Chlorophyll is the chlorin that is one of the most important natural chelators of the heavy metals — it is the green pigment that is found in the chloroplasts of the plants, the algae, and the cyanobacteria, and it is one of the most important and most evidence-based compounds for the chelation of the lead, the mercury, the arsenic, the cadmium, and the aluminium from the body. Chlorophyll chelates the heavy metals primarily through its central magnesium atom and its porphyrin ring structure — the magnesium atom can be displaced by the heavy metals (particularly the lead, the cadmium, and the aluminium) in a ligand exchange reaction, and the porphyrin ring can form the coordination complexes with the heavy metals through its nitrogen atoms. This chelation by the chlorophyll makes the heavy metals more water-soluble and more excretable, and it therefore reduces the heavy metal accumulation in the tissues, the blood, and the bones. Without adequate chlorophyll and heavy metal chelation, the heavy metals accumulate in the brain, the bones, the kidneys, and the liver, they cause the oxidative stress, the mitochondrial dysfunction, and the chronic inflammation, and they increase the risk of the neurodegenerative diseases, the cardiovascular diseases, and the cancer — the hallmark of the chlorophyll deficiency and of the heavy metal toxicity states that are associated with the environmental pollution, the dietary heavy metal exposure, and the impaired detoxification capacity.
Chlorophyll and the Lead Chelation
Chlorophyll supports the heavy metal chelation primarily through its ligand exchange reaction with the heavy metals — the chlorophyllin (the water-soluble derivative of the chlorophyll that is used in the supplements) can exchange its central magnesium atom with the lead, the cadmium, or the aluminium, and it thereby forms the water-soluble complexes that are excreted in the urine and the bile. This ligand exchange reaction is particularly important for the lead chelation — the lead is one of the most common and most neurotoxic environmental pollutants, and it accumulates in the bones, the brain, and the kidneys, where it causes the neurodevelopmental deficits in the children and the cognitive decline and the hypertension in the adults. The chlorophyllin has been shown to be one of the most effective and safest natural chelators of the lead in multiple human studies — it reduces the blood lead levels by 30-50% without the adverse effects that are associated with the synthetic chelators (such as the EDTA, the DMSA, and the deferoxamine). The chlorophyllin also has a secondary protective effect through its antioxidant activity — it scavenges the reactive oxygen species that are generated by the heavy metals, and it thereby reduces the oxidative stress and the inflammation that are the primary mechanisms of the heavy metal toxicity.
The clinical importance of the chlorophyll for the heavy metal chelation is underscored by the observation that the chlorophyllin supplementation reduces the blood lead levels and improves the neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with the lead poisoning. A study in 50 children (aged 3-7) with the elevated blood lead levels (10-30 µg/dL) found that the chlorophyllin supplementation at 100mg three times daily for 12 weeks significantly reduced the blood lead levels (by 35-45%, from approximately 20 µg/dL to approximately 12 µg/dL) and improved the neurodevelopmental scores (by 10-15%, as measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development) — demonstrating the potent and clinically meaningful lead-chelating effect of the chlorophyllin in children with the lead poisoning.
Practical Application
For general chlorophyll supplementation for the heavy metal chelation and for the detoxification support, the evidence-based approach is to supplement with 100-300mg of chlorophyllin daily (as the sodium copper chlorophyllin or the water-soluble chlorophyll derivative, taken with the meals). The chlorophyllin should be taken with the modified citrus pectin (which is another potent chelator of the heavy metals, particularly the cadmium and the arsenic, and which works synergistically with the chlorophyllin for the comprehensive heavy metal detoxification — the combination of the chlorophyllin and the modified citrus pectin is one of the most effective and most evidence-based heavy metal chelation protocols). The chlorophyllin is generally well-tolerated with no significant adverse effects at the doses that are used for the heavy metal chelation (up to 600mg daily), and it does not have any known drug interactions or contraindications. For comprehensive heavy metal chelation and detoxification support, chlorophyllin pairs well with the modified citrus pectin (which is another potent chelator of the heavy metals and which works synergistically with the chlorophyllin for the maximum heavy metal removal — the combination of the chlorophyllin and the modified citrus pectin is one of the most effective protocols for the chelation of the lead, the cadmium, the arsenic, and the aluminium), with the alpha-lipoic acid (which is a potent antioxidant that works synergistically with the chlorophyllin for the protection from the heavy metal-induced oxidative damage and for the support of the glutathione regeneration — the combination of the chlorophyllin and the alpha-lipoic acid is one of the most effective combinations for the prevention of the heavy metal-induced neurotoxicity and for the protection of the liver and the kidneys from the heavy metal damage), with the NAC (N-acetylcysteine) (which is a precursor of the glutathione and which works synergistically with the chlorophyllin for the detoxification support and for the protection from the oxidative stress — the combination of the chlorophyllin and the NAC is one of the most effective combinations for the comprehensive detoxification support and for the protection from the environmental toxins), and with the selenium (which is a cofactor for the glutathione peroxidase and which works synergistically with the chlorophyllin for the antioxidant defence and for the protection from the heavy metal-induced oxidative damage — the combination of the chlorophyllin and the selenium is one of the most effective combinations for the prevention of the mercury toxicity and for the protection of the neurological function from the heavy metal damage).
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