The Oxford dictionary defines CHLOROPHYLL as “a green pigment, present in all green plants and in cyanobacteria, which is responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis” 1.

Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life. It is the green pigment in plants that provides their colour, stores energy of the sun and converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and water into glucose. “To a plant chlorophyll is what haemoglobin is to the human body” 2.

Chlorophyll speeds up or maintains the rate at which metabolic processes and reactions occur in living organisms, it assists in the maintenance of tissues and promotes wound healing 2. For instance, Chlorophyll naturally has a cleansing effect on the blood stream restoring red blood cells to the system, by counteracting the toxins in the blood and purifying it. It helps stimulate the red blood cells by improving circulation of oxygen around the body, assisting in the growth of healthy red blood cells. It is helpful in the detoxification process, as it cleanses and protects the body from carcinogens by reducing their harmful effects.

Uses

Bad breath and offensive perspiration, gastritis, sore throat and mouth, skin conditions that refuse to heal, burns and athletes foot 2.

Example

Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll. The juice from 3-4 day sprouted wheatgrass is rich in chlorophyll and enzymes which help detoxify body2.

Sources

1. Oxford Dictionary. Chlorophyll [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2013 Dec 05]. Available  from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/chlorophyll

2. Bartram T. Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. London: Robinson; 1998.