The value of chlorine in living organisms. Foods rich in chlorine. The daily norm of the element

If we talk about the history of chlorine as an isolated element, then in comparison with the history of its use by people, it will seem short, although chlorine was discovered back in the 18th century by the Swedish chemist Karl Scheele. While conducting experiments with hydrochloric acid, the scientist smelled a smell reminiscent of aqua regia, and emitted a yellow-green gas, and then began to study its interaction with other substances. Royal vodka is not alcohol, but the strongest oxidizing agent and solvent, usually consisting of hydrochloric and nitric acid, and used by medieval alchemists - almost all metals are dissolved in it, including precious ones - gold, etc. The main element of aqua regia is chlorine - if it is exhaled, then the substance loses its properties.

Scheele, however, decided that the gas he emitted was a complex substance - something like hydrochloric acid oxide.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Englishman Humphry Davy, after a series of bad experiences finally realized that the yellow-green gas is a simple substance, and called it chlorine - in England and the USA it is still called that.

Another famous chemist, the Frenchman J.L. Gay-Lussac, proposed the name chlorine - that is how it is called in the periodic table.

Chlorine is a macroelement, and it enters the human body in the form of mineral salts, together with magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, etc.

People began to use chlorine compounds a very long time ago - already thousands of years ago they used rock salt to save food supplies - for example, fish and meat. Archaeologists find evidence today that in the IV-III millennium BC. people already knew exactly about the properties of salt, and Herodotus describes the extraction of salt - this is the oldest of such descriptions that have come down to us.

Most chlorine is found in our skin; it is present in the blood, intercellular fluid and bone tissue. Most often we consume chlorine with table salt - sodium chloride; up to 90% of chlorine is excreted in the urine, and a small amount - with sweat.

Chlorine in the body

Why does our body need chlorine? When people talk about acid-base balance and water-salt metabolism, they usually mean the exchange of chlorine, sodium and potassium. All these elements must be present in the intercellular fluid in a constant ratio, otherwise serious health problems may occur. So, in violation of the exchange of chlorine, edema occurs, the work of the heart worsens, and pressure drops occur.

Osmoregulation is a set of processes that maintain a relatively constant pressure in the blood, lymph, and intracellular fluid, which makes it possible to remove salts and fluid from the body, as well as to regulate their content and redistribution in tissues and environments. The main element that takes the most active part in these processes is chlorine - it is called the main osmotically active substance.

Participating in the process of digestion, chlorine stimulates the formation of gastric juice and appetite. With increased acidity of the stomach, the consumption of chlorides increases, therefore, with acute diseases Gastrointestinal tract may experience a lack of chlorine in the body. Chlorine also protects the body from dehydration; promotes the removal of carbon dioxide, toxins and slags from tissues and cells; maintains the normal state of erythrocytes.

Sources of chlorine, chlorine in products

As already noted, it is believed that chlorine enters the body along with table salt - this is up to 90% of its daily intake, and there is very little of it in products; however, in those regions where salt is traditionally used in the diet, symptoms of a lack of chlorine in the body are usually not observed. There are also certain categories of people - for example, vegetarians who do not consume salt in principle, and they also do not have a chlorine deficiency - at least in this they are no different from other people.

Of course, there is chlorine in foods: it is in meat, eggs, legumes, seafood - oysters, etc., olives, cereals; it is low in fruits and vegetables. Some types of marine and freshwater fish are quite rich in chlorine: these are mackerel, anchovies, catfish, capelin, carp, crucian carp, flounder, pink salmon, tuna, hake.

Daily requirement for chlorine

The daily norm of chlorine for a healthy person is from 4 to 6 g, and experts believe that we get it with a balanced diet. You can get more chlorine - up to 7 g - this dose is considered harmless. In hot weather, physical exertion and in other conditions, when sweating increases, a person needs more chlorine.

Lack of chlorine in the body

With strong sweating, as well as other processes that contribute to dehydration of the body - vomiting, loss of salts in the urine; diseases caused by damage to the adrenal glands or a violation of their activity; violations of the acid-base balance and other pathological conditions, chlorine deficiency occurs most often. The reason for the lack of chlorine is also considered some therapeutic diets in which there is no salt: with kidney disorders, hypertension and other diseases.

Some medications also cause a decrease in the amount of chlorine in the body: these are laxatives, corticosteroids, diuretics, etc.

With a lack of chlorine, a person may feel lethargy and drowsiness, muscle weakness; his mouth dries, his sense of taste and appetite are lost; memory weakens.

With a deficiency of chlorine, hair and even teeth can begin to fall out strongly; if the content of this macronutrient in the body decreases sharply, it can lead to coma and even death.

Excess chlorine in the body

Inhalation of concentrated chlorine vapors can also quickly kill a person - it causes a burn of the respiratory tract and inhibition of the respiratory center, but such situations do not arise under normal living and working conditions. It is clear that many people working in specialized industries often have an excess of chlorine in their bodies: this is the pharmaceutical, textile, pulp and paper, and, of course, the chemical industry. In such cases, of course, no one dies immediately, but life expectancy is steadily reduced, as many pathological conditions and chronic diseases arise.

With an excess of chlorine, fluid accumulates in the body, and this provokes an increase in blood pressure. May appear: dry cough and chest pain, tearing and pain in the eyes, headache, as well as disorders called dyspeptic disorders - they cause serious digestive disorders, accompanied by severe pain, heartburn, belching, nausea, flatulence and heaviness in the stomach.

In addition, bronchopneumonia with high fever and toxic pulmonary edema may develop - in such cases it is possible to save a person, but this depends on the severity of his condition.

Excessive consumption of chlorine, unfortunately, today concerns almost every one of us - after all, drinking water, especially in big cities, is disinfected with chlorine. In water, chlorine forms many compounds of varying degrees of toxicity, which have carcinogenic and other destructive properties, as well as negatively affecting the human genetic apparatus. Pneumonia, gastritis, SARS - this is a common set of diseases caused by the use of chlorinated water.

In America and Finland, scientists have found out for sure that 2% of all oncological diseases of the liver and kidneys develop due to the high content of chlorine in drinking water, but it continues to be widely used to disinfect it. At the same time, recent studies show that exposure to chlorine does not neutralize all pollution - many viruses remain viable and active.

The danger of getting an excess of chlorine also lies in the pursuit of personal hygiene - when taking a hot shower from chlorinated water, chlorine compounds enter the body in larger quantities than when drinking water inside. It is estimated that a person can get ten times more toxic substances in this way - this is according to the most conservative estimates.

The chlorine content of drinking water can be reduced by using filters made of activated carbon; you can also defend and boil water, but this method is not the best - both when settling and when boiling, chlorine vapor enters the air, and we still inhale them; besides, practically nothing useful remains in boiled water - almost all mineral salts die.

Gataulina Galina
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Chlorine is very important and useful for human body, since it is he who ensures his normal water balance throughout his life.

The role of chlorine in the human body

In addition to the fact that chlorine in the body is responsible for the ratio of water to the amount of other macro- and microelements, its duties also include:

• regulation of blood pressure;
• normalization of acid-base balance;
• activation of many enzymes;
• stimulation of appetite;
• removal of carbon dioxide, toxins and toxic compounds.

Chlorine is found in some foods that form the basis of a balanced daily human diet, so in most cases its deficiency is very rare. Important sources of this macronutrient are:

• meat and legumes;
• eggs;
• seafood: oysters, shrimp, mussels;
• Iorian and freshwater fish: mackerel, carp, capelin, anchovies, pink salmon, crucian carp, tuna, hake, flounder, catfish.

The norm of chlorine in the body

The normal sufficient amount of chlorine for a healthy adult body is 2-5 g. A dose of 7 g is still harmless and is not capable of harming a person. A properly balanced diet can easily provide the right amount of it. It is worth remembering only that the daily need for chlorine becomes greater in hot climates, constant sweating and regular physical activity. An important fact is that the body of newborn children cannot yet absorb chlorine, so he receives this macronutrient from his mother's milk.

Lack of chlorine in the body

Lack of chlorine in the body provokes a number of health problems. So, a person becomes lethargic, drowsy and weak. In addition, he constantly suffers from convulsions and reduced osmotic pressure. Acute chlorine deficiency is accompanied by anorexia and tachycardia, confusion and nervous exhaustion.

Both deficiency and too much chlorine in the human body provokes disturbances in the functioning of all its organs and vital systems. With an excess of this macroelement, pain in the eyes and lacrimation, dry cough and pain in the heart area are observed. In this state, a person constantly has a headache, the temperature rises for no reason, and even pulmonary edema is possible. In addition, with too much chlorine in the cells of the whole body, fluid begins to linger, which disrupts their normal functioning.

Absorption of chlorine by the body

Since we are talking about a macronutrient, the body receives it under the guise of consumed mineral salts, which also consist of magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium. The process of assimilation of chlorine occurs in the small intestine when it enters there in the form of table salt.

Indications for the use of chlorine

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Chlorine is one of the most important biogenic elements and is a part of all living organisms in the form of compounds.

In animals and humans, chloride ions are involved in maintaining osmotic balance, the chloride ion has an optimal radius for penetration through the cell membrane. This explains its joint participation with sodium and potassium ions in the creation of a constant osmotic pressure and the regulation of water-salt metabolism. Under the influence of GABA (a neurotransmitter), chloride ions have an inhibitory effect on neurons by reducing the action potential. In the stomach, chloride ions create a favorable environment for the action of proteolytic enzymes of gastric juice. Chlorine channels are present in many cell types, mitochondrial membranes, and skeletal muscle. These channels perform important functions in the regulation of fluid volume, transepithelial ion transport and stabilization of membrane potentials, and are involved in maintaining cell pH. Chlorine accumulates in visceral tissue, skin and skeletal muscles. Chlorine is absorbed mainly in the large intestine. The absorption and excretion of chlorine are closely related to sodium ions and bicarbonates, to a lesser extent with mineralocorticoids and the activity of Na + /K + - ATP-ase. The cells accumulate 10-15% of all chlorine, of this amount, from 1/3 to 1/2 - in erythrocytes. About 85% of chlorine is in the extracellular space. Chlorine is excreted from the body mainly with urine (90-95%), feces (4-8%) and through the skin (up to 2%). Excretion of chlorine is associated with sodium and potassium ions, and reciprocally with HCO 3 (acid-base balance).

A person consumes 5-10 g of NaCl per day. The minimum human need for chlorine is about 800 mg per day. Baby gets required amount chlorine through mother's milk, which contains 11 mmol/l of chlorine. NaCl is necessary for the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which promotes digestion and the destruction of pathogenic bacteria. Today, the role of chlorine in the occurrence of certain diseases in humans is not well understood, mainly due to the small number of studies. Suffice it to say that even recommendations on the daily intake of chlorine have not been developed. Muscle human contains 0.20-0.52% chlorine, bone - 0.09%; in the blood - 2.89 g / l. In the body of an average person (body weight 70 kg) 95 g of chlorine. Every day with food, a person receives 3-6 g of chlorine, which in excess covers the need for this element.

Chlorine ions are vital for plants. Chlorine is involved in energy metabolism in plants by activating oxidative phosphorylation. It is necessary for the formation of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis by isolated chloroplasts, stimulates auxiliary processes of photosynthesis, primarily those associated with the accumulation of energy. Chlorine has a positive effect on the absorption of oxygen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium compounds by the roots. An excessive concentration of chloride ions in plants can also have a negative side, for example, reduce the content of chlorophyll, reduce the activity of photosynthesis, and retard the growth and development of plants.

But there are plants that, in the process of evolution, either adapted to soil salinity, or, in the struggle for space, occupied empty salt marshes where there is no competition. Plants growing on saline soils are called halophytes, they accumulate chloride during the growing season and then get rid of the excess through leaf fall or release chloride on the surface of leaves and branches and receive the double benefit of shading the surface from sunlight.

Among microorganisms, halophiles - halobacteria - are also known, which live in highly saline waters or soils.

Chlorine (from Greek - “green”) is a macroelement necessary for the regulation of water balance in the body, performing a number of vital functions in the body, such as:

Participates in the metabolism in the body;
- together with potassium and sodium regulates the water-electrolyte balance;
- is part of the biologically active compounds of the body;
- normalizes osmotic pressure;
- regulates acid-base balance in the intercellular fluid;
- activates enzymes;
- eliminates swelling;
- affects the flexibility of the body;
- stimulates appetite;
- retains water in the body;
- improves liver function;
- is part of the main gastric juice;
- promotes the breakdown of fats;
- affects the excretion of carbon dioxide from the body;
- controls the state of erythrocytes;
- participate in maintaining the pH balance of cells;
- Promotes the removal of toxins from the body.

Chlorides are a group of chemical compounds, salts of hydrochloric, otherwise hydrochloric, acid. They are an important part of the salt found in many foods and are therefore used in cooking. Chlorides are also essential for maintaining proper fluid balance in the body, being an integral part of gastric juice.

Most of all chlorine is contained in our skin, it is also found in the blood, interstitial fluid and bone tissue.

food sources chlorine

Most chlorine is found in cooking or sea ​​salt(sodium chloride), therefore, using it in moderation, the body more than compensates for its deficiency. Chlorides, along with potassium, which is also found in most foods, are usually the main ingredients in salt substitutes.

Foods with a higher amount of chlorides:

Seaweed
- rye
- tomatoes
- lettuce salad
- celery
- olives
- eggs
- animal meat
- fish, especially pink salmon, catfish, crucian carp, capelin, flounder, mackerel, tuna

Fruits and vegetables contain negligible amounts of chlorine.

Daily requirement for chlorine

The daily norm of chlorine for a healthy person is from 800 mg to 6 g. Unfortunately, most people consume more chloride than they need, in the form of table salt and salt in prepared foods. In hot weather, with increased physical exertion and in other conditions when sweating increases, a person needs more chlorine. Other factors are also important, such as pregnancy and illness. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more chlorine. Elderly people - a smaller number.

The daily rate of chlorine for newborns

Babies get chlorine from their mother's milk, so breastfeeding mothers need to take care to maintain normal levels of chlorine in their milk.

0-6 months: 0.18 g/day
- 7-12 months: 0.57 g/day

The daily norm of chlorine for children and schoolchildren

1-3 years: 1.5 g/day
- 4-8 years old: 1.9 g/day
- 9-13 years old: 2.3 g/day

Daily allowance of chlorine for teenagers and adults

Men and women ages 14 to 50: 2.3 g/day
- Men and women aged 51 to 70: 2.0 g/day
- Men and women aged 71 and over: 1.8 g/day

Excess and lack of chlorine in the body

Lack of chlorides and chlorine in the body can occur when the body loses a lot of fluid. This may be due to excessive sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Medicines such as diuretics (diuretics taken during the premenstrual period that help the body get rid of fluids; drugs that increase the excretion of water and salts in the urine, increase the rate of urine formation and reduce the fluid content in tissues and serous cavities. Diuretics are used mainly for arterial hypertension and diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver and kidneys, accompanied by edema, but not in all diseases with edema, and only as prescribed by a doctor, in the absence of contraindications for pathologies, especially in chronic heart failure, when the patient has a positive sodium balance, that is, the amount sodium taken with food exceeds its excretion.The excretion of sodium from the body is accompanied by a decrease in edema.Therefore highest value have those diuretics that increase primarily natriuresis and chloruresis) can also cause low chlorine levels.

Excess chloride in salty foods can increase blood pressure or cause fluid buildup in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, or kidney disease.

As a chemical element, chlorine was isolated in the 18th century, but its most famous chemical compound, table salt, was used by people in ancient times. About 6,000 years ago, salt was mined in the Mediterranean countries, and it was widely used in Everyday life- having learned, first of all, to preserve products with its help - fish, meat, vegetables.

The use of rock salt is described by Herodotus; in the Middle Ages, alchemists, conducting their experiments, also received chlorine, although they did not know about its properties; in the 19th century, English and French chemists finally figured out what kind of substance is released when the pyrolusite mineral is heated with hydrochloric acid, and gave it the name - chlorin, for its yellow-greenish color. Later, this element began to be called chlorine for short, and it was also found out that it is also in our body - mainly in an ionized state. Most of all chlorine - from 30 to 60% - is contained in our skin, since it has the ability to accumulate this element, but it is also found in other tissues: it is part of the gastric juice, blood, bones, cerebrospinal and intercellular fluid, and therefore takes participation in the process of water-salt metabolism - it helps the body retain water in the tissues.

Today, scientists have realized that chlorine also belongs to the irreplaceable elements that are constantly present in plant and animal tissues, and interacts with other substances in the body, together with them maintaining many physico-chemical processes in the norm - for example, acid-base balance and osmotic pressure.

The need for the trace element chlorine

From 2 to 4 g of chlorine is enough per day for a person, and usually we get it with food, and even more than is necessary if we are used to eating a lot of salty foods.

Where is chlorine found

Products rich in chlorine are mainly table salt (if it can be considered a product) and bread. There is also a certain amount of chlorine in milk and meat, beets, olives, legumes, cereals; in other vegetables, as well as in fruits, it is less.

There is also calcium-chlorine - a food supplement, but such supplements should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor. You should also not add salt to food just to get chlorine, as other foods also contain it.

The role of chlorine in the body: why chlorine is needed

Let's talk a little more about the action of chlorine and its role in our body. The balance that chlorine maintains is the balance between red blood cells and plasma, blood and body tissues, as well as water balance. If this balance is disturbed, then edema appears.

Together with potassium and sodium, chlorine ensures normal water-salt metabolism, and can relieve edema of various origins, normalizing arterial pressure. The ratio of these elements must always be balanced, as they maintain the normal osmotic pressure of the interstitial fluid. Acid-base imbalance, which may appear as a result of an imbalance between these elements, causes various diseases.

Chlorine is important for normal digestion, as it participates in the formation of hydrochloric acid, which is the main component of gastric juice, and also stimulates the activity of amylase, an enzyme that promotes the breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates. In some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by inflammatory processes, the amount of chlorine in the body decreases.

By improving the functioning of the liver, chlorine helps cells and tissues get rid of toxins, and also removes carbon dioxide from the body in a timely manner.

For athletes, it is important that their body always maintains a balance of chlorine, just like sodium and potassium: chlorine is necessary for the joints - it allows them to remain flexible for longer, and helps the muscles to remain strong.

Lack of chlorine in the body: causes and symptoms

Chlorine deficiency in the body can occur in case of dehydration - this happens quite often. It can be heavy sweating; vomiting and diarrhea in case of poisoning; nephropathy, in which a person loses salt; adrenocortical insufficiency - a condition in which the function of the adrenal cortex decreases; acid-base imbalance. Some drugs, even common laxatives or diuretics, also cause a decrease in the content of this element in the body.

If the lack of chlorine is moderate, then the person feels lethargic and drowsy, his memory deteriorates, muscles weaken, dry mouth appears, appetite decreases and the ability to distinguish the taste of products is lost. Chronic diseases caused by a lack of chlorine are usually accompanied by skin lesions, hair and teeth loss.

An acute deficiency of this element, the importance of which for many centuries scientists did not even suspect, can cause severe conditions, up to coma, and even end in death if its balance in the body is not restored in time.

Excess chlorine in the body: what is the danger of chlorine

However, an excess of chlorine in the body, especially a sharp one, is no less, and perhaps more dangerous, than its deficiency. This is possible if a person works in a certain area of ​​\u200b\u200bproduction: the chemical or pharmaceutical industry, at a pulp and paper mill, or in another place where he can inhale concentrated chlorine vapors. In this case, a person can die from a chemical burn, which causes inhibition of the respiratory center in the brain and stops breathing.

With poisoning that causes dehydration, and impaired kidney function, an excess of chlorine can also occur, as well as its deficiency. An increase in the amount of chlorine can be triggered by taking many drugs in the treatment of diseases, so you should always evaluate your condition and do not take any medication without a doctor's prescription.

Excess chlorine can lead to the accumulation of water in the tissues of the body, and then to a sharp increase in blood pressure. With a sharp increase in the amount of chlorine in the body, there is pain in the eyes and coughing, tears flow, headaches and chest pains, and digestive disorders; possible development of severe inflammation of the bronchi, heat and toxic pulmonary edema.

The fact that chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water is known today to every person. And everyone also knows about its toxic effects on the body, but they began to think about it seriously not so long ago.

Chlorine, which at normal content in the human body becomes its protector, when interacting with other substances in the water, forms compounds that pose a serious danger to health and life. Not to mention gastritis and respiratory viral diseases, they can not only provoke the development of oncology, in particular, cancer of the liver and kidneys, but also cause gene mutations.

Of course, many people actively protect themselves from excess chlorine - they use filters, boil, settle and freeze drinking water, but not every person has a filter in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, when taking a hot shower or bath, you can get as much chlorine as is contained in 2 liters of unfiltered chlorinated water. Breathing while taking water procedures more chlorine enters our body than is absorbed with water through the skin.

Symptoms of chlorine poisoning can occur if more than 15 g of this substance enters the human body.

Chlorine can destroy vitamin E, so if you include foods with this vitamin in your diet, hoping to improve your health, and at the same time drink chlorinated water, you will not bring yourself any benefit.

Excess chlorine also kills the intestinal flora, so you should try to eat live yogurt more often and take preparations containing bifidumbacteria.