What is calcium chloride? What are its benefits and harms?
Calcium chloride salt, also called anhydrous calcium chloride salt or calcium dichloride salt, has many benefits, some of which include food preservation, as well as its ability to strengthen muscles and nerves.
What is calcium chloride?
Calcium chloride salt is a mixture of chlorine and calcium. It belongs to ionic compounds that absorb moisture. The chemical symbol for ammonium chloride is CaCl2.
Calcium chloride salt is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, but it is soluble when mixed with a large amount of water. In addition, it is an odorless salt.
What are the uses of calcium chloride?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated that calcium chloride salt is safe to use, and has many benefits and uses. It can be used in medicines, especially to treat hypocalcemia.
In addition, calcium is necessary for muscle movement, communication between the brain and other parts of the body, and it also helps the secretion of important hormones and enzymes.
The recommended daily intake of calcium chloride depends on your age and gender, and can be obtained through foods rich in the mineral, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, kale, broccoli, and cereals.
So if your calcium levels are low, your doctor may recommend a supplement such as calcium carbonate or calcium citrate.
Calcium chloride can also be used as an ingredient in the following products:
- deodorants.
- Mineral supplements for aquariums and fish tanks.
- Laundry detergent.
- stain removers.
- Fabric softener.
- Toilet cleaners.
- Swimming pool cleaners.
calcium chloride and a drop of cysteine
Systane eye drops are one of the types of eye moisturizers, which contain calcium chloride as an active ingredient. The drops are used to moisturize and treat dry eyes.
You can learn more about the drug and what is the appropriate dose for use, in addition to the possible harms that may appear, by reading our article about Systane eye drops for the treatment of irritation and dry eyes.
Calcium chloride for cheese
Cheese is one of the important milk derivatives for human health. Despite the different types of cheese, calcium chloride is one of the most important raw materials for making cheese. Calcium is important for bone health and strength.
Calcium chloride is often added to milk that has been thermally treated and is ready for cheese making; This is to compensate for the precipitation of calcium ions in the milk water, as a result of the heat treatment with the milk.
How is calcium chloride prepared?
Calcium chloride can be prepared by dissolving calcium carbonate or calcium oxide in hydrochloric acid. Calcium chloride is easily soluble in water and alcohol as well.
Calcium chloride damage
In general, calcium chloride is safe when using small amounts of it, but when using large amounts of it, it may cause nausea, vomiting, and burns inside the mouth and throat.
When exposed to large quantities, it can cause serious eye irritation, and if inhaled, it can irritate the nose, mouth, throat, and stomach. Prolonged exposure to bare skin can cause skin irritation.
Calcium chloride price
It should be noted that the price varies from country to country, and prices may vary from period to period also according to the changes that occur in the market, in addition to that the price of calcium chloride varies according to its nature, whether it is salt or solution.