A daily dose of sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, can slow the decline of kidney function in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Baking soda, already used for baking, cleaning, indigestion and sunburn treatment, has also shown to improve patients' nutrition.

A study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found patients who took a small daily does of sodium bicarbonate in a tablet form greatly reduced the rate of decline in their kidney function by about two-thirds compared to patients who did not take the tablet. Participants who took the doses of sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and require dialysis.
 
Although taking sodium bicarbonate caused patients' sodium levels to rise, it did not lead to any problems with increased blood pressure and actually improved several aspects of their nutrition.

This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of AAKP Diet Tips & Bits.