CALCIUM CARBONATE VS SODIUM BICARBONATE—WHO WINS THE COIN TOSS?
Confused by “ates” with similar sounding names?
You’re not alone, so we’re bringing you the Qure play-by-play. Calcium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate sound similar and you can find both in common over the counter antacids, but the comparison ends there. These two little chemicals may be on the same team when it comes to alkaline water, but one of them is sitting on the bench, and the other is the star player.
Sodium Bicarbonate Stats
Sodium Bicarbonate is a household chemical known to most of us as baking soda. We use it for cooking and cleaning. For the scientists here, it’s classified as a salt with the formula NaHCO3. It is made up of two separate parts—positively charged sodium particles and negatively charged bicarbonate particles.
When you’re looking at properties in alkaline water it’s important to know that sodium bicarbonate has a pH of 8.3. It is also important to know sodium bicarbonate reacts with acid in dough to form carbon dioxide bubbles, that’s what makes breads and cookies rise. Sodium bicarbonate is the player who wears the jersey but doesn’t make a star contribution in the alkaline water game.
Calcium Carbonate—The MVP
You won’t find Calcium Carbonate in household chemicals, but it is very common in nature as a major component in seashells, limestone and marble. Calcium Carbonate is a salt too, consisting of positively charged calcium particles and negatively charged carbonate particles. And here’s where it gets interesting, carbonate (CO3) is a stronger base than bicarbonate, meaning it reacts significantly with acid. And it doesn’t dissolve in dough, so no carbon dioxide bubbles.
It’s true, both sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate can be used to treat heartburn and acid reflux but only calcium carbonate provides supplemental calcium. And most importantly, calcium carbonate has a significantly higher pH of 9.8. For those two reasons calcium carbonate is the MVP in the alkaline water game! Go calcium carbonate! (MVP = Most Valuable Player…. it’s ok if you’re not up to date with sports terms, we still think you’re cool.)
Only MVP, calcium carbonate is used in Qure Alkaline Water. We maintain a pH of 9.5+ using only the highest quality ingredients. Check the label before you buy alkaline water; make sure you get the benefit of calcium carbonate and its acid neutralizing properties. With Qure Alkaline Water you can rest easy, we’ve got the bases covered.