ACV & Baking Soda Tonic: Boost Health Naturally - Ted's Q&A

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Cough Caused by Baking Soda?

Posted by TP (Boston, MA) on 11/24/2007

I was taking baking soda for general reasons, creating an alkaline environment, staying thin. For some reason, I ended up with a cough for over a week and I think it was caused by the baking soda. I was taking the remedy 2 times a day. 1/8 baking soda and 2 Tbsp ACV with water. Maybe I took it for too many days. I felt good taking it, I even looked thinner. But after getting this cough, I started to think maybe the baking soda was such not a good idea after all. Was this effecting my lungs? It is a cleaning agent, it neutralizes acids in the body. But is it really good for the body the way it is considered to be good for cleaning your kitchen, laundry, or even an agent for clogging drains? It's a pretty powerful chemical. What if this chemical is eating away at our delicate tissues? What if it causes vitamin deficiency. I challenge you to prove to me this is actually good for anyone's health. Thank you.

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
391 posts

Most of the problems I received were from the acid portion of the apple cider vinegar. If I just take sea salt with baking soda, or just baking soda, the cough should not occur, if the pH were always 7 or above. In some rare cases certain brands of apple cider vinegar are quite acid.

In your case you weren't following the instructions, at least mine anyway. The remedy calls for 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in at least 1/2 glass of water. A remedy you were doing the pH is about 5 which is very acid. The 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda is relatively neutral, but not for 1/8 when it meets up with the acid portion of the apple cider vinegar. The acid is what bacteria and viruses grows under, its generally an ideal medium for them, at least in culture dishes I prepare when I was a student of microbiology.

Therefore, I would either change to the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water or just 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 2 tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar in 1/2 glass of water (at least) as per instruction. In case someone might be wondering what is the remedy for cough, the best single remedy for coughs is peppermint oil, 4 drops and keep in the mouth for half a minute before the swallow. Breathe in from mouth and exhale would clear up the sinuses too. Viral sinuses have a habit of going to the throat to cause it. The coughs stops it instantly and works better than any cough syrup I have tried. The secret is that there is NO SUGAR in a home remedy.

If any cough syrup manufacturing is listening to me (most don't) add the xylitol. It works a lot better, if you want them sweet and never forget the menthol or peppermint oil. Camphor is strongly anti-inflammatory for throat disease even in tiny amounts. Although a home remedy can't go that far, it is too complicated for most people. How peppermint works is that the viruses are neutralized in presence of menthol content and are thus inactivated. It also helps if the body is stronger too, with some once a week vitamin B50 and vitamin E. When the body is trong, the immune system is good.


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