A new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Immunology, conducted by the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University revealed that a daily dose of baking soda may help reduce the destructive inflammation of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists have some evidence of how the cheap, over-the-counter antacid can encourage our spleen to promote and anti-inflammatory environment that could be therapeutic in the face of inflammatory disease. The research team led by Dr. Paul O’Connor, a renal physiologist at the medical school, decided to give baking soda to two cases of test subjects, healthy human and rats.

The study showed that when rats or healthy people drink a solution of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate, the product would trigger both their stomachs and the spleens. While the stomach would generate acid to digest the food, the spleen’s mesothelial cells would reassure the body part that a bacterial infection is not attacking it. The team identified the mesothelial cells as the body’s protectors by covering up essential organs and acts as a wall between them. It was also noted that the spleen, a part of the immune system that acts like the blood filter and where white blood cells are stored, to go easy on the immune system. “It’s most likely a hamburger not a bacterial infection,” is the basically the message said Paul O’Connor.

The scientists discovered that after the subjects drank the baking soda and water mixture for two weeks, the immune cells would change their jobs. The immune cells, scientifically known as macrophages, would focus on reducing inflammation instead of promoting it. Macrophages can be found in the spleen, kidneys and bloodstream and they are also able to consume dead or injured cells. Another benefit that the team found was that the spleen increased its size after consuming baking soda. The group believed that the body part increased due to the anti-inflammatory stimulus it produces.

O’Connor is optimistic about the study’s findings and believes that it would help people that are struggling with autoimmune diseases. Baking soda is a versatile product and has several other benefits. It has also been noted that the combination of a teaspoon of baking soda and a glass of water could be a solution to combat heartburn.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 26, 2018 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).