Sodium Chloride
Sodium Chloride
Sodium chloride is most commonly referred to as salt. This is an ingredient that can be found in many different types of products. Medically, sodium chloride is commonly found is saline solutions, eye drops, and electrolyte solutions. In terms of its benefits, sodium chloride helps to maintain your body's energy, blood pressure, and hydration
What are the Best Sodium Chloride Brands?
What Is Sodium Chloride?
Sodium chloride is known commonly as salt. It is an inorganic compound, meaning it does not come from living matter. Sodium chloride is created when sodium and chloride bond to form white crystal-like cubes. It is an important compound for the human body, and is essential to help absorb and transport nutrients, maintain healthy blood pressure, maintain the right balance of fluid, transmit nerve signals, and help muscles contract and relax. While it is important to the body for those reasons, having too much salt can have adverse effects. Some of the long-term effects of eating too much salt are an enlarged heart muscle, headaches, heart failure, high blood pressure, kidney disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and stroke.
What Is Sodium Chloride Used For?
Sodium chloride is most commonly used in seasoning food. However, it can also act as a natural preservative. For example, salting was a common way of preserving meats or fish until the middle of the 20th century, when refrigeration largely replaced this method. Salt also has some household uses such as preventing mold and cleaning pots and pans by removing grease. Adding salt to ice aids in melting ice by lowering the freezing point of water. Because of this fact, spreading sodium chloride crystals is a great way to remove ice from roads and sidewalks during cold weather.
Is Sodium Chloride Soluble In Water?
Sodium chloride is soluble in water. Water molecules pull the sodium and chloride ions apart, causing the salt to dissolve in water, and creating a saltwater solution. The salt can be returned to its original form by evaporating the water. Because ocean water is a salt water solution, you are able to create drinkable water by first evaporating and then catching the water condensation, leaving the salt behind.
Is Sodium Chloride An Electrolyte?
Sodium chloride is indeed an electrolyte. An electrolyte is an electrically charged mineral or compound that helps the human body do work such as producing energy and contracting muscles. Electrolytes are an integral part of a healthy body, as they regulate fluid levels, help blood clot, and help build new tissue, among other things. If your body is lacking in electrolytes, it can cause an electrolyte imbalance. This can result in muscle spasms, weakness, twitching, or in extreme cases, convulsions. Continued electrolyte imbalance can lead to irregular heartbeat, confusion, blood pressure changes, or nervous system and bone disorders.