Much has been written of late about the power of green foods - spirulina blue-green algae, green barley grass, alfalfa, chlorophyll, wheat grass, and more - yet in this seeming evolution, comparatively little scientific research exists. Anecdotal evidence abounds, however, and some promising studies have prompted scientists to begin more research on green foods. With ample-scientific evidence, green foods may overcome their unfortunate reputation as a fringe food - what one scientists refers to as "pond scum."

Green foods owe most of their health-enhancing properties to their high-concentrations of chlorophyll, the green pigment that supports the growth of plants. The molecular structure of chlorophyll is remarkably similar to that of hemoglobin, the protein pigment that makes blood red - the difference is that hemoglobin has an iron atom at its center, while chlorophyll have a magnesium atom.

The benefits of chlorophyll aren't a passing fad. As early as 1940, researchers noted the effectiveness of chlorophyll as a healing agent - treating conditions ranging from respiratory tract infection to cancerous lesions - in some 1,200 cases reviewed. U.S. Army research showed that chlorophyll helped offset the effects of radiation: in a study of animals who were exposed to radiation, those who received a diet rich in chlorophyll lived twice as long as those who did not. Other research indicates that chlorophyll helps ward off colds, prevent inflammation, and treat inner-ear infections and that it is an effective agent for detoxification, deodorizing, and enhanced wound healing.