evidence that the mix prevents or treats cancer or any other disease. If you want whiter teeth, ask a dentist rather than scrubbing with kitchen ingredients.

Why too much is risky

MedlinePlus notes that baking soda is safe in normal cooking but can be poisonous in large amounts. Signs of an overdose can include vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness or spasms, a feeling of fullness, irritability and seizures. If vomiting and diarrhea are not controlled, they can lead to dehydration and an imbalance of the body's salts, which can affect the heart rhythm. Drinking baking soda to boost sports performance, sometimes called soda loading, is described as dangerous.

Questions people ask

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and health conditions. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying a herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, giving it to a child, or taking any medication.