Does Chlorophyll Cause Sensitivity to Sunlight?

What Is Chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is a pigment found in plants, algae, and a certain kind of bacteria called cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll is used by these organisms to absorb light. Once the light has been absorbed, the chlorophyll helps the plants, cyanobacteria, and algae convert it into energy. Chlorophyll is very important to the process of photosynthesis, which allows plants to make energy from sunlight. When a molecule of chlorophyll is struck by light, it undergoes a chemical reaction that supplies energy to the plant to create sugar and other necessary nutrients.

Does Chlorophyll Cause Sensitivity to Sunlight in Humans?

Succinctly, no. The human digestive system is designed to break down all foods to very small components. While we do consume chlorophyll when we eat plants, the molecule itself is far too large to be absorbed by the digestive system. The human digestive system breaks down proteins into amino acids, carbohydrates into smaller sugars, and fats into individual lipids. As a result, no large molecule created by a plant would be absorbed by the digestive system. Any digested chlorophyll would simply be broken down into very small pieces and, since the human body cannot use photosynthesis, there would be no reason why it would be reassembled into an intact chlorophyll model. This means that chlorophyll cannot have any effects on humans.

What Can Cause Light Sensitivity?

Light sensitivity is also known as photophobia, which is not actually a fear of light but instead is an extreme sensitivity of the skin and eyes to light. Many causes of photophobia are due to eye conditions, damage to the eye, irritation and inflammation of the iris, or scratches to the cornea. Other causes of sensitivity to light can be due to neurological problems, including meningitis, hemorrhages, or side effects from a hangover or from certain medications. Skin sensitivity to sunlight is usually the result of defects in skin pigmentation, such as albinism.