Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is what makes some plants (and cyanobacteria) green. There are several different pigment proteins with the name chlorophyll, but they're all functionally similar. It is essential to photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is usually located in the chloroplasts.

Health claims
Chlorophyll is often claimed to be useful in detoxification, and there's a rather worrying blog which claims it can cure gangrene and breast cancer. If chlorophyll did by any chance have miraculous health effects, we would have already felt them by now because all green vegetables contain chlorophyll.

The counterclaim to chlorophyll-woo is an old ditty (made in reference to the supposed breath-freshening properties of a certain chewing gum)


 * The goat that lives on yonder hill
 * Lives all day on chlorophyll