Buffering is the maintenance of a stable pH balance, or acid-alkali balance.
As a buffer, baking soda tends to cause acid solutions to become more basic and to cause basic solutions to become more acid, bringing both solutions to a stable pH around 8.1 (slightly basic) on the pH scale.
Baking Soda can be used as an antacid in the human digestive system, neutralizing acids from acid indigestion and heartburn and relieving the associated discomfort. Usually a teaspoon of baking soda in a small glass of warm water will relieve heartburn.
When used as a paste on skin or in the bath, baking soda soothes the irritation of poison ivy, insect bites, sunburn, and prickly heat.
The natural buffering of baking soda also means that it’s a safe and natural way to maintain appropriate pH levels in pools, where stable pH keeps water quality at its best, and in septic tanks, where stable pH provides a healthy environment for the beneficial bacteria that break down wastes.
