Benefits of Liquid Chlorophyll Water with Allie Gregg, R.D.
Registered and Licensed Dietitian
Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN and Gillette Children's Hospital
Current: Private Practice
Kansas City, Missouri
Introduction:
I have been a licensed and registered dietitian for over 12 years. In those 12 years I have worked in almost every area of dietetics including pediatrics, geriatrics, intensive care and pediatrics. I studied, worked, and taught at Mayo Clinic and went on to develop my own vegan healthy eating website and private practice which has been featured in a multitude of publications including Business Insider, Reader's Digest, Shape, Women's Health, Men's Journal, Parents Magazine, and more.
There are so many AMAZING benefits to drinking Chlorophyll Water! It helps your liver function which improves detoxification, fights carcinogens, increases energy, helps to balance hormones, aids in weight loss and also fights cravings, reduces inflammation, increases and refreshes your body’s red blood cells, natural internal deodorizer, and promotes anti-aging and glowing skin.
What is chlorophyll?
It’s the green pigment found in plants. Chlorophyll is responsible for the action of photosynthesis which is the process in which plants absorb light from the sun and turn it into energy.
What is liquid chlorophyll?
Liquid chlorophyll is actually chlorophyllin. Chlorophyllin is actually derived from chlorophyll except it has been synthetically changed to have a copper atom instead of magnesium. The reason natural chlorophyll is not used is because it cannot survive a human body's digestive process. Chlorophyllin is also water soluble meaning the nutrients can very easily be absorbed and used by your body.
I’ve read that liquid chlorophyll may be more effective and beneficial than chlorophyll, as chlorophyll doesn’t survive digestion long enough for absorption, would you agree? If so, please explain.
Yes I agree. The ph levels (acidity) levels in our guts are quite high. However, chlorophyll needs primarily alkaline conditions or it will essentially die off and be useless to the human body. As mentioned before chlorophyllin is a substance that is derived from chlorophyll but is able to withstand our gut’s harsh environment.
Is there any difference between liquid chlorophyll and chlorophyllin?
The main difference when it comes to their atomic structures is that the center atom in chlorophyllin is copper instead of magnesium and the phytol tail is lost. This makes chlorophyll able to survive the harsh ph in our human guts whereas chlorophyll cannot. The other differences are that chlorophyllin is water soluble and chlorophyll is not water soluble meaning chlorophyllin is more easily absorbed.
What are the nutritional benefits of liquid chlorophyll?
Antioxidant Powerhouse (fights free radicals which can cause cancer)
High in vitamin K, C, E, A (These vitamins are great for a ton of different activities in the body including blood clotting, boosting the immune system, healthy cardiovascular system, aiding in healthy vision, and many more.
What does liquid chlorophyll do in the body?
Helps your liver function which improves detoxification Fights carcinogens
Increased energy
Hormonal balance
Weight loss and helps fight cravings
Makes your body more alkaline
Reduces inflammation
Increase and refresh red blood cells in the body
Natural internal deodorizer
Promotes anti-aging and glowing skin
What is the best way to incorporate a chlorophyll supplement into a daily routine?
The easiest way is probably to add a liquid chlorophyll supplement to your water. I’d suggest 100–300 milligrams of chlorophyllin daily.
Would you consider liquid chlorophyll and chlorophyll water a natural plant-powered source of energy?
I wouldn’t say it gives you energy like drinking a cup of coffee will give you energy. However, after drinking chlorophyll your body is able to give your blood cells more oxygen. And a more oxygenated environment leads to increased energy (and increased brain activity as well!)
Speaking of plants, what are the benefits of a plant based / plant powered diet?
There are tons of benefits. Firstly, plant based diets are much higher in fiber, which has great gut benefits. Added fiber results in fewer pathobionts and more protective species. This leads to reduced levels of inflammation which provide protective health benefits.
Other bonuses of a plant based diet include higher amounts of antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and E. These benefit the heart, skin, eyes, and immune system.
A plant based diet also dramatically lowers your risk of heart disease. Compared to meat eaters vegans have a staggering 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure. What’s even crazier is that vegans also have a 45% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
And then there is cancer. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats such as bacon and sausage as directly involved in causing cancer in humans? Eating processed meat can increase cancer risk by 18%. They also classify processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen which is the same group as cigarettes, asbestos, and plutonium. Red meat is classified as a group 2 carcinogen - the same group as insecticides.
Switching to a plant based diet also reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes by 78%. Studies even report that vegan diets lower blood sugar levels in diabetics more than the diets from the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and National Cholesterol Education Program. Several studies also show a plant based diet can provide complete relief from distal polyneuropathy which is the condition that causes sharp pains in diabetics.
I could go on and on about the benefits of a plant-based diet!!!! Others include extra energy, weight loss, decreased insomnia, glowing skin, and don’t even get me started on the impact a plant based diet has for our planet!! (Seriously I could write about 2,000 words on the subject so let me know if you want to know more ;)
Which greens provide the most plant-powered nutrients?
Seaweed is probably the most nutrient dense food you can find. It is really low in calories but packs a huge punch when it comes to nutrition. It contains protein, fiber, copper, riboflavin, thiamine, iron, manganese, niacin, iodine, potassium, and magnesium. It has also been shown to improve digestive health, lower cholesterol levels, enhance weight loss, stabilize blood sugar levels, support thyroid function and protect against free radical damage.
Which fruits and veggies should be staples in a plant-based diet?
I would encourage anyone on a plant based diet to include a good amount of raw foods to their daily routine. The reason being is when food is cooked some enzymes die off. Oppositely, eating raw fruits and veggies ensures you benefit from enzymes. Enzymes are important because they help our bodies break down foods into nutrients our bodies can use. Also, a lot of vitamins and minerals can be destroyed in the cooking process as well. Even though our pancreas does make enzymes to aid our bodies in breaking down food it can become over taxed by not having any outside enzymes for help. Thus I would recommend any raw foods be added to a plant based diet daily.
Some great examples of raw foods are:
Any raw fruit or vegetable
fresh herbs
raw spices
seaweed
What is your advice regarding micronutrient supplementation for plant-based diets? Any additional vitamins you recommend such as Vitamin B12, etc?
I would definitely recommend a B12 supplement daily to anyone that is on a plant based diet. Reason being, you can only get vitamin B12 in substantial amounts by consuming meat, fish, eggs and dairy. B12 is a water soluble vitamin as well so there is virtually no risk of toxicity meaning there is no downfall to taking in additional vitamin B12.
Another potentially problematic area is low amino acid consumption. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and thus necessary for muscle formation and metabolism. As it is more difficult to obtain protein on a plant based diet I always recommend a daily plant based protein powder to my vegan and vegetarian patients.
Anything else you want to add?
When it comes to plant based diet I also see a lot of (even in my own life!) overconsumption of carbohydrates — This can cause candida and yeast overgrowth as well as weight gain. To combat this I’d recommend having a meal plan and snack plan. It takes a lot of work but is well worth the pay off.
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