One of the many wellness trends that took over social media last year along with greens powders, sea moss, and aloe vera juice – was chlorophyll water with influencers raving it could do anything from clear up a breakout to detox the body. So what is chlorophyll and are the claims true? Is this the new magical greens powder that can heal all ailments? Keep reading to find out.
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What is chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is a natural pigment found in plants that gives them their green color. Chlorophyll is used during photosynthesis to help plants absorb energy from the sun. We typically see chlorophyll in the form of chlorophyllin which is a semi-synthetic, water-soluble form of chlorophyll. To get straight chlorophyll look for a powder or supplement option. Chlorophyll contains antioxidants which are partially responsible for all the claims of what chlorophyll can do. So what are the real benefits of chlorophyll?
Skin Benefits of chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and packed with antioxidants. Making it useful in healing skin issues related to inflammation. More research needs to be done on the topic but with the studies, we do have to go off – reducing redness from rosacea, minimizing pores, clearing acne, and improving signs of aging have all been found benefits of chlorophyll.
Personally drinking chlorophyll water daily has cleared my skin and reduced the appearance of my rosacea. I can 100% noticeably tell a difference between the weeks I forget to drink my chlorophyll water.
Weight loss from Chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll was found to promote satiety and reduce hedonic hunger1( Consumption of food for pleasure not to maintain energy homeostasis). Satiety hormones are released aiding in the reduced urge to snack. So chlorophyll doesn’t make you lose weight. The thylakoids found in chlorophyll aid in reducing mindless eating when the body isn’t hungry.
Reduced inflammation
Chlorophyll is full of anti-inflammatory agents making it well known for inflammation reduction all over the body. It is now being looked into for the possible development of phytomedicine/ conventional medicine for inflammation and inflammatory diseases2. One study showed chlorophyllin, an active ingredient in chlorophyll, inhibits intestinal inflammation.
Making chlorophyll a great natural remedy for inflammation reduction! If you are looking for more natural alternatives to manage inflammation check out our other post on natural alternatives!
Natural deodorant
Bad breath, vaginal odor, BO, and more bodily odors that can be uncomfortable and embarrassing for people to deal with can lead to the root cause of bigger issues. Chlorophyll can act like a natural deodorant by solving the root cause of issues manifesting as body odor. For example, bad breath can be cured using a 25% chlorophyll solution3 – how? Chlorophyll can kill oral pathogens like Candida and Enterococcus. Effectively permeating the dental membranes. Chlorophyll was also found to reduce urine and fecal odor because it acts as a prebiotic and antimicrobial agent.4 Both issues were caused by greater issues like candida overgrowth. Chlorophyll can be used to referee the overgrowth and provide relief to extreme odor.
Do I have to take chlorophyll supplements?
There are handfuls of foods that are rich in chlorophyll. You can choose to get your chlorophyll in the old fashion way and add leafy greens and sea vegetables into your diet. Below is a list of foods that contain chlorophyll.
- Spinach
- Kale
- Arugula
- Romaine lettuce
- Kiwi
- Green grapes
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Parsley
- Collard greens
Chlorophyll options
I prefer to add chlorophyll drops to my water it’s the easiest way for me to fit it into my diet. I take it like a shot and that has been the easiest way to consistently do it for me. But there are many options such as supplements and powders on top of just incorporating chlorophyll-rich food into your diet. The chlorophyll drops you see to your left are my OG favorite because of the life-changing results I have gotten from them. I have not had bad breath, BO, or a breakout since consistently drinking this brand of Chlorophyll water. I have had no body odor since drinking them 1-3 times a day for the past year which is a big statement considering I have dysautonomia and sweat like a maniac as well as use a natural deodorant. Natural deodorant plus copious amounts of sweating made me have to detox my underarms once a month before using chlorophyll. That alone will make me never go back to life without chlorophyll. The quality of chlorophyll you get does matter in the results you will receive so make sure to read the reviews if you find another one you want! I have tried 3 or 4 other chlorophyll drops and none of them compare to how well this one works!
Other options for Chlorophyll:
Adding chlorophyll water into my daily routine has benefited my skin, hygiene, aided in weight loss, and reduced my overall inflammation. I will never go without my daily chlorophyll water now! Check out our tik tok where we post daily by clicking here!
Citations:
- Erlanson-Albertsson C, Albertsson PÅ. The Use of Green Leaf Membranes to Promote Appetite Control, Suppress Hedonic Hunger and Loose Body Weight. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2015 Sep;70(3):281-90. doi: 10.1007/s11130-015-0491-8. PMID: 26115760; PMCID: PMC4539357.
- Appian, Subramoniam & Asha, Velikkakathu & Nair, Ajikumaran & Sasidharan, Sreejith & Sureshkumar, P. & Rajendran, Krishnan & Karunagaran, Devarajan & Ramalingam, Krishnan. (2011). Chlorophyll Revisited: Anti-inflammatory Activities of Chlorophyll a and Inhibition of Expression of TNF-α Gene by the Same. Inflammation. 35. 959-66. 10.1007/s10753-011-9399-0.
- MAEKAWA, Lilian & Roberta, LAMPING & Sidnei, MARCACCI & MAEKAWA, Marcos & NASSRI, Maria & Koga Ito, Cristiane. (2007). Antimicrobial activity of chlorophyll-based solution on Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis. Revista Sul-brasiliera de Odontologia. 4. 10.21726/rsbo.v4i2.1294.
- Higdon, Jane . “Chlorophyll and Metallo-Chlorophyll Derivatives.” Linus Pauling Institute, 4 Apr. 2004, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/chlorophyll-metallo-chlorophyll-derivatives.