Rapid progression of kidney disease occurred in just nine percent of patients taking sodium bicarbonate, compared to 45 percent of the other group. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis.

Patients taking sodium bicarbonate also had improvement in several measures of nutrition. Although their sodium levels went up, this didn't lead to any problems with increased blood pressure.

Low bicarbonate levels are common in patients with CKD and can lead to a wide range of other problems. 'This is the first randomised controlled study of its kind,' says Yaqoob.

'A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), when used appropriately, can be very effective,' he adds, according to an RLH release.

These findings were published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).