Foods rich in bromine

Bromine (“bromos” in Greek means “stench”) is a trace element that has a calming effect on the central nervous system due to the enhanced process of inhibition. The compound belongs to the halogens and is a red-brown liquid with a characteristic unpleasant odor.

Bromine was discovered during the study of the brines of the Mediterranean salt industry in 1826 by the French chemist A. J. Balar. The human body contains up to 300 milligrams of mineral. It builds up in the muscle, bone, pituitary, kidney, blood and thyroid gland. Bromine is excreted in sweat and urine. The level of trace elements in human blood reaches 10 milligrams per liter.

In the human body, bromine compounds (bromides) normalize the state of the nervous system, increase inhibition in the cerebral cortex, providing a calming effect. However, it is important to remember that the mineral itself and its vapors are toxic. When administered orally, the lethal dose is 14 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, due to the high chemical activity when working with compounds of the element, use a gas mask, protective gloves, and overalls.

Bromine salts, due to their good solubility in water, accumulate in lake reservoirs and residual brines of sea basins.

Biological role

The importance of the mineral for the body was emphasized by the physiologist I.P. Pavlov, who argued that people should be grateful for having such an invaluable drug for the nervous system as bromine and its compounds. With nervous disorders, the level of trace elements in the brain and bloodstream decreases. Used in medicine, bromides, when ingested, are broken down, which contributes to the release of mineral ions, which enhance the inhibition processes. As a result of these reactions, the correct ratio of compounds in the brain is restored and the nervous system normalizes.

Other properties of bromine:

• protects the body from hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, prevents the appearance of endemic goiter;
• activates pepsin, lipase and amylase of the pancreas to digest carbohydrates and fats;
• normalizes the acidity of gastric juice;
• provides a balance of processes of inhibition, excitation of the central nervous system, has a calming, anticonvulsant, hypnotic effect;
• lowers intellectual performance;
• increases the activity of sperm;
• activates the activity of the adrenal glands.

Bromine antagonists are: iodine, aluminum, chlorine, fluorine. Therefore, for the full assimilation of the mineral, it is recommended to take these microelements separately with an interval of 2 – 3 hours.

Bromine is indicated for irritability, hysteria, neurasthenia, insomnia, epilepsy, and nervous fatigue. In addition, microelement compounds are used to treat diseases associated with impaired corticovisceral regulation of systems and internal organs (the initial stages of hypertension, with gastric ulcer).

The daily requirement for bromine for an adult healthy person is 0,5 – 1 grams.

Shortage and oversupply

Signs of bromine deficiency in the body:

• decreased hemoglobin levels;
• insomnia;
• increased irritability;
• growth retardation in adolescents;
• decrease in acidity of gastric juice;
• sexual weakness.

Lack of microelement reduces the life expectancy of a person, causes disorders of the nervous system, increases the likelihood of spontaneous abortion. To eliminate the deficiency of bromine, it is recommended to enrich the diet with food or take vitamin-mineral complexes which include a useful compound.

Symptoms of an excess mineral:

• dizziness;
• nasal bleeding;
• skin rashes;
• speech disorders;
• vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• myalgia;
• ataxia;
• irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes;
• disruption of the digestive system, the nervous system;
• cough, spasm of the respiratory tract;
• memory impairment, insomnia.

Contact of bromine compounds, including bromides, on the skin causes a severe, difficult to heal burn. Therefore, the place of contact of the microelement with the tissues should be rinsed repeatedly with water urgently, then treated with sodium hyposulfite solution 50%, smeared with baking soda with ointment.

Causes of excess mineral in the body: a metabolic disorder, the intake of a trace element with food, medicines, in excess vapors.

In case of poisoning with bromine, the victim, first of all, should be taken to clean air, bring a swab dipped in ammonia to the nose. Then induce vomiting, give laxatives and activated charcoal to take the excess element from the body. Further treatment involves drinking plenty of water (drinking mineral water, warm milk) and inhaling with a solution of sodium thiosulfate 2% under medical supervision.

If you do not arrest the symptoms of an overdose, enteritis, bronchitis, rhinitis, bromoderma, conjunctivitis, hallucinations develop, asphyxiation may occur in chronic poisoning.

Remember, bromine vapors are especially dangerous for asthmatics, as they can cause pulmonary edema, acute toxic inflammation of the larynx, trachea.

Bromine and Thyroid

Given that the trace element is part of the halogen family and competes for the same receptors that are used to capture iodine, it is considered an endocrine disruptor. This makes the compound potentially dangerous to the human body. Bromine inhibits the binding of iodine ions, which leads to inhibition of the synthesis of thyroid hormones, suppression of thyroid function. The result is hypothyroidism.

It would seem that people who have an increased level of production of the hormones triiodothyronine, thyroxine do not need to worry about bromine, because the more its intake, the less iodine in the body. However, this is not quite true. Iodine deficiency causes diffuse toxic goiter. This condition is characterized by an increase in the size of the thyroid gland, which due to this attempts to “catch” more of the missing element.

An overdose of bromine suppresses the process of “capture” of iodine by the body, which is needed to maintain water-salt balance, stimulate brain activity, exchange proteins, fats, carbohydrates, regulate body temperature, and strengthen immunity. As a result, it replaces the mineral in all organs, tissues. The displacement of iodine from the body increases the risk of developing autoimmune diseases and cancer of the ovaries, prostate, breast, and thyroid glands.

Bromine and potency

Today, there are many myths regarding the effect of a trace element on the male body, which do not have scientifically based evidence. According to some judgments, bromine-containing drugs inhibit sexual desire and potency of the strong half of humanity. Based on these assumptions, the army proposed to introduce a mineral into the diet of recruits without fail to prevent excessive sexual excitability. However, doctors came to the following conclusion: the safest way to reduce the sexual activity of men is increased physical activity. This is due to the fact that bromine-containing agents reduce concentration, “dull” attentiveness, which is absolutely unacceptable in the army.

Today it has been established that all medical preparations, which include the microelement “Br”, have a characteristic salty taste and do not affect sexual activity. They have a mild hypnotic, calming effect on the body, regardless of the person’s gender.

Bromine-containing drugs are not recommended for people whose work requires utmost care and concentration (for installers at height, drivers).

Food sources

Bromine is found in the following foods:

• Wheat
• almond;
• peanuts;
• beans;
• beans;
• pasta;
• barley groats;
• salt;
• rye bread;
• lentils;
• sour cream;
• milk;
• cod;
• walnuts;
• hazelnuts;
• shrimp;
• seaweed (seaweed).

Maximum dosages of bromine (up to 250 micrograms per 100 grams of product) are present in seafood and mushrooms, while in legumes, nuts, and cereals the amount of compound is reduced to 80 micrograms. In milk, meat, offal, the mineral level barely reaches 5 – 10 micrograms. In plants, most bromine is concentrated in the leaves, less – in the roots.

During the heat treatment of products containing a microelement, the loss of the useful compound reaches 70%.

Bromine preparations

Medicines containing bromides have a sedative effect on the human body.

Consider their classification.

1. Potassium bromide – white crystals, used to normalize the psycho-emotional state, slowing the heart rate.
2. Ammonium bromide is a colorless compound, practically not used in medicine due to irritation of the mucous membranes.
3. Bromoform is a volatile liquid with a characteristic sweetish aftertaste, used as a sedative and for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, separation of minerals.
4. Sodium bromide is a powder of salty taste, combined with the intake of sedatives to eliminate increased irritability, neurosis, hysteria. Unlike the above remedies, it does not irritate the gastric mucosa. Available in solutions, tablets, powders, injections.

The bromide dosage depends on the type of higher nervous activity, the nature of the disease, and varies from 0,02 to 1 gram per reception. Often, the patient is given a single-dose 0,5 gram of 3 compound once a day. To reduce seizures (with epilepsy), the dose is gradually increased to 7 grams per day.

Thus, bromine is a trace element with a pronounced sedative effect. Most often it is used to relieve inflammatory reactions, accompanied by pain and symptoms of nervous fatigue.