Herb & supplement monograph

Chlorophyll Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Chlorophyll interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Chlorophyll is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Chlorophyll is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Chlorophyll Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a serious Chlorophyll drug interaction appears low for most people, though it is not zero. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the concerns rest largely on theoretical reasoning and a small number of case reports rather than strong human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction that stands out most involves photosensitizing drugs, medications that make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Chlorophyll itself has been reported to cause sun sensitivity, so combining it with these medicines could add to that effect, and this concern has reasonable human support. The other notable one is methotrexate, a medicine with a narrow safety margin; in one reported case, chlorophyll appeared to slow the body's clearance of a high intravenous dose, and clearance returned to normal once chlorophyll was stopped.

What the rest of the list means

Chlorophyll's long list of interacting medications looks bigger than it really is, because most entries fall under the single broad group of drugs that increase sun sensitivity. A moderate rating here reflects a possible additive effect, not proof that any given combination causes harm, and much of the evidence is theoretical or based on isolated reports.

Check your medications against Chlorophyll

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Chlorophyll interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Chlorophyll

337 medications have a known interaction with Chlorophyll, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Chlorophyll using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Chlorophyll interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Chlorophyll combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Chlorophyll affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Chlorophyll is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Chlorophyll interacts with

Methotrexate (trexall, Others)Photosensitizing Drugs

Methotrexate (Trexall, Others)

Theoretically, chlorophyll may reduce the clearance of methotrexate.
In one case report, a 54-year-old male developed delayed clearance of intravenous high-dose methotrexate with concomitant use of chlorophyll. When chlorophyll was stopped 2 days prior to methotrexate treatment, methotrexate clearance was unaffected.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Photosensitizing Drugs

Theoretically, concomitant use of chlorophyll with photosensitizing drugs may have additive effects.
Chlorophyll has been reported to cause photosensitization. In two case reports, pseudoporphyria developed after oral intake of chlorophyll. Theoretically, concomitant use with other photosensitizing drugs may exacerbate this effect.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Monograph

Chlorophyll: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants and algae, and supplements often use a stable form called chlorophyllin. It is most studied for reducing body and fecal odor and as a topical wound aid, but evidence for popular claims like detox and weight loss is weak. It is generally well tolerated for most adults, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Part used: Green parts of plants and algae (commonly alfalfa and algae sources)
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, liquid drops, topical ointments, and chlorophyllin (a semi-synthetic form)

People commonly use it for

Body and breath odor reduction
Wound healing (topical)
Detoxification
Antioxidant support
Skin health

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated in short-term use, but high-quality safety data are limited.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Chlorophyll is the green pigment that gives plants, algae, and some bacteria their color. It plays a key role in photosynthesis, which is how plants use sunlight to make energy. Because it is found in almost all green foods, most people already get small amounts of chlorophyll from their diet.

In supplements, chlorophyll is usually taken from plants like alfalfa or from algae. Many products actually contain a man-made, more stable version called chlorophyllin, which dissolves in water more easily than natural chlorophyll. You can find it as capsules, tablets, liquid drops you add to water, and topical creams or ointments.

People have used chlorophyll and chlorophyllin for many years, often to reduce body or breath odor and to help with skin and wound care.

How it works

Chlorophyll's chemical structure is similar to heme, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen. Because of this, some have proposed it may support blood or oxygen-related functions, but this idea is not well proven in people.

In laboratory and animal studies, chlorophyll and chlorophyllin appear to act as antioxidants, which means they may help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals. Researchers have also studied whether chlorophyllin can bind to certain harmful compounds in the gut so they are less easily absorbed.

It is important to know that most of these mechanisms come from test-tube and animal research. They do not guarantee the same effects happen in the human body.

Effectiveness

Does Chlorophyll work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 11 uses evaluated

11 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Chlorophyll, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 11 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Acne