Chlorine Part 2
Although a deficiency in chlorine in the body is rare, when it does occur it causes a life-threatening medical condition known as alkalosis. In this condition, the blood contains too much alkaline. The blood loses too much sodium, which it needs to maintain the balance of fluids in the body. This can occur if you sweat excessively during endurance workouts or if you have an illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea for an extended period of time.
The symptoms of a chlorine deficiency can include weakness of the muscles, loss of appetite and dehydration.
Ingesting too much chlorine in your diet can also lead to toxicity. This is usually caused by eating too much food that contains large amounts of salt and potassium chloride. Diets high in these foods lead to problems with blood pressure and retention of fluids in the body. The only real cases of toxicity in humans though occur in those with a severe impairment of sodium chloride metabolism, which can result in heart failure.
As a rule, the human body can withstand high intakes of chloride and salt as long as they drink plenty of water to balance them out. Those who have diseases of the kidneys often suffer the effects of chlorine toxicity when the kidneys are not able to expel the excess chloride from the body.
In order to ensure your body has the proper amounts of chlorine that it needs, you should follow a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise and take chlorine dietary supplements on a daily basis.
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