Can drinking chlorophyll water boost immunity?
It’s TikTok’s favourite tipple, but is the latest plant-based drinking craze all it seems? Let’s find out whether the glass really is greener.
In an unexpected throwback to GCSE biology class, TikTok videos containing #chlorophyll stand at over 553 million views. Back in 2021, the goal would have been finding hacks to keep the green plants you bought during lockdown alive (RIP calatheas). But this time round, it’s about your own health.
There’s currently a collective thirst for seeing people’s intake of chlorophyll water – a highly pigmented green drink, made by adding drops of earthy-smelling liquid chlorophyll to water. The smell is somewhat misleading – chlorophyll breaks down quickly once removed from plants, so liquid chlorophyll is actually a man-made version known as chlorophyllin, a more stable, water-soluble form. And yet, the trend is going nowhere. Growth in the chlorophyll-extract market is predicted to shoot up 8% each year between 2022 and 2030, says market analyst Report Ocean.
While consumption risks include Shrek-stained teeth and green wee, the viral TikTok videos promote its alleged health benefits. These include boosting energy levels, treating acne and fighting oxidative stress – an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. But perhaps the most enticing promise of this trend is that of strengthening your immunity.
With its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, alongside the ability to increase red and white blood cell count due to having a similar chemical structure to haemoglobin, it looks positive. In comparison to antibiotics, chlorophyll has a small amount of antibacterial properties, although they’re unlikely to be strong enough to cure bacterial infections.
The truth is, when it comes to your immune system, you don’t want to strengthen or suppress it. Your ultimate goal should be to support it with balance and care. You can achieve this in a varietyy of ways depending on what suits your body. By eating a nutrientdense diet – featuring fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fermented foods (such as kefir) – you’ll give your body the rich diversity of vitamins, minerals and fibre it needs for a healthy gut microbiome. Keeping your gut happy is key, as 70% of immune cells are found here. Combine this with sufficient sleep, movement, hydration and time outdoors and you’ll be your immune system’s best support act.
As for other health benefits, studies are few and far between and there are many grey areas, from bioavailability – the degree to which the chlorophyll is absorbed – to how it’s metabolised by humans and basic information about dosage. On the latter point, while drinking chlorophyll water is unlikely to cause you harm, the appropriate dosage might vary person to person, and some doctors have warned that side effects might include nausea, diarrhoea and even vomiting.
Suffice to say, buying into this trend at a time when parting with your cash is particularly painful isn’t recommended. Instead, invest your food budget in as many different plant foods as possible. Green fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, collard greens, broccoli, parsley, spring greens, kale, kiwi and green grapes are all rich in chlorophyll; you can get a dose alongside a host of vitamins, minerals and fibre. As for the photosynthesis, it’s probably best to leave the plants to it.
Published in the May 2023 Edition of Women's Health - UK Magazine.