Chloride Deficiency

Recommended Daily Allowance of Chloride

The recommended daily allowance was established by the food and nutrition board, and is used for the general term of reference for a healthy diet. These guidelines include the average daily intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy individuals. The adequate intake established when evidence is insufficient to develop and recommended daily allowance, but is still set to allow for a person to get nutritional adequacy.

The adequate intake of chloride, according to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of National Academies, is the following: infants age zero to six months male one hundred and eighty mg per / day, infants age zero to six months female one hundred and eighty mg per / day, infants age seven months to twelve months male five hundred and seventy mg per / day, infants age seven months to twelve months female five hundred and seventy mg per / day, children age one year to three years male one thousand five hundred mg per / day, children age one year to three years female one thousand five hundred mg per / day, children age four years to eight years male one thousand nine hundred mg per / day, children age four year to eight years female one thousand nine hundred mg per / day, children age nine years to thirteen years male two thousand three hundred mg per / day, children age nine years to thirteen years female two thousand three hundred mg per / day, adolescents age fourteen years to eighteen years male two thousand three hundred mg per / day, adolescents age fourteen to eighteen years female two thousand three hundred mg per / day, adults age nineteen years to fifty years male two thousand three hundred mg per / day, adults age nineteen years to fifty years female two thousand three hundred mg per / day, adults age fifty years to seventy years male two thousand mg per / day, adults age fifty years to seventy years female two thousand mg per / day, adults age seventy and older male one thousand eight hundred mg per / day, adults age seventy and older female one thousand eight hundred mg per / day, pregnant women age fourteen years eighteen years two thousand three hundred mg per / day, pregnant women age nineteen to fifty years two thousand three hundred mg per / day, lactating mothers age fourteen years to eighteen years two thousand three hundred mg per / day, lactating mothers age nineteen to fifty years two thousand three hundred mg per / day.

There is no specific requirement for chloride. Chlorides can be received from the sodium in table salt. Eating the recommended daily allowance for sodium will also be enough for getting the chloride you need. The adequate intake amounts above are what is required to keep a chloride deficiency away.

Chloride Deficiency

A deficiency of chloride happens when the blood levels drop. This is known as hypochloremia. Chloride deficiency is rare because chloride is part of table salt. Table salt is in many foods. Many times people get to much chloride because they eat foods that have high amounts of salt in them. There are some instances when chloride deficiency does happen. Whenever there is a large amount of sweating due to exercise or being out in the hot weather, large amounts of chloride are lost. Also whenever someone has been vomiting for long amounts of time, chloride can also be lost. When this happens, it is important to drink lots of fluids, especially water to stay hydrated. However, be careful because over hydration can lead to chloride deficiency. Other diseases and disorders can lead to chloride deficiency. These include congestive heart failure, certain kidney disorders, and Addison’s disease.

Addison’s disease is a rare disorder. The adrenal glands do not produce proper amounts of steroid hormones. Symptoms of Addison’s disease include fatigue, dizziness, weight loss, muscle weakness, headache, sweating, joint and muscle pain, anxiety, diarrhea, and a sudden drop in blood pressure when you move from sitting to standing.

Symptoms of chloride deficiency are similar to Addison’s disease. They include loss of appetite, muscle weakness, lack of energy, and dehydration. If you are feeling any of these symptoms it is important to talk with your health care provider. They can help you to make sure it is not anything more serious.

Chloride Toxicity

There is no known toxicity of chloride because excess chloride is removed from the body through urine. Hyyperchloremia is when there is an abnormally high amount of chloride in the body. Chloride toxicity can happen when there is fluid retention; however, sodium is normally the reason for the fluid retention. When a person does have more than fourteen to twenty-eight grams of salt, it is considered excessive.

How to Get Enough Chloride in a Healthy Diet

In 1902, a study was done about muscles immersed into a sugar solution. It was assumed that sodium chloride was not present in the muscle, but in the spaces between the fibers. The researchers began to think that if there would be no traces of chloride in the muscle because of the large amounts of protein, phosphate, and lactic acid to keep the bases neutralized. Not all researchers wanted to think that all muscles cells were completely empty of chloride. After further study, the researchers found that some of the chloride that had been diffused out of the muscle must have originally resided in the muscle fibers.

It is now known that chloride does reside in and around all cells, including muscle cells. Chloride does help with the pH balance of fluids in these cells. When a person is exercising, lactic acid will build up in the muscle, which causes the muscles to be sore. Chloride will go between the cells and the space outside the cell to help balance the acid and base levels.

There are different ways of getting enough chloride in your diet. One, a person can eat foods that contain salt. Two, use a whey protein isolate supplement. Whey protein isolates are used to help create lean muscle. Lean muscles burn more calories when a person is considered resting. Resting is when a person is sitting and not exercising or sleeping. Chloride has been added to whey protein isolates because of its effect on the cells in the body.

Whey protein is naturally found in milk. There is more pure protein in whey protein than other protein concentrations. Whey protein comes from the process of turning milk into cheese. During this process, the whey is separated from the other ingredients. Taking whey protein isolate after you exercise can help you to create lean muscle. The added chloride helps to keep the acid and base balance in the muscle cells in check.