Let’s Talk About: Chlorophyll

 If you’ve spent any time on the social media lately, you’ve probably heard of today’s hottest wellness trend: Chlorophyll. With its distinctively bright green color, it’s pretty hard to miss! The internet is abuzz with praise for this super ingredient. With claims ranging from inflammation reduction to even wound healing, it’s no wonder everyone wants to incorporate this plant pigment, yes – plant pigment, into their diet. So what is Chlorophyll and is it REALLY worth all of the hype it’s generating?

 What is it?

 Before we break down the potential benefits of Chlorophyll, you should probably understand what it is first. Chlorophyll is actually the green pigment found in many green (duh) vegetables and fruits. It’s found in foods such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and in the ever-trendy wheat grass. Fun fact: wheat grass’ high concentration of chlorophyll is one of the main reasons wheat grass shots are so popular. The role chlorophyll traditionally plays in plants is that it combines with sunlight to provide nutrients. It is suspected that this ingredient can do something fairly similar in humans, minus the photosynthesis part…sorry.

 Benefits?

 Despite what it’s recent rise in popularity may have you assuming, people have been touting the potential health benefits of chlorophyll for quite a while. There have also been multiple scientific studies, mainly smaller case studies, done to closely examine the effects chlorophyll can have on the body. The health benefit claims are vast and they are beyond impressive. Let’s break down some of the most popular and promising benefits.

 Anti-Aging

 When applied to the skin, especially the face, chlorophyll has been found to fight signs of photoaging brought on by prolonged sun exposure. Photoaging is one of the major causes for wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and overall skin dullness. Yeah, no thank you. In a small study done on women with healthy skin found that the use of chlorophyll infused gel had similar effects to the prescription skin cream tretinoin, which is prescribed to patients as an anti-aging treatment.

 Cancer Prevention

 Chlorophyll has plethora of antioxidants and inflammation reducing properties. Due to this, scientists believe that taking chlorophyll could have cancer preventing effects on the body. The research on this is limited but, much like how it’s encouraged to eat leafy greens, it is believed that consuming high volumes of vitamins and antioxidants throughout your life lowers the risk of cancers caused by environmental triggers.

 Gut Health

 Chlorophyll has the potential to improve gut function and relieve constipation. This is because chlorophyll has high levels of anti-inflammatory oxidants that are linked to a healthier gut. Inflammation in the gut is what causes many digestive issues, so keeping that inflammation low will get things *ahem* moving. Some individuals have also stated that taking chlorophyll helps with reducing bloating and gas.

 Increased Energy

Another potential benefit is having increased energy and even a boosted mood. This again is attributed to the large abundance of vitamins and antioxidants fount in chlorophyll. Some reasons for lowered energy are having a large abundance of inflammation in the body and even vitamin deficiencies. When you’re consuming a large number of anti-inflammatory anti-oxidants and getting in a broad range of essential vitamins, many of which are found in chlorophyll, the likelihood of feeling energized and having an extra pep in your step go up significantly.

 Wound Healing

 This one might be surprising but, when applied topically, chlorophyll is said to help improve and heal surface level wounds. There is even an actual medication called chlorophyllin (it’s still used today) that contains chlorophyll as an active ingredient. It was originally studied in the 1950’s and is thought to help speed up wound healing time and *gross out alert* reduce wound odors. This is due to certain compounds in chlorophyll having wound healing properties.

 *You should still go see a medical professional if you’re injured.

 Side note: Many studies on chlorophyll have been small and more scientific research needs to be done to determine the exact long-term benefits of taking chlorophyll.

 Where can I get it?

Now that you know about all of the amazing effects chlorophyll can have on your overall health, I’m sure the next question on your mind is ‘so where can I get it?’. I’ve compiled a list of some great chlorophyll products that will have you seeing green...literally!

As a Supplement:

Try the Chlorophyll rich Chlorella powder by Sun Potion

Try Liquid Chlorophyll drops by Chlorophyll Water

And BONUS:  Use code XOPWB to get 20% off detox drops or anything else your heart (and body) desires at Sakara Life

 For the Face:

Try Clean Green Superfood Face Mask by Golde which includes Chlorophyll

By: Taylor Maness