Sea Moss Benefits And Side Effects : An Ultimate Guide To Boost Your Health

If you haven’t heard much about Sea moss earlier, it’s an Algae or seagrass originating from Ireland.

Sea moss has lately gathered a lot of discussion because of its benefits.
However, like any other ‘super food’, there’s controversy surrounding Sea Moss too. If you’re looking for some information on whether to try it or not, you’ve landed a jackpot. Let’s dive right in! (Quite literally)

What Is Sea Moss?

Sea moss, scientifically known as Chondrus crispus, is a seaweed that grows along the Northern Atlantic coast of America. (North America) (1 )

It’s pretty much like any other type of seaweed – it has been harvested for centuries and used to provide benefits which we’ll talk about in just a minute.

People also refer to Raw Irish Sea Moss as sea leafy vegetables because it is edible in nature.

They also refer it as red algae.

It comes in various colours such as

red
green
yellow
purple
brown
black

Types Of Sea Moss

There are mainly 2 different types of Sea moss

Sea Moss (Also known as Irish Sea Moss)
Irish Moss

We already know about Sea moss as mentioned in the above paragraph.

Their scientific names are as follows: Chondrus Crispus & Genus Gracilaria.

It is also crucial to clear a common misconception as people tend to believe sea moss is the same as Irish moss.

Irish moss helps with inflammation. Irish moss is typically green in colour.

It is greenish in colour and it is found in regions of North America, the Atlantic coast of Ireland & also in warmer waters. (2), (3)

Nutrients In Sea Moss

Red seaweeds like sea moss are power-packed with 92 out of the possible 110 nutrients.

They are naturally low in calories, fat and sugar, and they contain a small amount of plant protein.

It is rich in iron, magnesium, omega-3, dietary fibre, iodine & protein.

A 4-tablespoon (20-gram) serving of raw Irish sea moss provides the following (4)

• Energy : 10

• Protein : 0.5 grams

• Total fat : 0 grams

• Total carbs : 3 grams

• Fibre : 0.5 grams

• Magnesium : 7% of the DV

• Zinc : 4% of the DV

• Copper : 3% of the DV

• Phosphorus: 2% of the DV

9 Health Benefits Of Sea Moss

Weight Loss

Let’s face it, quarantining, and the lockdown has slowed down our journey towards fitness and health.

If you haven’t had any chance to leave your house, there’s a good chance you might’ve put on some weight too.

If you’re looking for diet options to reduce weight, Sea Moss might be something you want to consider.

Sea Moss contains fucoxanthin – a xanthophyll compound that helps you break down the fat piled up in your body.

What’s more? Sea moss includes a lot of fibre. Fibre makes you feel full for a longer time with almost no calories and significantly less fat and sugars. It’s the perfect diet.

If weight loss is your end goal of consuming sea moss, we recommend reading: Does sea moss help for weight loss?

Iodine helps in maintaining healthy thyroid function & improve's body's metabolism.

Immunity Boost

Several animal studies prove that sea moss improves your immunity.

An experiment on Sea Weed in Salmons proved improved levels in immunity and modulation. Seaweed contains many
compounds such as fucoxanthin, Carrageenan and porphyrin. There’s no research that they strongly battle/ prevent cancer, but there’s a reasonably good chance.

It contains potassium chloride which reduces inflammation thereby decreasing the risk of catching infections. (14)

Sea moss helps suppress allergy symptoms & also reduces inflammation

Gut Health

Having a healthy gut is such a relief.

An unhealthy gut messes up other operations inside our body, including peace of mind. Seaweeds are excellent sources of fatty acids, polysaccharides, carotenoids, and polyphenols.

These compounds procreate healthy bacteria, which aids in digestion.

Sea moss contains algal fibre which is anti-inflammatory in nature. (5), (6)

Algal fibre is a derivate of dietary fibre and that is why it is an excellent source of dietary fibre.

Fibres are resistant to digestion and hence promote a healthy gut. You can also avoid constipation and diarrhoea.

Sea moss is helpful in maintaining our sugar & cholestrols levels

'Could' Improve Fertility

Scientifically, we cannot vouch for this. What we can vouch for is the fact that traditionally people use Sea moss to boost testosterone levels and increase sperm count.

For people with ovaries, it’s a common belief that Sea Moss improves egg health significantly.

We’ll remind you once again that this is not scientific. Just a common belief. We’ve got more interesting facts about this in sea moss for fertility

Besides fertility, Sea moss is great for men too. Be it prostrate health or muscle building, sea moss offers a plethora of benefits.

Read more about it in sea moss benefits for men.

Thyroid Health

We’re ending this with some certainty. Iodine deficiency leads to thyroid health issues, and Sea Weed is rich in Iodine. Problem solved? Maybe not. Seaweed cannot wholly cure thyroid diseases. But making sure that you’re consuming a considerable amount of Seaweed will reduce the chances of a thyroid Disease.

Helps Boost Your Energy Levels

We all know carbohydrates are one of the amazing sources of energy. (7)

Research suggests that raw sea moss contains a good amount of carbohydrates which you could include in your recipes.

Sea moss contains good amount of carbohydrates

Helps Improve Skin Complexion

Sea Moss as Nature’s Anti-Aging Elixir? 🤔

If you’ve ever wanted an easy way to look younger without spending hours at the salon or breaking out with acne medications – sea moss might be just what you’re looking for.

Raw sea plants like sea moss are known as some of nature’s most powerful anti-ageing remedies.

Their exfoliating properties allow them to sweep away dead cells from clogged pores while also providing natural UV protection that reduces sun damage over time.

Sea moss benefits our skin by improving complexion with a reduction in
– acne
– eczema
– psoriasis
& other inflammatory skin conditions.

Sea moss has been used traditionally for a variety of beauty treatments such as
– softening skin
– removing wrinkles
– reducing age spots

It has a variety of benefits such as nutritious, anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants which help protect our skin and nails.

Recommended reading: Sea Moss Benefits For Skin

Sea moss has a variety of benefits to help protect our skin and nails

Helps Easing Your Swelling Of Joints

Sea moss may be the healthy answer to those who want a natural way of managing their inflammation.

Whether it’s arthritis or athletes, sea moss can do wonders for your joints and mobility when eaten in small doses after exercising.

Sea Moss is one solution that will help manage joint inflammation whether
you’re an athlete with sore muscles from working out

someone suffering from rheumatoid arthritis
which causes pain and swelling around joints like hands, wrists, elbows etc.,

Use sea moss in your smoothie can provide anti-inflammatory supplements such as omega 3s fats and fatty acids found in fish oils.

These are excellent at reducing joint inflammation while improving overall flexibility even patients without arthritic conditions would enjoy these sea moss benefits too!

Using sea moss in your smoothies can provide anti-inflammatory supplements

Supports Anemia Treatment

If you are experiencing a lack of oxygen in your blood, it may be time to make some dietary changes.

One way that anemic patients manage their symptoms is by eating foods rich in iron such as sea moss and other greens.

One effective strategy for fighting the effects of anemia includes consuming more amounts of certain types of food with high levels of iron like spinach and green leafy vegetables.

Hold up! There’s more. Irish Sea Moss is also great for your hair. It offers a unique set of benefits like Moisturising, improved hair growth, and nourishment.
There’s some reading dedicated to this: Sea moss benefits for hair. Read away!

Sea moss is rich in iron which is an effective strategy for fighting against the effects of anemia.

How To Consume Sea Moss?

There are multiple ways to consume Sea moss. You can eat it, add to your food, apply it as a gel, and in many other ways. We’ll explore each and every one of them in this section.

What’s the most common way of consuming sea moss? Eating it/ mixing it with your everyday food. There are multiple recipes to refer to for how to eat Sea moss. Here are a few:

The Jamaican Irish Moss Drink

The Jamaican Irish Moss drink is one of the most delicious made out of non-dairy milk, vanilla and of course, sea moss. And guess what? It’s vegan. If you’re someone who loves customizing recipes, you should try adding cinnamon and nutmeg to add flavor and crunch.

Looking for more recipes? Read our in-depth article on sea moss drink

Using the Sea moss Gel In Your Smoothie

Can you eat sea moss gel? If you’re looking for the best recipe to sneak your sea moss into your smoothie, gel is the way. Sea Moss acts as a gel-based ingredient and doesn’t contribute any flavour to your smoothie. You can add any kind of fruit or vegetables into the mix, and they will dominate the taste of your smoothie.

The Perfect Natural Thickener

Sea Moss contains Gelatin. It’s also called ‘Vegan Gelatin’. It can be used to thicken soups, smoothies, ice cream etc. If you want to add Sea Moss into your daily schedule, you can add it into your favourite jam flavours and eat it with taste. You can use chia seeds and berries to give your toast an upgrade for added flavour.

Watering Your Plants

Yep! You can use it to water your plants too. Sea moss is a rich source of nutrition for your plants. Mix a small amount of Sea Moss in your water before spraying it. The results are astounding.

The recommended amount of Sea Moss mixed in water is 1-2 tablespoons in around half a gallon of water.

Face Mask

For people who take care of your face and skin, you might want to try Sea Moss. It’s not just for eating; it also works wonders on your face. Here’s a face mask recipe that might help.

You can apply the Sea Moss gel directly on your face as it is a perfect substitute for Vegan Gelatin. Soak the sea moss in water for about 20 minutes. Use a fresh cup of water and blend it with the sea moss (3/4th of a cup per 20 grams). You can add in more water and combine if you want to lighten the mixture. Refrigerate this mix overnight and watch it turn into a beautiful gel for your face mask.

You can also experiment with Aloe Vera, Turmeric, Honey, Green Algae and many more.

Learn more such beauty secrets on: Sea moss benefits for skin

Irish Moss Side Effects: Few things you might want to look out for

You must’ve heard people say ‘ Sea moss made me sick’. Sea Moss is healthy on most occasions. ‘Most’. Here are a few Sea moss side effects you might want to look out for.

Thyroid Impact

Sea Moss is rich in Iodine. We’ve mentioned earlier that it can help in your thyroid function. However, it is also possible that excessive consumption of Irish Moss can lead to too much Iodine, eventually causing Thyroid Cancer. Constantly monitoring your Sea Moss intake and talking to a medical professional is recommended.

Burning or Irritated Skin

Sea Moss contains small amounts of Sulphur which might cause an allergic reaction leading to irritated or itchy skin. It can also cause other reactions like small dermatological spots or acne-like breakouts. This is because of the Iodine content in Sea Moss.

Gastrointestinal Issues

The GI tract is quickly impacted by Sea Moss. Some of the symptoms you might notice are Diarrhea, Bloating, constipation, gassiness, cramps etc. If you’re sceptical about consuming sea moss. It’s a good idea to consume in small quantities to see how your body reacts to it.

How Long Does It Take For Sea Moss To Work?

If you’re an Iodine deficient person starting to consume Sea Moss. You’ll start noticing changes within a week. To narrow it down, you’ll mainly see physical and mental health improvement.

Be patient and use it consistently for 3 weeks. You’ll surely see noticeable changes after three to six weeks.

If you’re using it on your face, it usually takes 15-20 mins for the skin to absorb its nutrients after using it as a face mask.

How Often Should You Take Sea Moss?

Sea Moss is a storehouse of nutrients and minerals. Our body needs a balance of different nutrients and minerals known as homeostasis. So it’s important not to disturb the balance by excessively consuming any substance.

There’s no solid answer for how much sea moss is good for you. Usually, a minimum amount of 1-2 tablespoons per day is recommended for daily consumption of the Irish Moss. But there are other ways to consume Sea Moss besides eating it out of a spoon, right? If you’re drinking it in a drip method, around 3 droppers per day is a good enough way.

Can you take Sea Moss every day? The key is to experiment. This is because different body types have different tolerance levels. Start with consuming small quantities on alternative days and gradually increase the dosage.

Tip: If you’re already consuming Iodine from another supplement, it’s better to stick to lesser dosages of daily Sea moss.

Does sea moss make you poop?

Yes, it does! One of the significant side effects to Sea Moss is pooping. Like we’ve discussed earlier, Sea moss majorly impacts the gastrointestinal tract. It’s also a highly fibrous food that is digestion proof. Hence you tend to poop more.

People have traditionally preferred sea moss for digestion. Sea moss is perfect for improving your gut health by promoting digestion and hence can be used as a natural laxative.

However, not everybody is happy with this side effect. If you’re one of them, make sure you consume Sea Moss in small quantities. Gradually your body will grow a tolerance towards the fibre content.

How To Easily Prepare Sea Moss Gel

Now that I know you’re pretty much excited to prepare sea moss gel after reading about the amazing uses & the list full of benefits of sea moss.

But before that, it’s very important that you do a bit more research on where to buy sea moss, where to buy the right type of sea moss as your satisfaction should always come first.

Now that being said, I’ll share with you 5 easy steps to prepare sea moss gel:

Step 1: Rinse sea moss thoroughly with clean water multiple times to remove all the trapped particles.

Step 2: Depending upon the quantity needed, fill the bowl with sea moss and soak it with spring water.
Cover or refrigerate for 24 hours or more.

Step 3: Pour stored water and rinse sea moss once again.

Step 4: Blend 20-40 grams of sea moss with 4-5 cups of fresh spring water until consistency in the gel is achieved.

And voila!–your sea moss gel is ready!

Use 2-3 tablespoons of sea moss with your daily diet to get all the vitamins and minerals from this lovely red seaweed.

*Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use this sea moss gel for up to one month.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator and use upto one month

The Bottom Line!

Sea Moss is definitely a superfood. It offers multiple benefits for you, including Improved immunity, Better digestion, vitamin supplement, Skin protection, Anti-aging properties and many more. Indeed, many of them don’t have solid evidence to vouch for.

However, there’s solid proof that there’s no harm in trying it out and witnessing the magic yourself. All you need to do is consult a healthcare professional and get a quick checkup done. If they approve it, you’re good to go.

If you’re skeptical about its consumption, you can surely wait until further research is done.

There are many fake rumors about other benefits that sea moss offers. Before believing them, make sure that they’re scientifically backed up. Know it before you try it.

Talk to your doctor before you start using sea moss as an alternative medicine

Browse

Want to chat?

Social