After one week of drinking chlorophyll in an effort to treat her acne, TikTok user @Ellietaylor929 reported a host of benefits, documenting them in daily videos and garnering a cool 3.3 million likes in the process. She is just one among many users on the platform creating #chlorophyll content—a hashtag that has racked up over 250 million views and counting.

According to the e-commerce site Victoria Health, interest is booming: it reported that sales of the liquid supplement rose by 500% in one week. So, what is chlorophyll, and should we all be drinking it?

What is chlorophyll?

“Chlorophyll is the green pigment that gives leaves, seaweed, algae, and vegetables their green color,” explains Shabir Daya, a pharmacist and the co-founder of Victoria Health. “It absorbs sunlight and changes it into energy via photosynthesis. At a molecular level, it is almost identical to haemoglobin, the oxygen carrier in our blood. Some people refer to it as the ‘blood’ of plants.”

As it turns out, chlorophyll is really nothing new in the health and wellness space. Daya explains that it was actually considered important to remedy a number of different health concerns back in the early 1900s, long before the days of TikTok. Used to treat ulcers, for pain relief and skin disorders, and even as a breath freshener, it was soon replaced by drugs and chemical antiseptics. But its myriad benefits never went away.

What are the benefits of taking chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll truly is a powerhouse ingredient. Here are the chlorophyll benefits you should know about now.

1. Reduces inflammation

“Chlorophyll neutralizes free radicals (in the body) and enhances their excretion, supporting optimal liver health,” Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist, naturopath, and founder of Artah, explains. “This reduces inflammation and potentially lowers the risk of chronic disease.”

2. Supports happy skin

“Chlorophyll accelerates wound repair, reduces acne, and combats signs of aging by promoting collagen and reducing inflammation,” says Stephenson.

A good way to think about chlorophyll, according to functional medicine practitioner, Ayurvedic doctor, and founder of The Murthy Clinic, Dr. Vijay Murthy, is as a gentle internal deodorizer and sponge. “It’s not an essential nutrient, but many people report better digestion, improved body odor, and clearer skin,” he says. “However, more research is needed in humans to confirm these effects long term.”

3. Helps with oxygen delivery

In our bodies, it works as a great oxygenator, helping our red blood cells take up oxygen, which makes them work more effectively and energetically, for overall good health (and all the good things that come with it, including radiant skin).

4. Promotes good liver function

Chlorophyll has also been shown to prevent the absorption of dioxins—the pollutants found in many of the foods we eat, thanks to the use of herbicides—while helping the body to get rid of these toxins too. “It promotes the liver’s cleansing and detoxification process by its action on the detoxification enzymes produced by the liver,” says Daya.