Spring is the season of the liver/wood element, and green is the color that nourishes the liver. If you’re looking for a gentle way to support detoxification, this is a great time to add more greens to your day.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants that helps to convert sunlight to usable energy. Chlorophyll’s main action is a chelator, meaning that it binds to things such as heavy metals and carcinogens and facilitates their excretion. Chlorophyll also supports phase II detoxification in the liver, reducing oxidative stress on the liver and supporting the metabolism of harmful toxins, drugs and excess hormones.

Chlorophyll closely resembles the structure of our red blood cells, with just one atom difference (red blood cells have iron at the center while chlorophyll has magnesium at the center).

Just like our red blood cells, chlorophyll can bind with oxygen, facilitating the transportation of oxygen to our cells and increasing the production and recycling of red blood cells in our bodies. And even though we don’t transform sunlight into energy as much as plants do, a diet rich in chlorophyll does help us to have more energy (especially when we eat chlorophyll rich roods before soaking up some sunlight). Chlorophyll is also known to protect the skin from sun damage.

Just like the plants, this time of year our blood (sap) begins to flow outward and upward. We crave movement and growth and expansion. We need to rid ourselves of excess to allow our blood to flow optimally. And just like plants, we can use flavonoids and pigments to help protect our skin as we soak up the sun’s rays. So as we approach the yang-half of the year (beginning at spring equinox) we will want to add more greens to our diet to support the elimination of all that we have accumulated during the sedentary winter months of heavy foods and lack of sunshine.

Chlorophyll-rich plants include nettle, spinach, alfalfa, cilantro, parsley, spirulina and chlorella, all of which are amazing detoxifiers and can be helpful for preventing seasonal allergies (especially nettle!). For additional support for your liver and for general detoxification, be sure to also read our previous posts about beets, dandelion, chickweed, schisandra, yellow dock, and violet . Many of these herbs are ready to harvest right now and can easily be foraged or cultivated in your yard!

If you don’t have the capacity to harvest your own greens, or have a hard time drinking dandelion leaf tea, you can still have amazing benefits from taking liquid chlorophyll drops. We carry Trace Minerals ionic chlorophyll drops (pictured above) that can easily be added to your tea, water, smoothies, dressings or sauces for a burst of green power.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.*