For a long period of time, baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has been used as a natural cure because of its numerous, both claimed and proven, healing properties, including its antacid capacity.
Moreover, newest research, as we found on Healthy Holistic Living, indicates that the benefits of baking soda may go even deeper than we have imagined, i.e. it may be of great use in the treatment of autoimmune illnesses like arthritis.
Study Reveals the Power of Baking Soda in Treating Autoimmune Diseases
Baking soda is one of the most versatile ingredients ever and it is considered to be a kitchen staple, especially as a raising agent. Also, it is frequently used as a natural and safe cleaner of different surfaces and even clothes and as a natural cure to alleviate heartburn or to whiten the teeth.
A recent study published in the Journal of Immunology conducted by researchers from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University found that consuming a baking soda solution can strengthen the immunity and help it fight off inflammatory illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The impact of the baking soda solution was first tested on laboratory animals and then on humans. They found that the salt informs the mesothelial cells that the body is safe and it is not being attacked so there is no need for an aggressive immune reaction.
The Connection between Baking Soda & Mesothelial Cells
The mesothelial cells are cells which line the internal organs and numerous distinct cavities in the body. Their role is to avert organs and tissues from sticking together and also to help with other important functions. The researchers explain that baking soda encourages the stomach to elevate its gastric acid production and this eases the digestion of food and also speeds it up. And, it informs the mesothelial cells lining the spleen to “back out” because there is no ongoing threat.
To easily explain it, one could say that the mesothelial cells learn that for example, this is not a bacterial infection, it is only a hamburger and thus, they will not need to activate macrophages or white blood cells to eliminate harmful cells. They believe that baking soda consumption influences the spleen through the mesothelial cells.
These cells communicate with the organs with the help of microvilli and they send their “message” through acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
Conclusions Drawn from the Study
The authors explain, as seen on Healthy Holistic Living, that the group of participants who consumed baking soda solution experienced a change in the types of immune cells which were activated in the spleen, that is, the pro-inflammatory ones reduced while the anti-inflammatory ones elevated.
Since these cells are also present in the kidneys and blood, baking soda is often promoted as a natural remedy for chronic kidney illness. So, the researchers also wanted to find out how baking soda could better the renal function.
The inflammatory to anti-inflammatory shift was noticed in the kidneys and in the blood, not just in the spleen.
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