Baking soda is very popular as an ingredient in cooking as it thickens sauces and soups quite well. It is also used in other recipes, such as baking and dressings. However, it is strange to hear people crave this kind of food on their own when it is so bland and tasteless on its own. Thus, you may ask:
Why am I craving baking soda? If you are craving baking soda, you may have pica, an eating disorder in which you crave non-food and food with no nutritional value. A nutritional deficiency often causes this eating disorder, but it may also result from the disease. In such cases, professional help is recommended.
Baking soda cravings are not common, but they do happen to some people from time to time. Furthermore, if you give in to a craving without really understanding it, you put yourself at risk. To fully understand why we crave it, you need to understand it. Then, you can control the condition without putting your health at risk.
We will discuss baking soda cravings in this article and how you can deal with them conveniently and successfully. Using this method will prevent further complications, and you won’t have to worry about ingesting baking soda.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
- Why do I crave baking soda?
- Why am I craving baking soda all of a sudden?
- Why am I craving baking soda all the time?
- How to stop craving baking soda?
- What to eat when craving baking soda?
- Craving baking soda during pregnancy
- Craving baking soda before period
- Craving baking soda on period
- Craving baking soda at night
- Craving baking soda when sick
- Can you have a baking soda addiction?
- Is craving baking soda a sign of pregnancy?
- Can you eat too much baking soda?
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
- Resources
Why do I crave baking soda?
What does it mean when you are craving baking soda? If you’re craving baking soda, you likely have an underlying health condition. As a result, it is essential not to ignore the possibility of such events and be aware of what you can do to avoid them from happening.
Here’s what we found!
Nutrient Deficiency
A deficiency in minerals often causes baking soda cravings. If you have a mineral deficiency, your body may crave baking soda due to its mineral content.
Consequently, it would be best to examine your current diet to determine whether it contains enough minerals and nutrients.
The best way to prevent or stop further baking soda cravings is to take supplements to compensate for it or eat a healthy and nutritious diet.
Anemia
It is normal to crave baking soda if you have anemia, but eating baking soda won’t improve your symptoms. Whether you need nutritional supplements depends on the results of a blood test and what your doctor recommends to you.
When you practice geophagy, baking soda can bind to iron, zinc, and other nutrients and affect how your body digests them. If you consume too much baking soda, you may become anemic.
So, if you get a craving for baking soda, you should replace it with another food alternative instead.
Pica
A craving for baking soda can sometimes be caused by pica, a disorder characterized by cravings for items other than food. As a result, if you suddenly find yourself craving baking soda, you may be suffering from this disorder.
It is not uncommon for people with pica to crave foods other than baking soda. However, most of the time, pica cravings are not cravings for food but rather for non-food items. For example, it is also possible to crave pebbles, ash, cloth, clay, paper, hair, and chalk.
A person can develop this disorder, although it is rare to diagnose it in children because they eat so much. Pica can also be a symptom of other conditions, such as trichotillomania or schizophrenia, but there is a difference.
Even though scientists are unsure of the cause of pica, they do believe that nutritional deficiencies are a factor.
Why am I craving baking soda all of a sudden?
The craving for baking soda will appear if a nutrient deficiency is present in your body. There may be nutritional deficiencies or underlying health issues that make individuals with pica crave baking soda.
In this case, the best course of action would be to replace baking soda with an alternative of your choice. Additionally, it is also recommended that you take a mineral supplement to ensure that your body obtains the minerals it requires. If you take a mineral supplement, you should prevent yourself from having an urge to eat more baking soda.
In any case, if you still crave baking soda after following all these measures, you may need to consult a specialist or consult your doctor if you are suffering from an illness.
Why am I craving baking soda all the time?
The reason why you crave baking soda all the time might be that you are not getting enough minerals. Baking soda is a good source of iron and various other minerals.
As long as you satisfy your cravings, you will no longer be bothered by them, but if you use baking soda, you will have more problems due to its health effects.
If you do not want to use baking soda, you should look for an alternative. It may also be beneficial to eat something nutritious and rich in minerals to prevent further cravings for baking soda.
How to stop craving baking soda?
If you want to stop craving baking soda, eat foods similar in color and texture to baking soda. For example, you can eat cookies, cereal, or crackers. To stop craving baking soda, you should consume mineral-rich foods as well.
It is also possible to tell someone you trust if you are having difficulty controlling your cravings so they can help you avoid baking soda. Alternatively, you may want to seek advice from a professional if you feel you need help.
What to eat when craving baking soda?
Rather than eating baking soda, you can eat some bread instead if you want to stop craving it. If you grind some cookies, for example, you can eat those instead.
If possible, replace your baking soda with cookies whenever possible. Additionally, it may be a good idea to supplement your food alternative with vitamins and minerals.
If you do this to prevent cravings for baking soda later on in life, you ensure that you receive the proper nutrients.
Craving baking soda during pregnancy
Why are you craving baking soda when pregnant? You’re probably craving baking soda during your pregnancy because you need the iron or minerals it contains. Hence, baking soda is sometimes craved by pregnant women, and it’s most often a pregnancy-related craving.
According to some experts, iron deficiency is responsible for these cravings. However, others believe it is a reaction of the immune system in response to the changes during pregnancy.
To ensure that you get the proper amount of minerals, you might consider taking mineral supplements. Additionally, it would be best to stay away from baking soda since it contains several health risks and complications.
Craving baking soda before period
Why are you craving baking soda before your period? If you are craving baking soda at this time of the month, you need more iron. The cravings for gluten in some women with heavy periods could signify that they are deficient in iron, particularly if they have heavy periods.
Then you should take iron supplements to cope with your period if this is the case. Moreover, you can also avoid future cravings for baking soda if you take iron supplements now.
The key to eating any food is to consume it in moderation, as with everything else in life. However, if you would like, you are always welcome to taste tortilla or some other substitute for baking soda if you wish.
When it comes to eating a balanced diet, you need to maintain healthy body weight during your period.
Craving baking soda on period
Why are you craving baking soda when you are on your period? When going through your menstrual cycle, you may crave baking soda to get more iron. Additionally, women with heavy periods may experience baking soda cravings due to an iron deficiency in their bodies.
As a result, iron supplements are necessary to get through your period as effectively as possible. Furthermore, you will not need to consume baking soda during your menstrual cycle.
When it comes to eating any food, it’s wise to consume it in moderation. It’s always possible to substitute baking soda for tortillas or alternatives. However, if you want to make it through your period, you must consume a balanced diet.
Craving baking soda at night
Why are you craving baking soda at night? You are most likely anemic if you crave baking soda at night and need more iron and other minerals to make your body healthy.
You may benefit from eating other food alternatives such as bread or cookies, along with taking mineral supplements, if this is the case.
Therefore, it is possible to satisfy your cravings by consuming food that has a similar texture to the one you are used to while still obtaining the nutrients you need from your supplements.
Craving baking soda when sick
Why are you craving baking soda when you are sick? If you’re sick, you likely need more minerals from baking soda to cope with your illness, and this is why you crave it so much.
The Pica craving is an eating disorder in which people crave and eat non-food items, such as baking soda. Anemic people may also consume baking soda as part of their diet. Likewise, anemic people are likely to crave baking soda as part of their diet.
If you don’t like taking minerals or eating foods rich in minerals, you can eat bread or cookies instead.
Can you have a baking soda addiction?
Although it’s unlikely that anyone will become addicted to baking soda, it is still possible if you ignore your baking soda craving.
Baking soda shares the same texture and color as bread or cookies, so it would be best to eat some. You will also need to supplement your diet if you have nutritional deficiencies.
Is craving baking soda a sign of pregnancy?
The craving for baking soda is quite common among pregnant women. However, there is no apparent reason why pregnant women crave baking soda. As such, it would be best if you did not interpret your craving for baking soda as a sign that you are pregnant.
There is a possibility that an iron deficiency may lead to pica cravings. It has also been suggested that pregnant women experience changes in their immune systems that lead to these cravings.
Baking soda cravings can occur during pregnancy, but they are not specific to pregnancy since they can occur at any time throughout life.
Can you eat too much baking soda?
The problem is that you can overdo it when eating baking soda, so this is not a good idea. Baking soda contains high amounts of carbohydrates and calories, leading to various health problems.
In addition, baking soda contains a lot of potassium, which increases the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrests.
In a nutshell, you should avoid eating baking soda like the plague because it may cause several health problems and complications.
Frequently asked questions
Listed below are some questions that you may also wonder about when it comes to your baking soda cravings. If you ever feel the urge to use baking soda again, you may find the answers below helpful.
What does craving baking soda mean emotionally?
There may be other causes of baking soda cravings besides emotional needs. Regardless, it is essential to consider this possibility. Emotional factors can still trigger cravings for baking soda.
The recognition of such a need can be considered self-medication. Seeing others eat baking soda, for instance, may cause you to crave it too. Furthermore, satisfying this need makes you feel good or, in other words, makes you happy.
What deficiency causes you to crave baking soda?
The most common reason for baking soda cravings is mineral deficiency. However, it is most likely that anemia and iron deficiency anemia are causing your symptoms.
In the case of those with iron-deficiency anemia, baking soda may not be beneficial for them. Therefore, even though baking soda contains small amounts of minerals and nutrients, it is not recommended to consume them.
Is it OK to eat baking soda?
It’s not good to consume large amounts of baking soda, especially if you’re pregnant. However, baking soda is not dangerous when consumed in small amounts. For example, ingesting it as part of a recipe is fine, but consuming it in high amounts can adversely affect it.
What happens if you eat too much baking soda?
If you have too much baking soda in your body, it may cause severe health problems. Even though baking soda can be helpful in various ways, too much of it may cause problems.
As a result of ingesting a large amount of baking soda, you may experience vomiting and diarrhea. It can happen shortly afterward, as baking soda increases sodium levels in the body. Excessive levels of sodium in the body can lead to severe problems.
Why do I like the taste of baking soda?
There is a good chance that you have pica if you like the taste of baking soda. Pica is characterized by consuming non-food items such as cornstarch, baking soda, clay, or ice. It is often a sign of iron deficiency or zinc deficiency. When the deficiency is corrected, the craving may disappear.
Is chewing baking soda OK?
It is not a good idea to chew baking soda, especially if you intend to swallow it afterward. In some cases, too much baking soda can cause the stomach to fill with gas due to using it as a homemade antacid rapidly.
Fortunately, baking soda is said to have a bad taste, and as a result, most children will not be tempted to overeat it. However, it is essential to take baking soda ingestion seriously, considering the potential risks.
Summary
Several health conditions can cause baking soda cravings. For example, you have an eating disorder called pica when you feel like you crave something other than food. Several factors can cause this disorder, but nutritional deficiencies are usually the cause. In situations such as these, seeking help is always the best option.
It is rare to experience baking soda cravings, even though some occasionally experience them. Moreover, if you succumb to it without understanding it, you put your life at risk.
Therefore, you should understand why certain foods appeal to you in the first place. Then you will be able to get rid of them without harming your health because then you will be able to overcome them.
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Resources
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