The One Thing Everyone's Adding to Their Water Right Now, Say Experts
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There's a new health obsession taking over your Instagram and/or TikTok feed. It may look kind of gross, but people are buzzing about its body benefits… Introducing: Drinking water that's been doused with chlorophyll drops.
Chlorophyll, if you remember from your high school science class days, is the pigment in plants that makes them green and helps them turn the sun's rays into energy via photosynthesis. Turns out, chlorophyll also has tons of health benefits for humans, which is why it's joining collagen, mushroom powders, and trace mineral drops as the next best thing in the wellness world to upgrade your H2O.
Now, you may be thinking: If it's found in plants, why do I have to drink chlorophyll? Can't I just eat more plants? Fair question…
Eating a diet full of greens is a natural way to gain the benefits chlorophyll has to offer, but getting an adequate daily dose of greens doesn't always happen. Simply adding a dropper full to your water? Much more manageable.
Read on to find out what chlorophyll does to your body and how to add it to your water. And for more, check out the 7 healthiest foods everyone's eating right now.
Chlorophyll can help fight disease.
This concentrated substance has some pretty powerful properties—including anticancer effects. "Chlorophyll is best known for its ability to block carcinogens within the body by binding to them in the digestive tract," says Dr. Josh Axe, D.N.M., C.N.S, D.C., author of the new, best-selling book Ancient Remedies. "This stops a carcinogen from being circulated throughout the body and reaching susceptible tissues."
Chlorophyll is also loaded with antioxidants that can help repair any damage done by free radicals, which can contribute to conditions like Alzheimer's, cirrhosis, hypertension, and certain cancers.
Chlorophyll can help detox your liver.
Another popular benefit, according to Axe: "It's known to boost liver detoxification and aid healthy metabolism." Research shows that it helps fight against liver damage by supporting the liver's natural detoxification process.
Chlorophyll can aid in weight loss.
It may also improve gut health, which could have a positive effect on weight loss. A recent study found that chlorophyll changed the gut flora of mice, alleviating weight gain and improving inflammation.
Chlorophyll can improve your red blood cells.
Liquid chlorophyll may also improve the quality of your blood, increasing the count—and overall health—of red blood cells. Why? Chlorophyll and hemoglobin (a molecule in red blood cells) have similar molecular structures. For this reason, research suggests that chlorophyll may help improve anemia symptoms.
Why you should add chlorophyll to your water
Liquid chlorophyll is "a semi-synthetic mixture that's made in laboratories and used to make supplements that boost energy, promote detoxification, and aid digestion," says Axe. "A few drops can be added to a glass of water or any liquid to fight oxidative stress and boost overall wellness."
Experts say that chlorophyll water and liquid chlorophyll drops actually contain chlorophyllin, which is a water-soluble derivative of naturally occurring chlorophyll.
Because liquid chlorophyll is water-soluble, it's more easily absorbed by the body. "Research suggests that liquid chlorophyll has a high bioavailability, which supports its potential impacts on reducing oxidative stress and even serving as a preventative measure for diseases like cancer," says Axe.
Who's already on the trend
Celebs such as Reese Witherspoon and Mandy Moore reportedly drink the green stuff, and recently, Kourtney Kardashian said she swears by chlorophyll drops like these. "Spiking my filtered water with minerals or liquid chlorophyll makes me feel like I'm multitasking by staying hydrated while also getting important nutrients my body needs and can't always get from food," she wrote on her site, Poosh.
If that's not convincing, consider holistic nutritionist and health coach Kelly LeVeque's take: "If [isolated drops] make my clients drink more water, I am game."
How to add more chlorophyll to your diet
Here are three ways to get your chlorophyll fix:
Chlorophyll Tincture: Liquid chlorophyll drops—like Sakara's Detox Water Drops—are the extracted chlorophyll from plants and can be easily added to your water!
Chlorophyll Water: You can also buy water with chlorophyll already infused in it, like this Chlorophyll Water or this chlorophyll aloe-infused beverage from Sol-ti.
Green Juices: Juicing wheatgrass, spinach, kale, and other greens is another way to reap the benefits of chlorophyll naturally. Don't have a juicer? Add a handful of greens to your smoothie—try the Kale Recharge from this list of smoothie recipes!
Want more tasty ways to stay hydrated? Check out these suggestions.
