If you suffer from altitude sickness, you may be considering taking chlorophyll as a supplement. Does chlorophyll help with altitude sickness? Here's info on whether chlorophyll can help prevent altitude sickness or not.
Altitude sickness occurs when you cannot get enough oxygen from the air at higher altitudes. This causes symptoms such as a headache, loss of appetite, and trouble sleeping.
It happens most often when people who are not used to high altitudes go quickly from lower altitudes to 8000 feet or higher. For example, you may get a headache when you drive over a high mountain pass, hike to a high altitude, or arrive at a mountain resort.
Chlorophyll is the compound in plants that gives them their green color. It is also what enables them to produce energy via photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll is found in almost all plants and algae, including sea vegetables like spirulina and chlorella.
Chlorophyll has become popular in dietary supplements. It can be extracted from these plants with water or alcohol and then used as a dietary supplement. It's often used for detoxification, weight loss, and other health benefits.
We could not find any research to show that chlorophyll helps prevent or reverse altitude sickness. However, we did find some research that points to chlorophyll helping hemoglobin in the body, slight evidence that it may have some effect for altitude sickness.
In a study conducted on animals, researchers found that consumption of chlorophyll increased the concentration of hemoglobin in their bodies.¹ Hemoglobin is a molecule present in red blood cells that helps deliver oxygen throughout the body. When there's not enough hemoglobin present in the body, anemia can occur.
The 1936 study, Dr. Patek stated “This study can encourage us to use this ingredient, which is rich in green plants and green protein foods, and with it, we can fill our depots, which will eventually activate a higher production of hemoglobin in our body.”
Chlorophyll may help prevent altitude sickness because it has been shown to increase the number of red blood cells in the body. This can allow more oxygen to be carried through the bloodstream, which could make it easier for people who are at high altitudes to breathe.
Chlorophyll can be taken in pills liquid, powder or tablet form and is available in most health food shops. If taking as an altitude adjustment supplement, take chlorophyll every morning with water the days leading up to your high altitude trip. Then take during every day when you're at high altitude.
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SOURCES:
1. Chlorophyll and blood regeneration
https://www.eistria.com/en/chlorophyll-and-blood-regeneration
2. Effect of high altitude (7,620 m) exposure on glutathione
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11320641/
