Sodium Bicarbonate & Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin involved in collagen synthesis, norepinephrine synthesis and fat metabolism. The recommended daily allowance for men and women is 90 mg and 75 mg, respectively. In addition to this recommended daily allowance, the USDA recommends that smokers consume 35 mg more, regardless of gender. The Linus Pauling Institute points out that while these recommendations are sufficient to prevent deficiency, they do not necessarily represent optimal intake. There is debate over the optimal dose.

Sodium bicarbonate is not a nutrient. Otherwise known as baking soda, this kitchen pantry staple is used as a leavening agent and a deodorizer. Mixed with water, it produces a basic solution that can be used as an antacid to treat heartburn and academia caused by advanced renal disease.

Scientists have known the consequences of mixing sodium bicarbonate and vitamin C ever since 1936, when a study on the subject was published in the "Journal of Nutrition." The authors of this study measured the amount of vitamin C recovered from the urine of people who drank a fixed amount of orange juice. The authors determined that the amount of vitamin C excreted was decreased by administration of sodium bicarbonate. Followup studies in the 1940s showed that this effect was due to the neutralization of the vitamin C by the sodium bicarbonate.

The effect of vitamin C on cancer cells has been researched since the 1970s. The Linus Pauling Institute points to several studies that suggest vitamin C might be useful in treating this disease. However, these studies are questionable because they have fewer than five subjects.

Another research group that published in the July 2011 "European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology" opined that the use of vitamin C supplementation "to stave off pre-eclampsia, cancer and other diseases is a 'nutraceutical' industry-driven myth which should be abandoned."