Vitamins, Minerals
& Weight Loss

Below is an excerpt from Part Two of

The 2004 Multi-Diet

by Anderson A. Anonymous, M.D., Ph.D.

Chloride

Recommended Dietary Intake

The dietary requirements for chloride are unknown. (Chloride is the metabolic form of the element chlorine.) The Food and Drug Administration has set a Daily Value for chloride of 3400-mg. The Food and Nutrition Board did not set an official scientific US RDA but did suggest that the minimum amount was 750-mg per day for adults. The healthy adult human body contains about 100,000-mg (100-g) of chlorine as chloride. The chemical symbol for chlorine is “Cl”.

Usual Chloride Intakes

The usual intake amounts of chloride are very high because they closely correlate with those of sodium. By weight, sixty percent of table salt is chloride.

Absorption, Metabolism, Excretion of Chloride

Chloride is almost completely absorbed in the small intestine. Excess intake is probably common but is easily handled by the kidneys as long as sufficient water is available.

Chloride Deficiency/Toxicity Symptoms

Chloride deficiency is characterized by slow and shallow breathing, listlessness, muscle weakness, and cramps. There are no known chloride toxicity symptoms.

Food and Supplement Sources of Chloride

Table salt (see the previous section on sodium).

Deductive advice about Chloride

None. Chloride intake and use are bound so closely to that of sodium and potassium that there is virtually no chance of any important deviation provided you are drinking enough water.