What are the health benefits of chlorophyll and chlorophyllin, and are they safe?

Answer:

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plants, as well as in some algae and certain bacteria, where it helps absorb light energy and convert it to energy. The most common way to get chlorophyll is through foods in the diet.

Although preliminary laboratory studies suggest that chlorophyll may have potential health benefits, such as cancer prevention, only a handful of low-quality studies have evaluated the health benefits of chlorophyll in humans. Be aware that chlorophyll is not commonly included in dietary supplements which, instead, contain a semi-synthetic derivative of chlorophyll called chlorophyllin that has greater stability and solubility in water (Zhong, Mol Nutr Food Res 2021). Chlorophyllin may be listed on supplement labels as "sodium copper chlorophyllin," "chlorophyllin copper complex," or "sodium magnesium chlorophyllin" (Martins, Molecules 2023).

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