Written by Naz Haider | Updated : August 31, 2016 5:55 PM IST
While baking or cooking soda is well-tolerated by most of us, an overdose of it can cause many health problems. ‘Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should be careful with it. Consuming too much soda can affect your kidneys, heart and cause an headache’, says Dr Manu Menon, nutrition and obesity specialist. You will be surprised at how many food products contain baking soda! Here’s a list.
Food colour: Baking soda has stabilising and anti-caking properties, which is why it is used in many food-colouring gels. Food colour is commonly used in many food products – from sweets, baked goods to dips and chutneys. If you like adding colour to your food, opt for natural ingredients like beetroot, blueberry and spinach
Antacid: When troubled by heartburn and gas, popping an antacid is the quickest remedy, and with all the greasy junk we eat, how often is that? Baking soda is the key ingredient in most antacids, and is very effective. The problem is when you you start taking antacids way too often.
Rice: Most restaurants add soda in rice while cooking. It makes the rice longer and fluffier. If you eat out a lot, ask the restaurant to not add soda if you are eating rice, or maybe opt for a filling salad or soup.
Canned beans and legumes are life-savers for the working population or the ever-busy mom. Did you know that the brine in which the beans is stored contains high amount of sodium bicarbonate, which acts as a preservative!
Steamed vegetables: Steaming softens vegetables while maintaining most of their nutrients, especially water-soluble compounds that are easily damaged by heat like Vitamin C. Steaming vegetables not only removes germs from them but also helps them retain more texture and flavor. Some of the staples of steamed vegetable are broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes.
Biscuits and cookies: Not just cakes and muffins, almost all baked foods contain baking soda. It is soda that gives biscuits and cookies the soft and crumbly texture. So its not just sugar that you should be worried about when eating a cookies. And yes, even digestive cookies have baking soda.
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