What are sodium bicarbonate’s main drawbacks?

    Last Updated: July 24, 2024

    When taken orally, doses of sodium bicarbonate higher than 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight can increase the risk of gastrointestinal side effects, including bloating, nausea, and vomiting.[1][2]

    Although some case studies of individual patients have found adverse effects of sodium bicarbonate, these are rare,[3][4][5] and, in general, sodium bicarbonate is considered safe for consumption when taken orally.[2][6]

    References

    1. ^Siegler JC, Marshall PW, Bishop D, Shaw G, Green SMechanistic Insights into the Efficacy of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation to Improve Athletic Performance.Sports Med Open.(2016 Dec)
    2. ^Jozo Grgic, Zeljko Pedisic, Bryan Saunders, Guilherme G Artioli, Brad J Schoenfeld, Michael J McKenna, David J Bishop, Richard B Kreider, Jeffrey R Stout, Douglas S Kalman, Shawn M Arent, Trisha A VanDusseldorp, Hector L Lopez, Tim N Ziegenfuss, Louise M Burke, Jose Antonio, Bill I CampbellInternational Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: sodium bicarbonate and exercise performanceJ Int Soc Sports Nutr.(2021 Sep 9)
    3. ^Vásquez A, Domínguez C, Perdomo CFSpontaneous gastric rupture after Sodium Bicarbonate consumption: A case report.Radiography (Lond).(2017 Aug)
    4. ^Linford SM, James HDSodium bicarbonate abuse: a case report.Br J Psychiatry.(1986 Oct)
    5. ^Hsieh HC, Wu SH, Chiu CC, Ko KCExcessive Sodium Bicarbonate Infusion May Result in Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome During Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Case Report.Diabetes Ther.(2019 Apr)
    6. ^Raphael KL, Isakova T, Ix JH, Raj DS, Wolf M, Fried LF, Gassman JJ, Kendrick C, Larive B, Flessner MF, Mendley SR, Hostetter TH, Block GA, Li P, Middleton JP, Sprague SM, Wesson DE, Cheung AKA Randomized Trial Comparing the Safety, Adherence, and Pharmacodynamics Profiles of Two Doses of Sodium Bicarbonate in CKD: the BASE Pilot Trial.J Am Soc Nephrol.(2020 Jan)