Chloride

Why chloride is good for you

Chloride, along with potassium and sodium, is an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a mineral that dissolves in water and carries an electrical charge. Since the body is mostly made up of water, electrolytes are found everywhere in the body. They exist inside the cells, in the spaces between cells, in the blood, in lymph glands and everywhere else.

Chloride has a negative charge (while potassium and sodium both have a positive charge). Because electrolytes have electrical charges, they can move easily back and forth through cell membranes. This is important because as they move into a cell, they carry other nutrients in with them and as they move out of it, they carry out waste products and excess water.

Chloride in the diet works with potassium and sodium, the two electrolytes, to control the flow of fluid in blood vessels and tissues, as well as regulating acidity in the body, and also forms part of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

To keep body fluid levels in balance, your cells need to have a lot of potassium inside them and a lot of sodium in the fluids outside them. To keep the balance, sodium and potassium constantly move back and forth through the cell membranes.

Important chloride facts

• Sufficient amounts of betacarotene is required so that the body is able to assure adequate uptake of chloride from the foods eaten
• Chloride (together with potassium and sodium) work together to keep the amount of water in the cells and around them (ie the blood) at the right levels
• Chloride helps to alleviate fluid retention
• Chloride helps to balance sodium, blood pH and assist in good kidney function
• Chloride helps to control the flow of fluid in blood vessels and tissues
• Chloride is required to form part of hydrochloric acid (gastric juices required to digest food) in the stomach
• Heavy perspiration from physical activity or high temperatures can cause chloride loss

Chloride works best with

• Vitamin B6
• Betacarotene
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Silica
• Sodium

Chloride and health

• Severe diarrhoea and/or vomiting
  Chloride, one of the electrolytes usually becomes deficit during severe diarrhoea, so supplementation is required (in the form of a electrolyte remedy)
• Chloride helps to balance sodium sodium levels
  Chloride helps to balance sodium levels in the body, by combining with sodium and tempering the levels of sodium so that there are no adverse effect from high sodium levels.
• Chloride ensures the kidneys work properly
  Chloride assist in good kidney function by enabling the blood and other fluids to pass through the kidneys where they are filters to remove toxins and other waste products, so that most of the fluid can be re-absorbed back into the blood stream and conserve the body fluids. Thus the kidney function effectively and produce urine normally.
• Chloride regulates acidity in the blood
  Chloride is also required to help regulate the pH level (acidity) of the blood and other fluids in the body so that they remain at an appropriate and healthy level.
• Chloride is necessary for adequate stomach acid
  Chloride joins with hydrogen to make hydrochloric acid (HCl), which is the what the acid in the stomach is made from, so chloride is a part of stomach acid, which is necessary for protein digestion (pepsin), vitamin B12 absorption (intrinsic factor) and the absorption of certain minerals. When stomach acid is neutralised, chloride is reabsorbed by the intestine and recycled as required.
• Chloride helps to relieve gastrointestinal problems
  Gastrointestinal problem have a basis in inadequate or abnormal levels of the electrolytes, of which chloride is one. The abnormal chloride levels enable inadequate filtration and removal of waste products through the kidneys, which can result in excessive circulation of toxins that damage tissues such as the mucosal layers of the gastrointestinal tract. The mucosal layers of the gastrointestinal tract form a protective layer to protect against damage from acidity, pathogens and toxins.
• Chloride helps relieve sinusitis
  Sinusitis is greatly relieved by chloride, especially when it is used in combination with sodium (salt). The combination, when mixed with water helps to open up the sinus passages, especially the maxillary sinuses, reducing inflammation and allows better air circulation within the sinuses.

Chloride assist in good kidney function by enabling the blood and other fluids to pass through the kidneys where they are filters to remove toxins and other waste products

People who wish to take a chloride supplement should talk to a medical professional before taking it.

Groups at risk of chloride deficiency

Generally speaking, most people will not be at a risk for chloride deficiency as we eat too much salt in our foods anyway and salt is composed of sodium and chloride.

It is only in illness/infection that people become deficient, not just in chloride, but in all the electrolytes.

but some people may still be at risk of deficiency:

• People that have been vomiting or have have had severe diarrhoea
  People that have been vomiting or have severe diarrhoea from either a bacterial/viral infection or food poisoning will be losing a great deal of their electrolytes, including chloride through the fluids eliminated from their body and will need to replace them to keep their body in balance. A medical professional will usually prescribe an over-the-counter electrolyte remedy for to take. Fluid loss must be replaced by drinking a lot of water. It is vital for small children and babies to replace the water and electrolytes lost from vomiting and diarrhoea, as it can be a serious problem if they are not
• People that have been sweating excessively
  People that have been sweating excessively, through either a fever, high intensity physical activity or from high air temperatures may need to replace their chloride (and other electrolytes) to keep their body in balance.

People in these groups at risk of deficiency should talk to a medical professional about chloride supplements before taking them.

Symptoms of chloride deficiency

A deficiency of chloride is extremely rare and unlikely to occur. If it does occur, it may cause the following symptoms:

• excessive loss of potassium in the urine
• lethargy and weakness
• lowered blood pressure.

Chloride in food

Good sources of chloride are:

• Celery
• Kelp (seaweed)
• Olives
• Salt
• Tomatoes
• Cheese
• Cocoa
• Cured meats
• Legumes
• Table salt
• Canned food
• Wholegrains
• Rye
• Sauces
• Salad Dressings
• Tomatoes

Chloride recommended daily intake (RDI)

The tolerable upper limits should only be taken for short periods and only under medical supervision.

* The tolerable upper limit for chloride for infants aged 0-12 months has not yet been determined due to a lack of data about the adverse effects in this age group. The only source of calcium intake should be from food (breast milk and/or baby formula).

Toxicity

Chloride is toxic at doses greater than 5,000mg (5g) per day.

Toxicity symptoms

Excessive intake of chloride (above the tolerable upper limit) is not advised as it can cause the following toxicity symptoms:

• Fluid retention
• High blood pressure

People who experience any of the above toxicity symptoms should discontinue their chloride supplements and see their doctor for advice.

Overdosage and toxicity is more likely to occur from taking too many supplements, whereas dietary intake of chloride is highly unlikely to cause overdosage.

While a high concentration of chloride in the body may result in fluid retention, sodium is normally the reason for the retention.

Precautions

Chloride in general for otherwise healthy adults does not cause any adverse reactions. People with any health conditions should consult their doctor if they would like to try supplementing with it.

Interactions with medications and supplements

The following are the medications and supplements that are more likely to cause a reaction with chloride supplements:

• Diuretics
  Diuretic medications may cause an excessive elimination of chloride, which can lead to unbalanced electrolyte levels in the body, so supplementation may be required.
• Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium
  The minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium are all electrolytes, just like chloride. These minerals, when taken together, ensure that blood pH (acidity levels) are balanced for optimal health and ensure that fluid retention is relieved.

Diuretic medications may cause an excessive elimination of chloride, which can lead to unbalanced electrolyte levels in the body, so supplementation may be required

Other interactions with chloride

There are none reported.

Chloride’s effect on lab tests

There are none reported.

References

• USDA National Nutrient Database – provides nutrient values for foods (accessed 5 January 2005)
• Osiecki, H. The Nutrient Bible. Bio-Concepts Publishing QLD, 2002
• Whitney EN, Cataldo DB, Rolfes SR. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition, 6th Edition. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2002

Last updated: 6 May 2024