Chlorophyll, Why It Is Important To Us

Chlorophyll has been called the blood of plants. It is the green pigment found in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. The name chlorophyll comes from two Greek words, chloros meaning green and phyllon meaning leaf. Chlorophyll absorbs light and is what allows the plants to obtain energy from that light. The Chlorophyll appears to be green because of the wavelength of the light it absorbs. Simply put, the different components of chlorophyll, through transfers of electrons, take CO2 or carbon dioxide and produce sugar and take water and through oxidation, produce O2 gas and H+ gas. Most plants grown in the dark are pale because there is no light be absorbed by the chlorophyll. There are some non-vascular plants and green algae which have a light-independent enzyme that produces the green in the darkness.

Chlorophyll is bound to proteins and can transfer the absorbed energy through these proteins. Scientists have found that chlorophyll has the same chemical structure as the human blood and this is why we get such health-promoting benefits from it. Although they are put together the same way, the center molecule in the blood structure is iron, and the center molecule in chlorophyll is magnesium. The juice of plants is quickly absorbed within our bodies and carries valuable nutrients through the blood to the cells of our bodies. It is great for the immune system and a powerful natural detoxifier.

Chlorophyll was first isolated by Joseph Bienaime Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier in 1817. Chlorophyll is not water soluble and is unstable when extracted from plants, making it important to drink the juice quickly after extracting it. In 1997, Frank S. and Lisa Sagliano first freeze dried the liquid chlorophyll at the University of Florida, making it possible to preserve it as a powder for future use.

Back in the 1700’s it was discovered that plants would clean the dirty air just by being present in the places where the dirty air was. It is the chlorophyll in the plants that performs this miracle and it does it while turning light, carbon dioxide and water into sugars, oxygen and hydrogen.

When green vegetables are cooked, the magnesium in the center of the chlorophyll molecule is replaced by hydrogen. If we cook it until the bright green color is gone and the color is gray green, we can be assured that most of the chlorophyll has been changed and is no longer chlorophyll.

There is much ongoing research into the healing benefits of chlorophyll in the areas of cancer especially. It will be interesting to follow this and see if healing is possible through this interesting chemical.

Why Juice Fresh Fruits and Vegetables?

Did you know that 95% of the nutrient content of fruit and vegetables is found in the juice? A well balanced and healthy diet includes many servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Sometimes it is hard to just eat that much food. Fresh fruits and Vegetables made into juices are an easy source for getting those vital nutrients. When fruits and vegetables are juiced, the cell walls of the produce are broken down to let the juice out. This juice is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. That is the quickest way to get nutrients into the body through the digestive system.

Phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables have been found to cure ailments such as asthma, diseases of the heart, digestive system, and diabetes. Consumed regularly they prevent and help fight many types of cancer. The best way to access these phytochemicals is through juicing the fresh fruits and vegetables and consuming that juice fresh and raw.

Chlorophyll, which is found in the green vegetables, particularly the leafy ones, has very similar makeup to the hemoglobin in the blood. Basically, it is the blood of the plants. It is healthy to use the green leafy vegetables in juices because of this oxygen transporter that is in them.

Raw fruits and vegetables contain many enzymes that play an important part not only in the digestion of our food but also in the building and repairing of our bodies. Our bodies produce enzymes, but we need so many that as we age, they become less available for the many jobs they are needed for in our bodies. If we supplement them we live healthier. Many of these enzymes are made up of trace minerals and other elements that we can get from juiced raw produce.

You have complete control over the ingredients when you make your own juices. You select the ingredients and other flavorings to be added. You have the final choice when you do it yourself. Because health and tastes are individual things, no two people will choose the same. What works for one may not work for someone else. That is one very good reason for having your own juicer and using it in your home. As you educate yourself about your health issues you are better able to choose what will be right for you.

The benefit we get from our food is so much greater in most cases, if we eat it raw. Juicing raw fruits and vegetables gives us more of the necessary nutrients to keep our bodies functioning at top efficiency than chewing our food. Dietary experts tell us that the juice of fruits and vegetables is absorbed more efficiently. We have the choice of what foods to use, if and how to add flavors, organic or inorganic, how fresh we want the food, and what we ultimately juice when we choose to juice our own food. Choose healthy, choose juicing for health and to enjoy the flavors of good food.