Home Ingredients ChloroBlast® (Alfalfa Chloroplast Concentrate — Ingredients by Nature)
Antioxidant

ChloroBlast® (Alfalfa Chloroplast Concentrate — Ingredients by Nature)

Medicago sativa
Evidence Level
Preliminary
0 Clinical Trials
3 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

ChloroBlast® is a chloroplast concentrate from alfalfa (Medicago sativa), developed by Ingredients by Nature with Virentia using a patented, chemical-free fractionation that keeps the chloroplasts intact. It is a raw, vegan green ingredient rich in protein, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and vitamins. No published human trial of the specific ingredient could be found.

Studied Dose Not established. No human trial of this ingredient has been published, so follow the amount on the finished product label.
Active Compound Intact alfalfa (Medicago sativa) chloroplast concentrate, rich in protein, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and vitamins.

Benefits

Green-nutrient support

ChloroBlast is a concentrated green plant ingredient, supplying protein, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and a range of vitamins and minerals.

Antioxidant content

It contains chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and vitamins that show antioxidant activity in laboratory testing, and the supplier reports an ORAC antioxidant value for the ingredient. Whether it changes oxidative stress in people has not been tested for this ingredient.

Limited-evidence note

ChloroBlast is characterized mainly by its rich nutrient composition; dedicated published clinical outcome data are limited.

Mechanism of action

1

Concentrated phytonutrients

Keeping the chloroplasts intact preserves chlorophyll, carotenoids, and fat-soluble vitamins that are otherwise lost in high-heat processing.

2

Antioxidant pigments

Chlorophyll and beta-carotene act as antioxidant pigments that help neutralize free radicals.

Clinical trials

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well-tolerated as a food-based green.
Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. Alfalfa also contains L-canavanine, an amino acid analogue linked in case reports to flare-ups of lupus after alfalfa tablets and to a lupus-like syndrome in monkeys fed alfalfa sprouts. Levels are highest in seed and sprout and no figure has been published for this leaf concentrate, so anyone with lupus or another autoimmune condition should ask a doctor first.
Alfalfa leaf contains vitamin K, and reference sources advise people taking warfarin to avoid alfalfa, or at minimum to keep intake steady and tell your doctor.

Important Drug interactions

Warfarin — green plants contain vitamin K, which can affect it; keep intake consistent and tell your doctor.
No drug interaction studies have been published for this ingredient, so other interactions cannot be ruled out.
Tell your doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Frequently asked questions about ChloroBlast® (Alfalfa Chloroplast Concentrate — Ingredients by Nature)

What is ChloroBlast?

ChloroBlast® is a chloroplast concentrate from alfalfa (Medicago sativa), developed by Ingredients by Nature with Virentia using a patented, chemical-free fractionation that keeps the chloroplasts intact. It is a raw, vegan green ingredient rich in protein, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and vitamins.

What is ChloroBlast used for?

ChloroBlast is researched primarily for Antioxidant. ChloroBlast is a concentrated green plant ingredient, supplying protein, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and a range of vitamins and minerals.

What is the recommended dosage of ChloroBlast?

The clinically studied dose is Not established. No human trial of this ingredient has been published, so follow the amount on the finished product label. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is ChloroBlast safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, ChloroBlast is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well-tolerated as a food-based green. Mild digestive upset is occasionally reported. Alfalfa also contains L-canavanine, an amino acid analogue linked in case reports to flare-ups of lupus after alfalfa tablets and to a lupus-like syndrome in monkeys fed alfalfa sprouts… It may also interact with some medications. ChloroBlast is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does ChloroBlast interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Warfarin — green plants contain vitamin K, which can affect it; keep intake consistent and tell your doctor. No drug interaction studies have been published for this ingredient, so other interactions cannot be ruled out. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for ChloroBlast?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for ChloroBlast as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 7 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(7 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Lee SH, Kang HJ, Lee HJ, Kang MH, Park YK Six-week supplementation with Chlorella has favorable impact on antioxidant status in Korean male smokers Nutrition. 2010;26(2):175-83. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2009.03.010.PubMedUsed to support: Does not test this ingredient. This is a 6-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (n=52 smokers) of Chlorella, a single-celled green alga, which is a different organism from alfalfa and is not a constituent of ChloroBlast. It reports that Chlorella supplementation (6.3 g/day) significantly increased plasma vitamin C (+44.4%) and alpha-tocopherol (+15.7%) and improved erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase). These results belong to Chlorella and cannot be transferred to an alfalfa chloroplast concentrate.
  2. Ryu NH, Lim Y, Park JE, Kim J, Kim JY, Kwon SW, Kwon O Impact of daily Chlorella consumption on serum lipid and carotenoid profiles in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study Nutrition Journal. 2014;13:57. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-13-57.PubMedUsed to support: Does not test this ingredient. This is a 4-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (n=63) of Chlorella, a single-celled green alga, which is a different organism from alfalfa and is not a constituent of ChloroBlast. It reports that Chlorella supplementation (5 g/day) significantly elevated serum carotenoids (lutein/zeaxanthin +89.6%; alpha-carotene +163.6%) versus placebo. The carotenoid rise belongs to Chlorella and cannot be transferred to an alfalfa chloroplast concentrate.
  3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Alfalfa. LiverTox, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 2006;Bethesda (MD). Internet resource..PubMedUsed to support: NIH Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) record for alfalfa. States that alfalfa leaves and sprouts contain saponins, estrogenic isoflavonoids, vitamin K and the amino acid L-canavanine, that worsening of systemic lupus erythematosus has been reported and is possibly caused by immune stimulation by L-canavanine, and that because of its vitamin K content alfalfa should be avoided in persons taking warfarin. Correct species and correct plant part. It substantiates the vitamin K, warfarin, canavanine and pregnancy or breastfeeding cautions only, is not a trial, and supports no benefit.
  4. Gaweł E Chemical composition of lucerne leaf extract (EFL) and its applications as a phytobiotic in human nutrition. Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2012;11(3):303-10..PubMedUsed to support: Compositional review of lucerne (alfalfa) leaf extract, the correct species and the correct plant part, reporting protein, minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and silicon, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and phytochemicals including carotene and chlorophyll, and listing L-canavanine, saponins and phytates among the antinutritional components of the leaf. Supports the green-nutrient composition claim only. It is a review of composition and preclinical work, not a human outcome trial, and it does not test ChloroBlast.
  5. Roberts JL, Hayashi JA Exacerbation of SLE associated with alfalfa ingestion. N Engl J Med. 1983;308(22):1361..PubMedUsed to support: Case report of two patients with quiescent systemic lupus erythematosus who had reactivation of disease in association with ingesting alfalfa tablets, with L-canavanine confirmed present in the tablets by HPLC. Safety citation only. It concerns an alfalfa supplement rather than this chloroplast concentrate specifically, and supports no benefit.
  6. Malinow MR, Bardana EJ Jr, Pirofsky B, et al. Systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome in monkeys fed alfalfa sprouts: role of a nonprotein amino acid. Science. 1982;216(4544):415-7..PubMedUsed to support: Cynomolgus macaques fed alfalfa sprouts developed haematologic and serologic abnormalities resembling human systemic lupus erythematosus, and dietary L-canavanine sulfate reactivated the syndrome in animals previously affected. Safety citation only. This is a primate study of sprouts and seeds, not of alfalfa leaf chloroplast concentrate, and supports no benefit.
  7. Rosenthal GA, Nkomo P The natural abundance of L-canavanine, an active anticancer agent, in alfalfa, medicago sativa (L.). Pharm Biol. 2000;38(1):1-6..PubMedUsed to support: This paper quantifies natural L-canavanine abundance in alfalfa at 1.4 to 1.8 percent of dry matter in seeds (mean 1.54 percent) and 1.3 to 2.4 percent in commercial sprouts. Cited to show that the published canavanine figures are for seed and sprout rather than for leaf material, which is why the safety note is worded as an open question for this concentrate. It measures no clinical outcome and supports no benefit.