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Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plants. Plants use chlorophyll to produce energy through photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is also used as a medicine. Commonly used chlorophyll sources for medicine include alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) and silkworm excretions. Chlorophyll is used for bad breath and to reduce the odor of an artificial bowel outlet. Chlorophyll is also used for constipation, detoxification and to support wound healing. Doctors use chlorophyll intravenously to treat pancreatitis.

How does chlorophyll work?

There is currently not enough information available to say how chlorophyll might work.

How effective is chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll may be effective in the treatment of pancreatitis. Intravenous injection of chlorophyll appears to relieve pain and other symptoms of chronic pancreatitis. Chlorophyll may be ineffective when used to reduce the odor of an artificial bowel outlet. There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of chlorophyll for bad breath, constipation and to aid wound healing. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of chlorophyll in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Chlorophyll appears to be safe and harmless for most people when taken orally. Chlorophyll in the form of injections should only be used under medical supervision. Chlorophyll can greatly increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight, so care should be taken to use adequate sun protection, which is especially important if you are very fair-skinned.

Precautions and warnings:

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: not enough is known about the use of chlorophyll during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid chlorophyll.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining chlorophyll with the following medications:

Medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight

Some medications can increase sensitivity to sunlight. Chlorophyll can also increase sensitivity to sunlight. Taking chlorophyll in conjunction with medications that may increase sensitivity to sunlight could increase the risk of sunburn, blistering of the skin or rashes on skin areas exposed to the sun. For this reason, you should use a sunblock and wear protective clothing when spending time in the sun.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Intravenously:

  • Doctors administer chlorophyll intravenously to reduce pain and swelling around the pancreas due to pancreatitis.

References

  1. Christiansen SB, Byel SR, Stromsted H, et al [Can chlorophyll reduce fecal odor in colostomy patients]? Ugeskr Laeger 1989;151:1753-4.
  2. Dai R, Shoemaker R, Farrens D, et al. Characterization of silkworm chlorophyll metabolites as an active photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. J Nat Prod, 1992;55:1241-51.
  3. Lee WY, Park JH, Kim BS, et al. Chlorophyll derivatives (CpD) extracted from silk worm excreta are specifically cytotoxic to tumor cells in vitro. Yonsei Med J 1990;31:225-33.
  4. Mathews-Roth MM. Carotenoids in erythropoietic protoporphyria and other photosensitivity diseases. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1993; 691:127-38.
  5. Yoshida A, Yokono O, Oda T. Therapeutic effect of chlorophyll-a in the treatment of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Gastroenterol Jpn 1980;15:49-61.