Chlorine is necessary for healthy joint and tendon operation. It helps to prevent gum disease (pyorrhea) and stimulates liver activity and digestion. In the body, chlorine is present in form of soluble salts referred to as chloride. Along with sodium and potassium, chloride work as a mineral electrolyte, and plays a crucial role in distribution of fluids throughout the body. Chloride also helps in maintaining the fluid balance, both within as well as outside the cells. It is also essential for maintaining the require blood volume and proper blood pressure.
Our body function well at pH neutral, chloride helps maintain this by reducing acid levels. Chlorides act as neutralizing agents and their work helps to bring the acid/alkaline level back into balance. Within the stomach, you’ll find that chloride appears in the form of hydrochloric acid. In order for your body to effectively digest food, hydrochloric acid helps break the food down so that it can be absorbed by the small intestines. In the liver, chloride may also help in the process of removing waste.
Chloride Functions in the Body
- Chloride is the major anion of the extracellular fluids, where it occurs mostly in association with sodium.
- Chloride can move freely
- The consuming of ordinary foods and beverages can restore chloride balance across membranes and so also associates with potassium inside cells.
- Like sodium, chloride maintains fluid and electrolyte balance.
- In the stomach, the chloride ion is part of hydrochloric acid, which maintains the strong acidity of the gastric juice. One of the most serious consequences of vomiting is the loss of this acid from the stomach, which upsets the acid-base balance. Such imbalances are commonly seen in bulimia nervosa.
Deficiency of Chloride
Deficiency of chloride, or when blood levels of it drop too low, is known as hypochloremia. It is rare, as chloride is part of table salt which is present in most foods. In fact, people are prone to consuming more chloride than is really needed, due to salt-laden diets.
Hypochloremia can occur however, for a variety of reasons that include :
- heavy sweating, as large amounts of sodium and chloride can be lost in perspiration
- excessive fluid loss due to prolonged diarrhea or vomiting, or overuse of coffee or laxatives or diuretics
- congestive heart failure
- certain kidney disorders
- Addison’s disease
- most often seen in infants on chloride-deficient formulae
Too much chloride from salted foods can:
Increase your blood pressure
Cause a buildup of fluid in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney disease
Food sources (All sea vegetable, alfalfa, banana, barley, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, coconut, cucumber, endive, lettuce, melons, olives, onion, parsnip, pineapple, rye, tomatoes, and leafy green vegetable like spinach, dandelion greens and watercress.
The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods.
- Sodium : Essential Organic Sodium Rich Foods (blissreturned.wordpress.com)
- Hydrate Your With High Water Content Fruits and Vegetables In Your Diet (blissreturned.wordpress.com)