Olives, cheese and tomato sauce on a pizza.
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The chlorine you get through your diet is mostly in the form of chloride, most of which comes from the amount of salt, or sodium chloride, you eat. Because people often get too much salt, they usually get plenty of chloride to meet their body's needs. You need chloride for forming digestive juices in the stomach and maintaining the correct balance of fluids in your body. The adequate intake level for adults is 2,000 milligrams per day.
Fruits and Vegetables
Chloride is found naturally in some vegetables, including tomatoes, celery, olives, lettuce and seaweed. It's also found in many canned vegetables due to the salt added to help preserve them. For example, canned peas can have as much as 510 milligrams of chloride per serving, but the same amount of fresh peas only has about 8 milligrams. Just five olives canned in brine can provide 3,000 milligrams of chloride, and two dried figs have 170 milligrams. Other than some dried fruits, most fruits tend to contain only small amounts of chloride. However, some raw fruits and vegetables may have traces of chlorine on them due to being washed in a chlorine bleach solution for sanitization, according to Oklahoma State University. They are washed in water after being sanitized, so levels should be very low. You'd be able to taste excessive levels of chlorine on your produce before they became dangerous.
Meat, Poultry and Seafood
In the United States, poultry is often chilled in a chlorine water tank to help disinfect it and limit the risk of salmonella. The chlorine gets washed off, so any traces should be minimal. Salted meats, cold cuts, hot dogs and other processed meats are among the highest sources of chloride in the diet. Prawns, canned tuna, scallops, called salmon, raw oysters, mussels, lobster, crab and cod all provide significant amounts of chloride to your diet. Ham, bacon, corned beef, organ meats, salami and sausages are also high in chloride.
Dairy Products
Many dairy products provide at least small amounts of chloride, but cheeses tend to have the most chloride. A serving of cheddar that is slightly less than an ounce provides 1,060 milligrams, and the same amount of Camembert has a whopping 2,320 milligrams. Butter is also high in chloride because it's seasoned with salt.
Other Foods
Milk chocolate, toffee, peanut butter, canned soups, tomato sauce, mayonnaise, French dressing, dried coconut, roasted and salted peanuts, scrambled eggs and many baked goods are also sources of chloride. To minimize your chloride intake, look for foods that are low in sodium because sodium and chloride are so often found together in processed foods.
FAQs
Prawns, canned tuna, scallops, called salmon, raw oysters, mussels, lobster, crab and cod all provide significant amounts of chloride to your diet. Ham, bacon, corned beef, organ meats, salami and sausages are also high in chloride.
What foods are high in chlorine? ›
Food Sources
Chloride is found in table salt or sea salt as sodium chloride. It is also found in many vegetables. Foods with higher amounts of chloride include seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and olives.
Is there chlorine in food? ›
Chlorine as Cl2 is not present in any natural food. The chloride ion is very common in any food, from salad to fish. Chlorine as organic bound chlorine is extremly rare in organic tissue, and even less in food.
What foods should I avoid if my chloride is high? ›
Naturally, this leads to dehydration, causing high chloride levels. If you have hyperchloremia, make sure to avoid foods like deli meats, meals with tons of soy sauce, desserts with highly refined sugars, and processed food products. Also, consider reducing your consumption of coffee and alcohol.
Is fruit high in chloride? ›
Chloride is naturally found in all unprocessed foods, although in very small amounts. For example, raw and unprocessed fish and meat can contain up to 4 mg of chloride per gram of food, while fruits and vegetables usually stay below 1 mg of chloride per gram of food.
How bad is chlorine for your body? ›
Breathing high levels of chlorine causes fluid build-up in the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary edema. The development of pulmonary edema may be delayed for several hours after exposure to chlorine. Contact with compressed liquid chlorine may cause frostbite of the skin and eyes.
What everyday items is chlorine in? ›
During the production of paper and cloth, chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. It is also used in cleaning products, including household bleach which is chlorine dissolved in water. Chlorine is used in the preparation of chlorides, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polymers, synthetic rubbers, and refrigerants.
Is it bad to eat chlorine? ›
Chlorine is poisonous, and swallowing or inhaling it can cause harm. If this happens, it is important to seek medical care right away. A wide range of industrial and household products contain chlorine. Typically these products are safe when handled correctly.
Does drinking water lower chloride levels? ›
Does drinking water lower chloride levels? If a person's hyperchloremia is a result of dehydration, drinking water can help rebalance a person's electrolyte levels.
What is chlorinated food? ›
After slaughter, the chickens are rinsed with an antimicrobial chlorine wash to protect consumers from food-borne diseases. This is done to treat high levels of bacteria, a symptom of poor hygiene and low animal welfare conditions not allowed in UK farming.
High levels of chloride may be a sign of:
- Dehydration.
- Kidney disease.
- Metabolic acidosis, a condition in which you have too much acid in your blood. It can cause nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
If you've been vomiting or have lost fluids because of diarrhea, you may have lower levels of chloride. Some fluids, such as drinks with caffeine, may cause water loss or bloating and affect the chloride you have in your body.
What organ controls chloride levels? ›
The presence of specific clinical disorders can affect the ability of the kidneys to maintain chloride balance. The result is hyperchloremia (elevated serum chloride concentrations) or hypochloremia (reduced serum chloride concentrations.
How to remove chloride from body? ›
[1] Chloride is absorbed in the small intestine and remains in the body's fluids and blood. Any excess amount is excreted in urine.
Do eggs have chloride? ›
The best source of chlorine is ordinary table salt, but chlorides are also naturally contained in meat, milk, and eggs.
Do potatoes contain chloride? ›
The study indicated that chloride accumulates more in the stems and leaves of the potato plant, and not in the potatoes themselves.
What are symptoms of high chlorine? ›
During or immediately after exposure to high concentrations of chlorine, the following signs and symptoms may develop:
- Blurred vision.
- Burning sensation in the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes.
- Coughing.
- Coughing up white to pink-tinged fluid that may be delayed by a few hours.
- Chest tightness.
Treatment Options for High Chloride Levels
When dehydration contributes to chloride elevations, rehydration with water or infusing balanced or chloride-free electrolyte solutions can be helpful. It is also important to avoid drinking alcohol and excessive caffeine which can worsen dehydration.
How can I protect my body from chlorine? ›
Before getting into the pool, apply sunscreen and allow to absorb for 15 min. You can then apply coconut oil to preserve the body's natural skin pH levels and provide an extra coating for the skin's protective layer, also reducing chlorine absorption.
How can I lower my chlorine level quickly? ›
4 Ways to Reduce Chlorine Levels in Your Swimming Pool
- Stop Adding Chlorine. The simplest step to bring down chlorine levels is to stop adding chlorine into the pool. ...
- Remove the Pool Cover. ...
- Use Chemical Agents to Reduce Chlorine Levels. ...
- Drain Some Water and Refill the Pool.
