Baking soda could help halve the chances of developing dementia, researchers have suggested.
The baking ingredient may slash the likelihood of getting the incurable brain disease by an astonishing 51 per cent.
This is because the kitchen staple is able to prevent the build-up of harmful acids in the body which can damage brain cells, leading to memory loss.
Also known as sodium bicarbonate, it is already used as a 9p-a-tablet drug on the NHS for similar issues in those with advanced kidney disease.
The discovery by US scientists comes as separate trials look at whether the NHS shingles vaccine could protect against dementia.
It is thought the jab can cut the chances of the disease by up to 20 per cent, following a study by Stanford University last year.
After smaller assessments suggested patients taking baking soda for kidney disease scored better on memory tests, researchers decided to look at the health records of millions to see how the pills impacted dementia diagnoses.
Focusing on a group of 122,000 over the age of 50 who had already been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment – issues with their memory which can be an early sign of dementia – they found they were 51 per cent less likely to develop full-blown diseases such as Alzheimer's if they took the tablets.
A 100 gm container of Borwick's Baking Powder leavening agent for use in cooking
Should everyday ingredients like baking soda be explored as dementia treatments despite limited evidence?
The team at the University of Pennsylvania has called for further research, saying the drug 'may influence cognitive function' due to its impact on acids in the blood.
Writing in the journal eBioMedicine, they found 20 common medications which appeared to protect against dementia – including steroids and painkillers.
Nearly one million Britons suffer from dementia, a figure which is projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
And despite millions being spent on creating new drugs, the NHS currently offers nothing which can prevent the disease from developing. There is a growing need to find cheap ways to treat the disease as a result, with already available drugs being one option.
Dr Richard Oakley, of Alzheimer's Society, said drug repurposing was 'an exciting area of research'.
But he cautioned that the latest study 'does not show that taking sodium bicarbonate can prevent or treat dementia, and we would strongly advise people not to take baking soda for this purpose'.
He added that 'robust clinical trials' were needed to understand baking soda's true impact.