Sea Moss is an amazing supplement to add to your daily regimen. It is rich in a variety of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and more! There are a variety of different kinds of sea moss that provide different health benefits and are even used in many cultures’ cuisine. Let’s take a deep dive into the vast benefits of Sea Moss, and everything you should know about these amazing algae.
What exactly is Sea Moss?
There are thousands of species of Sea Moss. The two main that are consumed and popular today are genus gracilaria and chondrus crispus. Both are red algae (classified typically as Gold) with gracilaria being one of the largest red algae family varying in 100s subspecies and is found and grown all over the world. Chrondrus crispus is more commonly known as Irish Sea Moss, and it is found and grown around the Atlantic coast of the British Isles, Europe, and North America. Both are used in cuisine across the world and for their medicinal benefits. Some other names gracilaria is known by is ogonori or ogo in Japanense cuisine, gulaman in Philippines cuisine, and kkosiraegi in Korean cuisine, most English-speaking countries know it as Irish Sea Moss or just Irish Moss. There is other popular Sea Mosses such that range in classification of purple, gold, and green. All these varieties of Sea Moss do contain very similar vitamins and minerals, but each have their own medicinal focuses. Irish Sea Moss is by far the most beneficial of all, and you will commonly find it more often in supplement products unless you’re specifically looking for a certain color or strain.
What are the Health Benefits of Sea Moss?
So, there’s a lot of Sea Moss options out there, so you might be asking yourself which one you should be taking. Well let’s explore some of the general benefits of each type of Sea Moss.
Gold (Red) Sea Moss
To start off, Irish Sea Moss, red algae is a full spectrum mix of all three colors of sea moss (Purple, Green, and Gold), is deemed to be one of the most beneficial. It has been shown that it boosts the immune system, helps gut health and digestion, can help your thyroid, support heart and brain health, reduce blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. It achieves many of these benefits through the nutritional value of the various vitamins and minerals it contains such as vitamin C – A – E – K, zinc, magnesium, potassium, iodine, magnesium, iron, calcium, high amounts of antioxidants, and good in fiber like polysaccharides.
Purple Sea Moss
Purple Sea Moss is another superfood just like Irish Sea Moss but has a couple different benefits it brings to the table. It is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which helps it to be a great anti-inflammatory, and helps with depression, eye health, heart health, and anxiety. Much like other sea moss its nutritional value helps boost the immune system. Another great benefit it has is its ability to help sooth pain, inflamed skin, or help with acne when you apply it directly to your skin as a paste or ointment.
Green Sea Moss
Green Sea Moss has many of the same nutritional values as the other colored Sea Mosses, but varies by having a higher amount of chlorophyll, this is what gives the algae its green color. Chlorophyll can help your body detoxify from heavy metals and other mutagens. It can help boost your immune system, and can improve red blood cell strength, and due to this in return can increase your overall energy levels.
Things to Keep in Mind when using Sea Moss
Well on paper it sounds like Sea Moss, of any of the varieties are all great for your health but there are some key things to keep in mind when consuming any Sea Moss. For one, due to Sea Moss’ ability to absorb metals means it needs to be grown in a very clean environment. Any extra heavy metals or other containments can and will be absorbed into Sea Moss during its growth. It is important that you are buying from a reputable brand, and it is never a bad idea to inquire if they can provide adequate lab testing to prove their product is clean of contaminants. Another thing to keep in mind is consuming too much Sea Moss due to the iodine it contains. When you consume too much iodine it can negatively affect your thyroid by inflaming it and can lead to cancer, alongside other symptoms such as stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, and more. There is always the possibility of having an allergy, though it may be rare, it is always a good idea to take Sea Moss in low doses or amounts to ensure it’s sitting right with your body.
If you are on any medications, it is always important to consult your doctor before taking any Sea Moss supplements or eating daily serving amounts in your diet as they do contain a great mount of vitamins, minerals, and other compounds such as iodine. Keep in mind too that an effect Sea Moss can have is lowering blood pressure, so this may cause an unwanted interaction with blood-thinning medications.
The Main Take Away
Sea Moss is an incredibly healthy and great supplement to be taking. It contains 90% of all minerals and vitamins your body needs to operate at healthy functional levels though it does lack the mg amount you will need for your daily intake; it still checks off a lot of boxes though as a major nutrient booster! Not to mention its ability to detoxify the body makes for a great healing tool. Taking between 4 to 8 grams of Sea Moss is a healthy amount that should pose no negative health risks, with a recommended dosages of 500mg to 2000mg a day. You will often find Sea Moss paired with other flowers, roots, and extracts for powerful supplements, but can still find many products online of it pack dried, raw, or in pill capsules by itself based on color and strain.
