Char, I wasn’t actually referring to you about jumping on me. I guess I should have made that a little clearer.
I guess “gullible” has too negative a connotation, and I should have used a different word. It’s one of those words, like “ignorant,” that has one meaning but has come to have quite a negative connotation and a second, more negative accepted meaning over time. I didn’t mean to imply anything negative, as I’ve been around here long before the forum was even a thought and respect you and your postings. My concern about this thread is that people aren’t applying the same kind of critical thinking and research that they do in the training, drug, and nutrition fields to this particular problem. I’ve already stated my opinion on why this is probably nothing to get worked up about, and Poman has as well.
Does the proposed mechanism presented “make sense?” Sure, superficially, but so does the whole water diluting gastric enzymes and inhibiting digestion thing that John Berardi discussed and promptly refuted in a Q&A column. We like things that “make sense,” but that doesn’t always make it true. One of my favorite things about this mag and this forum is that we don’t accept things at face value without good reasoning behind it.
I do believe that you tried it and you found relief. No reason to doubt you on that. I don’t believe that it “cured” a common cold. Again, I’ve stated some of my reasons for this earlier. Anecdotal evidence from a few people is a source of skepticism within the medical community simply because we’re constantly bombarded with home remedies and old wives’ tales that “worked for me, and my cousin, and his pet monkey!” Do I think they’re lying? No. Do I think that what they’re doing with apply to the general populace? No. It’s been tried many times and home remedies tend to be miserable failures. Please keep in mind that I’m not at all attacking the source of these remedies. I’m simply maintaining a healthy skepticism that’s required in my field.
Char, I hope this doesn’t sound at all personal, as that’s certainly not my intent.
Thought I’d bring this thread back and thank Michelle for this idea because it seems to work for me (to a degree).
I misread the instructions and used baking powder the first time, not baking soda, but there was still a positive effect.
Oddly enough, I felt better for a longer period of time using the B powder than the B soda. I’ve noticed my energy levels go up slightly after drinking both, but it drops after a couple hours. The good part is I don’t feel as ‘blah’ as I have before.
I’ve got strep so I don’t think the baking soda is going to have a full healing effect (unfortunately).
Woke up this morning with a really sore throat, chills, and generally ‘out if it’. Even 2 cups of coffee weren’t enough to snap me out.
45 minutes after the baking soda, the chills are gone, and I’m much more alert and energized (enough to drive out and get crackers for my chicken soup =) ). In fact, aside from my still sore throat, I’m feeling almost normal!
From past experience, it should last for 4-6 hours before I start backsliding again.
I don’t believe it, not for a minute, not even for a second. But with all of these reports, and my greater disbelief that there is a conspiracy to sell baking soda, I’ll give it a whack. (NOT THAT). What can it hurt?
I can’t wait to tell my grandfather!!! He’s gonna get SUCH a kick out of this! (Hey, he’s 91, lives in a nursing home and in confined to a wheel chair - this will be interesting to him.) I’m glad it is workig well for everyone. Jay, I’d like to know if it works for you!
Sorry to hear about your strep - in theory, it should help, but strep my be to much for this type of simple cure. Is strep a virus or a bacteria??
Anyone who can tolerate the taste of baking soda in water is not normal. I felt like I was drinking ocen water. I might be able to do it if it was dilluted int o a gallon of water but it would be a struggle.
Tried it a couple of weeks back when I had a really bad cold and happened across this thread. I gave up after one day, it was disgusting trying to force down the baking soda and water. I did seem to get some relief though. Maybe it was the placebo effect, but I felt better and that’s all that matters to me.
LOL. C’mon guys, it’s not THAT bad! It’s just salt water. Try warming the water a bit - that might make it a little easier to tolerate (and seems to make the baking soda mix more easily).
As a side note, I think that any T-man who cannot bring himself to ingest baking soda gives up all his rights to get blowjobs. Fair’s fair.
I have yet to drink the whole thing. I usually sip to about half the cup and stop there.
Yeah, the taste doesn’t rank up on the highest for me…
I drank some while talking to my boss last week and the way she was convulsing while watching me drink, you’d think I was eating cockroaches or something.
Heck, one person I know swears by eating spinach, garlic cloves and strawberries (thrown together in a bowl) if she feels sick and the next day she looks fine.
I have these little glasses (welches jelly jars) that I can empty on one long drink I do NOT recommend sipping! GROSS!!! Only use as much water as you can gulp down quickly. And yes, warm water makes it dissolve more completely.
Ha ha. It reminds me of the time I was feeling sick when I was an undergrad. My buddies wanted to go drinking, and I was balking at going. They talked me into it and I got pretty ripped. The following morning, I thought I would have to contend with an even worse cold from abusing my body. To the contrary, I felt great! I kinda speculated that the alcohol in my blood killed the virus off while my cells were used to the regular doses of ethanol. A crude chemotherapy if you will So, when I have a cold now, I don’t fear the occasional drink. I rarely get sick now anyway. Maybe once every two or three years. I guess getting sick twice every year when I was a kid made me immune to most bugs.
Anything, can be marketed. If the product is good and holds true. Look, whom ever thought of putting water into a bottle is rich. I never thought of puchasing water. This is nothing more then a placebo affect.
