Among the very few materials effective on sodium fire are Pyromet and Met-L-X. Sodium: Essential in small amounts Your body needs some sodium to function properly. Printer Friendly Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus The Free Dictionary1,294,424,821 visitors served. Determine the sodium content of your community water supply and consider switching to bottled water if it is lower when planning your daily consumption. Sodium bicarbonate is an antacid, leavening agent in baking, and an ingredient in some forms of toothpaste. These products have long history allergic reactions to sodium lauryl sulfate of safe use as laxatives, but when taken for bowel cleansing purgative dose they have been associated with serious adverse effects, including electrolyte disturbances and kidney injury.