Chlorophyll is the substance responsible for giving green plants their color. It harnesses the sun’s energy during photosynthesis and is responsible for a variety of metabolic functions, including perspiration and growth. Interestingly, the chlorophyll molecule is chemically similar to human blood, except that its central atom is magnesium, whereas in human blood, the central molecule is iron. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Historically, chlorophyll was used to treat gastrointestinal problems and to promote the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. It has also been used to combat bad breath and reduce the strength of odors associated with urine, feces and infected wounds. There is some preliminary evidence that chlorophyll may detoxify substances that could cause cancer.
Because chlorophyll is not considered an essential nutrient, there are no guidelines regarding recommended daily allowance. However, some practitioners recommend 100mg of a chlorophyll capsule or tablet taken 2-3 times a day to fight odors.
chlorophyll is available in a wide variety of forms, from fresh cut herb to tablets, extracts (both fluid and dry), tinctures and infusions.
Since chlorophyll is not an essential nutrient, dietary allowances have yet to be established. However, it is known that individuals who do not get enough green foods in their diet may lack a necessary amount of chlorophyll. As of this writing, there are no known side-effects or drug interactions with chlorophyll.
References
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
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One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
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