Chlorophyllin

EVIDENCE: WEAK

Also sold as: sodium copper chlorophyllin, chlorophyll supplement, liquid chlorophyll, copper chlorophyll

Chlorophyllin is a water-soluble, copper-containing form of chlorophyll. Laboratory work shows binding of sulfur compounds associated with odors, and a human trial studied aflatoxin exposure. Reviews find insufficient evidence to establish it as a bad-breath treatment.

Compiled by iSupplementReviews editorial team ·Updated 2026-10-13 · 4 sources

Type: Semisynthetic chlorophyll derivative (pigment)
Studied dose: 100–300 mg/day (historical deodorant use); aflatoxin trial used 100 mg 3×/day
Best form: sodium copper chlorophyllin — the standardized, water-soluble form (it is also a copper source: several % copper by weight)
Upper limit: No established upper intake limit established — well-tolerated at historical doses
Our rating: WEAK — Mostly small, animal, or traditional evidence

What is chlorophyllin?

Chlorophyllin is a modified form of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Replacing magnesium with copper and removing a fat-soluble part makes it stable and water-soluble. It also makes chlorophyllin a source of copper, sometimes listed separately on a label.

A 70-year career in three acts

1950s–70s: ‘internal deodorant.’ Small uncontrolled studies reported chlorophyllin reduced odor in colostomy patients, incontinent elderly, and leg-ulcer wards, the origin of every modern breath/detox claim.
1980s: the saliva experiment. Japanese researchers added sodium copper chlorophyllin to incubating saliva from periodontal patients: volatile sulfur compounds disappeared at ≥5 mg/ml, but the bacteria were unaffected. The mechanism is chemical gas-binding, not antisepsis.
2001: the chemoprevention trial. Egner’s Qidong trial (PNAS) gave aflatoxin-exposed adults 100 mg three times daily and cut the aflatoxin-DNA adduct biomarker ~55%: the file’s one genuine randomized trial, and it’s about environmental toxin exposure.

What does the research show?

Claim	Evidence	Dose	Verdict
Neutralizes breath-gas compounds	Lab saliva study	≥5 mg/ml contact	Real — lab only
Controls body/ostomy odor	1950s uncontrolled studies	100–300 mg/day	Historical — thin
Reduces aflatoxin biomarkers	Single RCT	300 mg/day	Supported — niche outcome
Freshens breath in people	Systematic review finds insufficient evidence	—	Unproven

What dose was studied?

Goal	Dose	Route
Historical deodorization	100–300 mg/day	oral
Aflatoxin biomarkers	300 mg/day	oral
Sulfur-gas suppression	~5 mg/ml in saliva	lab contact

Inside a 120 mg four-ingredient blend, the chlorophyllin share is likely tens of milligrams: an order below even the historical oral doses.

Side effects

Green-colored stool (harmless, alarming if unexpected) and mild digestive upset. Photosensitivity is theoretical at supplement doses.

Drug interactions

None well-documented at supplement doses. The copper content is the only watch item; it counts toward total copper intake if other copper-carrying products are stacked.

Who should not take it?

People with copper-accumulation disorders (Wilson disease) should count it as copper; everyone else has essentially no cautions at studied doses.

What the authorities say

No regulator endorses chlorophyllin for odor or breath. The systematic-review literature on halitosis interventions consistently returns ‘insufficient evidence’ for alternative agents, chlorophyllin included.

What to know about chlorophyllin

Chlorophyllin binds sulfur compounds in laboratory work, but modern bad-breath treatment evidence is insufficient. Its human aflatoxin trial answers a different question. Also count the copper it supplies when assessing a formula’s mineral content.

Frequently asked questions about Chlorophyllin

What is chlorophyllin vs chlorophyll?

Natural chlorophyll is fat-soluble, unstable, and magnesium-centered. Chlorophyllin is the processed version: water-soluble, more stable, with the magnesium swapped for copper. Virtually every 'liquid chlorophyll' product and supplement pill contains chlorophyllin, not true chlorophyll, including this one, which is why the label can list the same ingredient twice: once as copper source, once as blend member.

Does chlorophyllin deodorize?

In a test tube, demonstrably. A Japanese experiment added sodium copper chlorophyllin to incubating saliva and volatile sulfur compounds (the gases behind bad breath) disappeared at ≥5 mg/ml, without killing the bacteria. That's a chemical binding/neutralization effect, not antisepsis. In people, the evidence is 1950s-era small studies for colostomy and incontinence odor: real for its era, thin by modern standards.

Is 'liquid chlorophyll' good for bad breath?

The findings are unproven. A systematic review of alternative halitosis therapies (essential oils, herbs, and other non-standard agents) found insufficient evidence across the board. Chlorophyllin's mechanism (binding sulfur gases) is real chemistry; whether swallowing 10–40 mg inside a blend delivers that chemistry to your mouth is the unanswered question.

What was the aflatoxin trial?

The strongest item in the file: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Qidong, China (Egner 2001, PNAS) gave people exposed to dietary aflatoxin 100 mg chlorophyllin three times daily and cut aflatoxin-DNA damage biomarkers ~55%. It's genuine chemoprevention evidence, for environmental toxin exposure, not breath.

Is chlorophyllin safe?

Yes at historical doses; green-tinged stool and mild digestive effects are the complaints. Because it's copper-complexed, heavy use adds to copper intake (worth noting only if stacked with other copper sources); routine amounts are far below the copper upper limit.