Baking Soda Recipe for Weight Loss: What the Viral Drink Really Does

Quick answer: No. Baking soda water does not burn fat, and we found no study showing that it causes weight loss. It is an antacid that adds sodium. If you still try it, MedlinePlus says to dissolve it in at least 4 ounces of water, use it for 2 weeks at most, and skip it with certain health conditions.

You have probably seen it: a spoon of baking soda in a glass of water, sometimes with a famous name attached. It is cheap, it is in every kitchen, and the videos make it look easy. Before putting a baking soda recipe for weight loss on this site, I looked at what is actually documented. Here is the honest version, with the safe way to make it, the sources, and the people who should leave it alone.

Baking soda drink variations at a glance

Variation	What changes	What the research shows	Main caution
Plain baking soda water (the recipe card: 1/4 tsp in 8 oz)	About 315 mg of sodium, about 14% of the daily value (USDA)	No study found showing weight loss	Adds sodium; check with your doctor first if you have high blood pressure, heart or kidney problems (MedlinePlus)
With lemon juice	Taste, and more fizz	No study found that lemon makes it work	Same sodium, same rules
With apple cider vinegar	A separate viral trend	Not studied in our search	Same sodium, same rules
With honey (1 tsp)	About 21 more calories	No study found	Adds calories and sugar
Concentrated "shot"	Same powder in a small splash of water	No study found	Not recommended: MedlinePlus says to dissolve it in at least 4 ounces of water

Sources: MedlinePlus, USDA FoodData Central, our PubMed search (details below).

What baking soda is and what it does

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. MedlinePlus describes it as an antacid used to relieve heartburn and acid indigestion, and it says the medicine increases the amount of sodium in your body. A quarter teaspoon, the amount in the recipe card, has about 315 mg of sodium according to USDA FoodData Central, which is about 14% of the 2,300 mg daily value.

Does baking soda burn fat? What the research says

We searched PubMed for studies in people that look at sodium bicarbonate or baking soda together with weight loss, fat loss or obesity. We did not find a trial showing that drinking baking soda causes weight loss. The two studies that came up are about something else:

• A 2006 clinical trial (PMID 16837421) used sodium bicarbonate labeled with carbon-14 as a tracer to measure how much energy 11 people burned during a low-calorie diet. The bicarbonate was a measuring tool, not the treatment.
• A 2020 review (PMID 32893673) looks at lactate and appetite, including human studies that used sodium bicarbonate supplements together with exercise. The authors call the area emerging and ask for more research. It does not test a baking soda drink for weight loss.

So the honest summary is this: there is no evidence that the drink helps you lose weight. That is not proof that nothing happens, only that the claim has not been shown.

Nutrition: what is in one glass

One glass of the recipe has no meaningful calories, protein, carbs or fat: USDA data lists baking soda at zero calories. What it does have is sodium, about 315 mg for a quarter teaspoon (1.15 g), which is about 14% of the 2,300 mg Daily Value used on U.S. nutrition labels. That is why people on a sodium-restricted diet, or with high blood pressure, heart or kidney problems, should ask their doctor first. If you add a teaspoon of honey for taste, USDA data lists about 21 more calories.

Dr. Oz, Kelly Clarkson and the viral names

Dr. Oz. Searches for this recipe often carry his name, and many pages and videos use it. In the sources we read, we did not find a statement from him about baking soda. What is on record is his 2014 testimony at a U.S. Senate hearing on deceptive advertising for over-the-counter diet supplements. CBS News reported that he defended suggesting weight-loss products with little data behind their claims, and that Sen. Claire McCaskill said she had a problem "when a science-based doctor says something is a miracle when there's no science to back it up."

Kelly Clarkson. Her name is attached to weight-loss recipes too. In coverage by WVTM 13, she said she was told she was prediabetic. E! News quotes her telling People that "walking in the city is quite the workout" and that she is into infrared saunas. We did not find her naming baking soda.

A famous name is not evidence. When a recipe says a celebrity swears by it, look for what that person actually said, and where.

The baking soda recipe for weight loss, made safely

These are the directions MedlinePlus gives for sodium bicarbonate as an antacid. It is not a weight-loss product, so there is no official instruction for that use. If you decide to try the drink, follow the same safety rules:

• Dissolve the powder in at least 4 ounces (120 ml) of water. The recipe card uses 8 ounces (240 ml), twice the minimum.
• Measure with a measuring spoon, not by eye.
• As an antacid, take it 1 to 2 hours after meals with a full glass of water, and not on an overly full stomach.
• Take it at least 2 hours apart from other medicines.
• Do not use it for longer than 2 weeks unless your doctor tells you to.
• Do not give it to children under 12 unless a doctor says so.

Who should skip it

MedlinePlus tells people to check with their doctor before taking sodium bicarbonate if they have:

• high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or kidney disease, or recent bleeding in the stomach or intestine;
• a sodium-restricted diet, because it increases the sodium in your body;
• a pregnancy, a plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Medicines matter too. MedlinePlus lists sodium bicarbonate among the nonprescription products that may interact with lithium. If you take any medicine, ask your pharmacist before trying it.

Warning signs

Stop and call your doctor right away if you have severe headache, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, loss of appetite, frequent urge to urinate, slow breathing, swelling of the feet or lower legs, bloody, black or tarry stools, or blood in your urine. Increased thirst or stomach cramps that are severe or do not go away are also worth a call.

MedlinePlus says baking soda is considered nontoxic when used in cooking and baking, but it can be poisonous in large amounts. Symptoms of an overdose include feeling very full, frequent urination, muscle spasms and muscle weakness. In the United States, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if someone has collapsed, has a seizure or has trouble breathing. MedlinePlus also calls "soda loading," drinking baking soda before sports, very dangerous.

The baking soda water shot recipe for weight loss: why we do not give one

Some videos show a "shot": the same powder in a small splash of water. MedlinePlus says to dissolve sodium bicarbonate powder in at least 4 ounces of water, so a shot goes against that direction. We do not give a shot recipe. More powder or less water does not make the drink work better, only harder on your body.

Lemon and baking soda drink recipe for weight loss: does lemon change anything?

Adding lemon juice changes the taste and makes the drink fizz more. A baking soda and lemon juice recipe for weight loss is just as unproven as the plain one: we found no research showing that lemon makes it better. The sodium is still in the glass, and every safety rule above still applies. Apple cider vinegar is a separate viral trend, and it does not change those rules either.

Swaps and variations: what changes and what does not

• Baking powder is not a swap. The recipe and the safety directions are for plain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).
• Apple cider vinegar is a separate viral trend. It does not change the safety rules above, and our research did not look at what it does.
• Honey or other sweeteners only change the taste and add calories.
• Warm or cold water is a matter of taste. We found no research that makes one better.

Tips and mistakes

• Level the spoon. A heaping spoon is more than the recipe.
• Use plain baking soda, not baking powder.
• Stir until the glass is clear and the fizz has settled.
• Do not turn it into a shot or add more because "more must work better."
• Keep a note of the day you started, so you remember the 2-week limit.
• Keep the powder out of reach of children.

If your goal is weight loss

A drink is not a tool for it. A doctor or a registered dietitian can look at your situation, your medicines and your goals. In the meantime, simple foods you enjoy are a good place to start: try the Greek yogurt protein parfait, the cottage cheese breakfast bowl or the high-protein overnight oats, which come with nutrition numbers you can check. Another popular drink with big claims is ginger water: see our ginger water recipe and what the research says.

How we researched this

• Studies: a PubMed search on October 18, 2026 for human studies on sodium bicarbonate or baking soda with weight loss, fat loss or obesity. We read the abstracts of the two results and cited only those.
• Safety: we read the MedlinePlus pages on sodium bicarbonate, baking soda overdose and lithium.
• Names in the news: we read the CBS News, WVTM 13 and E! News articles linked above. We only report what they say.
• Nutrition: values come from USDA FoodData Central, using the USDA weight for a quarter teaspoon of baking soda (1.15 g).
• Not tested by us: we did not test the drink, and we do not claim any result from drinking it.

Good to know

This article is general information. It is not medical advice, and it does not replace a conversation with your doctor or a registered dietitian. The nutrition values are estimates based on USDA data. If you have a health condition, take medicine, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or follow a special eating plan, check with a health professional before trying baking soda water.