What is chloride?

Chloride is the charged or ionic form of the element chlorine, it has the symbol Cl- ,it is an atom with seventeen protons, and any number of electrons besides seventeen. You may have heard some one say Sodium Chloride before? It sounds like a mouth full doesn't it? The short way to say Sodium Chloride is Salt. It's the same thing just a shorter way to say it.

Chloride is an essential mineral for humans and other animals that occurs primarily in body fluids. A small percentage of about 15% of chloride in the body is located inside cells, with the highest amounts in red blood cells. Chloride is also present in very small amounts in bones. On average, an adult human body contains approximately 115 grams of chloride, making up about 0.15 percent of total body weight. As a major electrolyte mineral of your body, chloride performs many roles. Without chloride, your body would be unable to maintain fluids in blood vessels, conduct nerve transmissions, move muscles, or maintain proper kidney function.