Charged Particles That Stop You From Falling Apart
We all have macronutrients (needed in large amounts) and micronutrients (needed in lesser amounts) that exist as ions or charged particles imperative for good health and cellular functions [1].
Healthy teeth and bones require calcium ions. Healthy nerve cell stimulation requires potassium and sodium ions. Acidic digestive juices in the stomach require chloride ions [2].
If these ions' metabolism or transport is disturbed, various diseases (e.g., cystic fibrosis, neuropathy or chronic nerve pain, and osteoporosis) can ensue [2].
An ion is an electrically charged atom or unity of atoms. Ionic bonds constitute chemical compounds, ranging from diatomic substances such as carbon dioxide (CO) to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). There are 19 million different chemical compounds known to humanity. Positively charged nuclei and negatively charged electrons have an attraction to each other that engenders all chemical bonds [2].
On the periodic table, metals on the left side like to make compounds with nonmetals on the right side. Sodium, an alkali metal, will unite with chlorine, a nonmetal, to produce sodium chloride. Potassium iodide (used to help the thyroid gland) and sodium fluoride (used in the water supply to prevent tooth decay) are examples of compounds that deal with our health maintenance. There is always a 1:1 ratio for these combinations, one alkali metal atom for every halogen atom. They are stable, white, crystalline and soluble in water. Their melting point is over 500 degrees Celsius [2].
The movement of negatively charged electrons through metal gives them lustrous, malleable, ductile pathways through which electricity moves. Ions that are charged particles converted from the gain or loss of one or more electrons agitate the equal number of protons and electrons that make an atom electrically neutral. Hence, the importance of charged particles in the water solutions of alkali metal-halogen compounds. A cation is a positively charged ion that has resulted from the loss of one or more electrons. An anion is a negatively charged ion resulting from the gain of one or more electrons [2].
The noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radion) are quite different from the alkali metals and halogens that are highly reactive and forming many compounds. They have an electron configuration with a valence of 8, including s and p subshells that are filled continuously and making them stable. Furthermore, there is a pattern found among the main-group elements (helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine). They like to combine in a way that gives them 8 valence electrons, called an electron octet, almost making them strict followers of the noble gases. The octet rule summarizes this phenomenon. It can also apply to sodium and magnesium, which helps explain why metals make cations and nonmetals make anions [3].
It is interesting to note that sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, and calcium ions, which are vital to our body fluids, are all ions of elements with noble gas configurations resulting from the electron loss from their valence s subshells. I see the octet rule as one cause, among others, that gives our bodies the order, stability, continuity, and foundation upon which we remain grounded.
Sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions, and chloride ions move through a revolving door in superintending the body's osmotic pressure, water content, nerve cell transmission, muscle contractions, bone and teeth health, blood clotting, and secreting stomach acid [4]. They all exist within minuscule amounts, which cannot be disequilibrated in the slightest way without significant consequences to our body.
Sodium's Unique Role
Extracellular fluid (the water outside the cells) is equilibrated by sodium's making of ions in our blood that are acquired through food and evacuated through perspiration and urination [5].
Sodium deficiency results in hyponatremia. Sodium excess results in hypernatremia. Treatment can vary between intravenous fluids and medications, depending on the severity level [5].
It is interesting to note that your body already has mechanisms for preventing such direness before these conditions get out of control. Your heart and blood vessels monitor the increases and prompt the kidneys to get rid of the excess to return the blood volume to its normal status. When sodium concentrations are deficient, your kidneys and adrenal glands are put on high alert for making a hormone called aldosterone to hold in the sodium/urine and expel potassium. Vasopressin is released from the pituitary gland to preserve water [5].
It is disheartening to realize that these safeguarding mechanisms will fail as we age. The intensity of thirst will weaken. The kidneys become less able to prevent water and electrolytes from getting flushed out. Drug treatments for high blood pressure and diabetes can cause excess fluid loss. People with dementia are at higher risk of impaired thirst intensity [5].
Potassium's Unique Role
Potassium's role in the body is very similar to sodium. Potassium controls the right amount of intracellular fluid (water inside the cells). Potassium balances your osmolality, which is the number of electrolytes relative to the amount of fluid. Without proper fluid balance, you face dehydration. Potassium is vital to your nervous system since it controls the ions moving out of the cell, changing the cell voltage to provoke a nerve impulse. Do not be surprised if your weakened muscle contractions could be a result of meager potassium inside you. Do not be astonished if excess potassium will cause your heart to have dilations, weak contractions, and abnormal beating. Your heart will also lack youthful firmness [6].
A 2017 Healthline article recommends a diet rich in potassium to prevent elevated blood pressure caused by excess sodium. Reportedly, increased consumption of potassium improved systolic and diastolic blood levels among people with high blood pressure. 33 studies were analyzed and 1,285 participants aged 25-64 were cited for this conclusion [6].
Magnesium's Unique Role
Magnesium oversees our bone, heart, muscle, nerve, and cellular health. It is responsible for synthesizing, oxidizing, and breaking down carbohydrates and glucose in the tissues. Basic constituents of life such as DNA, RNA, and proteins cannot be constructed without magnesium. Magnesium gets involved with the polymerases that transcribe new DNA and RNA strands and gets involved with the guanylate cyclase that monitors mineral movements across all membranes. Magnesium is vital to the enzymes that maintain the necessary metabolic speeds that keep us alive and energetic. They are machinery pieces working the glycolysis, Kreb's cycle, and phosphorylation that change glucose sugars and other organic compounds into smaller adenosine triphosphate (ATP) units for energy-making. The ribosomes, needed for gluing together the amino acids that make proteins, must be stabilized by a lot of magnesium. Protein synthesis cannot operate efficiently without sufficient magnesium [7].
Reportedly, there is a struggle for us to get sufficient magnesium despite its abundance on the earth. For instance, it is suspected that more than 43% of Canadians are deficient in magnesium [7].
Magnesium is responsible for controlling the active transporters that pump calcium out of the cell and prevent neuronal overstimulation, leading to cell damage and eventual apoptosis. Calcium, which is regulated by magnesium, is also tied to the intensity of heart and arteriole contractions, too [7].
Greens, nuts, seeds, dry beans, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods are typical magnesium sources. Men and women differ in their daily recommended minimums: Men must get 400-420mg per day and women must get 310-320mg per day [8].
Provided below is a comprehensive list of magnesium-rich foods from Clevelandclinic. org:
Pumpkin seed - kernels: Serving Size 1 oz, 168 mg
Almonds, dry roasted: Serving Size 1 oz, 80 mg
Spinach, boiled: Serving Size ½ cup, 78 mg
Cashews, dry roasted: Serving Size 1 oz, 74 mg
Pumpkin seeds in shell: Serving Size 1 oz, 74 mg
Peanuts, oil roasted: Serving Size ¼ cup, 63 mg
Cereal, shredded wheat: Serving Size 2 large biscuits, 61 mg
Soymilk, plain or vanilla: Serving Size 1 cup, 61 mg
Black beans, cooked: Serving Size ½ cup, 60 mg
Edamame, shelled, cooked: Serving Size ½ cup, 50 mg
Dark chocolate -60-69% cacoa: Serving Size 1 oz, 50 mg
Peanut butter, smooth: Serving Size 2 tablespoons, 49 mg
Bread, whole wheat: Serving Size 2 slices, 46 mg
Avocado, cubed: Serving Size 1 cup, 44 mg
Potato, baked with skin: Serving Size 3.5 oz, oz, 43 mg
Rice, brown, cooked: Serving Size ½ cup, 42 mg
Yogurt, plain, low fat: Serving Size 8 oz, 42 mg
Breakfast cereals fortified: Serving Size 10% fortification, 40 mg
Oatmeal, instant: Serving Size 1 packet, 36 mg
Kidney beans, canned: Serving Size ½ cup, 35 mg
Banana: Serving Size 1 medium, 32 mg
Cocoa powder– unsweetened: Serving Size 1 tablespoon, 27 mg
Salmon, Atlantic, farmed: Serving Size 3 oz, 26 mg
Milk: Serving Size 1 cup, 24–27 mg
Halibut, cooked: Serving Size 3 oz, 24 mg
Raisins: Serving Size ½ cup, 23 mg
Chicken breast, roasted: Serving Size 3 oz, 22 mg
Beef, ground, 90% lean: Serving Size 3 oz, 20 mg
Broccoli, chopped & cooked: Serving Size ½ cup, 12 mg
Rice, white, cooked: Serving Size ½ cup, 10 mg
Apple: Serving Size 1 medium, 9 mg
Carrot, raw: Serving Size 1 medium, 7 mg
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All information in this article is intended for educational/entertainment purposes only. This information should not be used as medical/therapeutic advice. Please seek a doctor/therapist for health advice.
Works cited:
[1] https://tinyurl.com/yxgkgjdk
[2] John McMurry, David S. Ballantine, Carl A. Hoeger, and Virginia E. Peterson, Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry, pgs. 72-75, Copyright @ 2017, 2013, 2010 Pearson Education.
[3] https://www.thoughtco.com/octet-rule-explanation-in-chemistry-606457
[4] https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/nutraceutical/about/rehydration/water/electrolytes/
[6] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-does-potassium-do#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
[7] http://www.magnesium.ca/how-magnesium-works/