Sea Moss on Reddit, Sea Moss on TikTok, Kim Kardashian uses Sea Moss, and the list goes on and on. While these may have almost convinced you to add it to your cart and tap ‘place order,’ your rational and inquisitive mind wants to conduct some basic research before purchasing it and possibly end up regretting (because, you see, sea moss is quite expensive). This is how you ended up here.
To quench your thirst and provide you with all the necessary information, let’s first understand what Sea Moss is.
What is Sea Moss?
Sea Moss, also commonly known as Irish Moss, is a marine algae that has a delicate texture with thin, wispy strands that feel like slime, which should not be a problem unless you get nauseous merely at the thought of slime.
The main purpose of harvesting sea moss is for its carrageenan, commonly used as a thickening agent, but apparently, it has many more benefits than just being a thickener, which makes it belong to the superfood category. Although not much research has been conducted on sea moss, it is generally safe to use and is said to contain 92 essential minerals, which is remarkable as our body is composed of 102 minerals and nutrients.
Benefits of Sea Moss:
Here comes the part where you can find the actual and factual answers to the question: Is sea moss worth the hype?
There have not been many proven benefits, but testimonials from people who have used it might make up for it. The majority of sea moss users reported a boost in energy, mental sharpness, and an overall sense of well-being. It is claimed to have more benefits, including treating inflammation and other related disorders.
- Supports Thyroid Health: Sea moss is rich in iodine, which is essential for the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Iodine cannot be produced by the body on its own, so it is important to get a sufficient amount of iodine (150 micrograms per day for adults) through food to prevent hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. However, if you are affected by any thyroid disorders, it is wise to consult a doctor first before embarking on your sea moss journey.
- Supports Gut Health: A prebiotic is a type of fiber that is a superfood for your gut’s good bacteria, making it an essential when it comes to improving gut health. Guess what has prebiotics? Sea moss. Including a small amount of sea moss in your diet will do wonders for your gut.
- Improves Immune System: Apart from iodine, sea moss also contains numerous amounts of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, along with iron and vitamins C and A, which are known to improve your immune system. There is not much scientific evidence to back these claims, but it helps keep the gut and stomach healthy, and that should speak for itself.
- Makes Your Skin Healthy and Glowy: We all want to look young no matter how old we get, and sea moss is one miracle anti-aging agent that comes to aid in this case, thanks to its hydrating properties. As we know, it helps with inflammation, so it should aid in improving inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. In short, it works pretty great as a moisturizer, but its benefits on the skin may not go past that point.
- Promotes Weight Loss: If you want to lose weight or simply maintain your weight despite binge eating junk food, lucky you—sea moss seems to help in this aspect. It decreases your appetite and keeps you energetic all day, which in turn makes you work out more than usual.
In case you’re still curious, sea moss might be a potential aid for Parkinson’s disease, a disorder that affects the nervous system. It may contribute to hair health and heart wellness, but more research should be conducted to validate these claims.
Tips to Maximize Sea Moss’s Benefits
- Drink plenty of water to make the minerals flow easily through the system, as minerals are heavy and tend to sit in the gut.
- Purple sea moss is reported to be stronger than any other sea moss.
- Don’t boil sea moss. I repeat, don’t boil sea moss.
- If you’re not a fan of a fishy, unpleasant taste, you should probably give up and move on to the next superfood. I’m kidding; a little compromise goes a long way. Besides, sea moss is available in various forms and can be mixed into smoothies, milk, juices, and more.
- Two spoons a day will do the trick. Don’t go beyond that.
How to Prepare Sea Moss
If you are brave enough to eat sea moss raw, save your time and skip this part. But if you can’t stand even the idea of eating it raw but still want to try sea moss, you might want to take some notes.
Instead of boiling your sea moss, which will defeat the purpose of consuming it in the first place, try this method:
- Before you go to sleep, soak your sea moss in water (this is not for the night owls who go to sleep at 3 in the morning).
- By the time you wake up, it will be plump. Rinse it with water.
- Blend it with water until you get a gel-like consistency.
Now, what you will have in front of you is homemade sea moss gel.
I believe by this time, your mind will be convinced to buy and try it. Here comes the deal breaker: Not everything can be consumed by everyone, so it’s better to read this till the end before you hit the purchase button.
Who Is This Not For?
- If you have hyperthyroidism, a condition where your thyroid gland produces excessive thyroid hormones, then you should stay away from this. Before you get confused, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are two different things, and people with hypothyroidism can use it without a second thought.
- If you are pregnant or still in your breastfeeding phase, then this is probably not for you.
- Allergic to seafood or shellfish? Sea moss is so not for you.
- Sea moss may have blood-thinning properties. So if you are someone who is taking blood thinners at the moment, you should avoid eating sea moss.
Remember, whoever you are, eating more than two spoons a day is a big no. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. If you don’t belong to any of the categories mentioned above, jump in without looking. Who knows? You may even live up to a century.
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