Chlorophyllin

Sodium copper chlorophyllin · Liquid chlorophyll

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Aflatoxin adduct reduction^{1, 2} Iron deficiency anemia³ Leukopenia⁴ Body and fecal odor⁵ Topical acne and large pores⁶ Topical photodamage⁷	Gallbladder disease or gallstones⁸ Pregnancy⁸

Chlorophyllin is a water-soluble, semisynthetic derivative of chlorophyll, most often sodium copper chlorophyllin, used as a food colorant and over-the-counter product. It is thought to bind carcinogens in the gut and limit their absorption.¹ That binding underlies its best-studied use, lowering aflatoxin exposure markers in people with unavoidable dietary exposure and a high risk of liver cancer. It is also used for body and fecal odor in geriatric care, for leukopenia, and as an iron-containing derivative for iron deficiency anemia. Topical gels have been tried for acne and photodamage.

The aflatoxin evidence is a randomized placebo-controlled trial that measured a urinary biomarker, not cancer incidence^{1, 2}. The other uses rest on older, small, or open-label studies and single-center pilots. In 2023, a bioinformatic analysis of shared gene-expression patterns in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis flagged chlorophyllin as a candidate compound; no patient trial has tested it for either condition. Products listing chlorophyllin are mostly liquid and capsule forms; see Form comparison.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

35 sources, 23 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources