Cream of tartar is a common kitchen item that can be used in several ways! Not only is it needed in cooking and cleaning, but it also has some surprising health benefits.
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What is Cream of Tartar?
This type of salt is known by the scientific name “potassium bitartrate” or “potassium hydrogen tartrate”. The ingredient commonly used in baking applications, but can also be used as a household cleaner. This byproduct is a form of crystal that will precipitate out of grape skins and even wine itself. When used in cooking applications, it can stabilize whip cream and egg whites, prevent sugar crystallization, and stop food from spoiling. This salt doesn’t go bad if you keep it refrigerated away from sources of heat.
Benefits
Tartar cream can relieve UTIs, lower blood pressure and heartburn, and even improve cholesterol.
May Help You Quit Smoking
Cream of Tartar may help you kick your smoking habit, but there are not enough scientific studies to support those claims. What we do know is that this byproduct with a bad taste has been mixed with orange juice in order to make the taste of cigarettes much less enjoyable.
May Act as a Remedy For Urinary Tract Infections
By potentially changing the pH level of your urine, cream of tartar can help to reduce urinary tract infections (UTIs) by making the environment un-tolerable for bacteria to thrive.
Potential Remedy For Acne
Cream of Tartar is an amazing ingredient for many reasons – one of them being that a small amount each day can help prevent the unsightly, painful symptoms of acne.
Potential Remedy for Heartburn
Consuming appropriate amounts of cream of tartar is thought by some as an anecdotal method to help ease the pain caused by heartburn. [6]
May Help Improve Arthritis
If you suffer from chronic pain in your joints, this baking soda-based cream can be used topically to target specific areas that are causing the most discomfort. You can mix it with Epsom salt to make a powerful pain-relieving bath.
May Help Improve Edema
A specific type of cream of tartar called potassium tartaric acid is known for its diuretic properties. This can clear up some symptoms of edema, but it’s important to speak with a medical professional before you start to use this cream.
May Aid in Weight Loss
Many people believe that using cream of tartar in their daily diets can yield weight-loss benefits. Unfortunately, this is just a home remedy without scientific evidence to support the recipe.
Baking Soda vs Cream of Tartar
While sodium bicarbonate is chemically similar to cream of tartar, they serve different functions and have different chemical attributes. For instance, sodium bicarbonate is not tartrate.
Side Effects
Cream of tartar is more alkalizing than baking soda, and does a different job in the kitchen. If you want to use cream of tartar in place of baking soda for making a baking powder, mix it with acid. Acid also helps with rising and creating a fluffy batter. Cream of tartar is unnecessary in batters that already have an acid component.
Murad Rapid Lift Moisture Cream: There is a very high level of potassium in this cream, which could result in hyperkalemia (excess potassium in the blood) for those who consume excess amounts or are unable to process potassium properly (i.e. renal patients). Dehydration: This substance also has known purgative and diuretic properties, which could result in a loss of liquid in the body. As is well known, dehydration can have a wide range of negative side effects.