Chlorophyll

Specific molecules

The green pigment, and the only indicator visible to the naked eye.

The darkest green is the most loaded — and it is also the one that carries the most lutein, vitamin K1 and nitrates. One color, four lines on this page.

Effects and benefits

The green pigment traps light in the plant, and in us, in a derived form, toxins: in a trial in China, chlorophyllin halved the trace of aflatoxin, a mold toxin, measured in urine.

Chlorophyll resembles the hemoglobin in our blood: the same ring, with magnesium at the center instead of iron. In the stomach, acid strips its magnesium, and very little reaches the blood.

In Qidong, China, where aflatoxin from poorly stored grain is common, chlorophyllin, a soluble derivative of chlorophyll, reduced aflatoxin markers in urine by 55% (Egner et al., 2001): it binds to it in the gut and keeps it from passing. A small trial later found the effect with natural chlorophyll (Jubert et al., 2009).

Sources: Egner et al., PNAS, 2001 · Jubert et al., Cancer Prev Res, 2009

Chlorophyll

Effects and benefits

Where to find it (195)

Also, in smaller amounts (276)