Potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate is what is said to be the cream of tartar. It is derived from the process of wine-making. This ingredient is mainly used in baking processes; however, cream of tartar may be used in homes for cleaning purposes, almost similarly like the baking soda.
It is soluble in acid and water. The cream of tartar is a byproduct that precipitates out of grape skin or even wine itself. Cream of tartar is also often added to baked products to help activate the alkaline baking soda Aside from its culinary applications; it can also be used as a part of natural remedies, particularly as a purgative. That being said, cream of tartar is very high in potassium, so excessive consumption should be avoided.
THE BENEFITS OF CREAM OF TARTAR?
The benefits of cream of tartar are that it potentially helps in the process of quitting the bad habit of smoking. It also helps in relieving the urinary tract infections abbreviated as UTI. The cream of tartar also helps to lower blood pressure and strongly helps to fight heartburn. Another benefit of cream of tartar is that efficiently helps in the process of weight reduction.
- Quit Smoking: Anecdotal evidence shows that consuming cream of tartar can help you kick your smoking habit; when combined with orange juice, this byproduct is said to make the taste of cigarettes extremely unpleasant. And thus, aids a person to quit smoking. It is extremely effective at removing nicotine from the bloodstream, so all you need to do is mix some cream of tartar with a glass of orange juice and drink it before you go to bed each night. Doing so will strengthen your immune system and cleanse your body of toxins.
- UTI (Urinary tract infections): cream of tartar can help eliminate urinary tract infections by changing the pH level of one’s urine by making the environment untenable for bacteria to thrive. All you need to do to treat a urinary tract infection is to mix 1½ teaspoons of cream of tartar in 1 cup of warm water. Squeeze in some lemon or lime juice and drink the solution once or twice daily until you are cured.
- Heartburn: Just like baking soda, cream of tartar maintains and balances the pH level, thus soothing the heartburn. Mix ½ a teaspoon of it with ½ a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. As soon as you feel the onset of heartburn, simply drink 1 teaspoon of the solution.
- Acne: The antitoxin & antibacterial nature of cream of tartar can prevent acne. This means that consuming just a small amount of it each day can help prevent the unsightly symptoms of acne.
- Arthritis: Upon being mixed with EPSOM SALT, cream of tartar makes a powerful pain-relieving salt bath for those who suffer from chronic inflammation in their joints.
- Edema: Edema is a medical condition where a person’s body is filled with fluid thus making it swollen. Cream of tartar has certain diuretic properties, which can pull excess fluid from the body, thus clearing up symptoms of edema.
- Weight loss: mixing cream of tartar in a glass of milk can act as a catalyst in the process of weight reduction. According to the anecdotal reports, this happens partly due to diuretic properties of cream of tartar.
- Apart from health related benefits, cream of tartar can also be used in the field of cooking (baking mostly). It may be used to bake pies, cakes, cookies and snickerdoodle cookies.
Moreover, the cream of tartar can be used in routine household chores such as cleaning. When mixed with white vinegar or lime juice, cream of tartar forms a powerful paste that can be used to clean surfaces like metal. When combined with hydrogen peroxide, it can help to remove rust from tools. Medicinally speaking, it can be mixed with lemon juice and Epsom salt and consumed in small quantities as a purgative.
Other medicinal benefits of cream of tartar can be that it helps to remove gallstones. It also helps in treating bacterial infections.
Though there are some side effects of cream of tartar, such as:-
- DEHYDRATION: This substance also has known purgative and diuretic properties, which could result in a loss of liquid in the body. As it is well known to all, dehydration can have a wide range of negative side effects and issues.
- HYPERKALEMIA: There is a very high level of potassium in this cream, which could result in hyperkalemia (excess potassium in the blood).
Thus, cream of tartar can definitely be said to be a substitute for baking soda, but it holds its own benefits. Be it medicinal, household or culinary.
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