The answer turns out to be quite simple:
eat your greens!
No, I’m not joking. Let me explain:
As we all know, green leafy vegetables, and for that matter sea plants and algae, contain an abundance of chlorophyll — the green pigment which give plants their distinctive color.
But do you know that chlorophyll and its derivative chlorophyllin have potent antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic effects that can potentially protect us from radiation damages? Here are some encouraging preliminary results from some studies:
In one
in vitro study,
chlorophyllin reduced the DNA damage from ionizing radiation by 90%. As natural chlorophyll becomes unstable after being removed from their protective environment, chlorophyllin is often used in studies instead. Chlorophyllin is a more stable form of chlorophyll obtained by substituting the magnesium ion in chlorophyll with another ion (such as copper).
Another
study done on lab animals suggested that
chlorophyllin may offer protection against gamma radiation and photosensitization way better than vitamin C and glutathione, our body’s own antioxidant.
Chlorophyllin may also help to protect against the oxidative stress induced by full-body radiation and prevent radiation-induced immune suppression as suggested by this
lab study. In the study, chlorophyllin increases the number of crucial immune system cells in the spleen (T cells, B cells, and macrophages) during recovery from radiation.
Two in vitro studies found that
chlorophyll and chlorophyllin are able to bind with carcinogens and form irreversible complexes, reducing the amount of harmful toxins being absorbed by the body. The cancer-causing substances tested in the lab include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in
exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke and heterocyclic amines found in
grilled meat (
source).
Chlorophyllin is also found useful in blocking the absorption of alfatoxin, a highly carcinogenic toxin found in moldy grains, legumes and nuts, in both human subjects and animal models. A
human trial was conducted in the Qidong province in China, the place with the highest rates of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer in the world.
Results showed that chlorophyllin taken three times a day with meals for four months reduced aflatoxin in the body by 55%.
In an
attempt to find out how effective chlorophyllin is in binding to a known mutagen, acridine orange, researchers found that
chlorophyllin is twenty times more effective than resveratrol.
How to get chlorophyll & chlorophyllin:
Eats as much organic, pesticide-free green leafy vegetables as you like, especially chlorophyll-rich spinach, preferably in every meal. Not only do you get the green health-boosting pigments, green vegetables also supply you with other minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for good health.
But it is important not to overcook your greens. You will know you have gone too far when your vegetables turn from bright to dull green. Steaming green vegetables for a short time and eating with some healthy oil is the best way to get your chlorophyll and may even enhance absorption.
Chlorophyll & chlorophyllin supplements:
Whole foods is the best source of natural chlorophyll as the green pigment tends to become unstable after they are isolated.
However, if your diet does not contain enough green vegetables, or you need a boost in anti-carcinogenic effects,
you can enhance your diet with chlorophyllin supplements — a more stable form of chlorophyll.
Chlorophyllin has an added advantage over natural chlorophyll in that it is soluble in water, and thus enhances its absorption, while the latter is not.
