A new trend on TikTok has people going green - by adding liquid chlorophyll to their water.
It’s the plant molecule that helps with growth and creates their emerald color and some TikTokers are sucking it down, following the lead of celebs including Reese Witherspoon, Mandy Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow. So many folks are on board, the hashtag #chlorophyll has over 80-million views on TikTok, but is it actually healthy? That depends on who you ask.
Makers of the liquid chlorophyll drops claim the supplement can do everything from boost energy to detoxify the body to neutralize body odor. And some social media users say it has skin-clearing qualities, too. According to some fans, adding a few drops of the green stuff to water every day is the fix for everything from acne to rosacea. But what do doctors say? You may want to stick to salad instead.
“What you should do is eat your greens,” says Dr. Rabia de Latour, an assistant professor at NYU Langone’s Department of Medicine. “We know that chlorophyll, in its pure form [in leafy greens], is really great at being an anti-oxidant and treating inflammation, and that has been studied.”
She warns that supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, so we don’t know if this form of chlorophyll is absorbed by the body and she’s also skeptical of the hype with skin problems and body odor.
For clearer skin, she advises skipping processed foods and eating chlorophyll-rich foods, including spinach, green beans and wheatgrass, which are also loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals.