Sea moss extract is turning up across social media and in supplements, smoothies, and skin care. Sea moss, also known as Irish moss or Chondrus crispus, has been hyped online as a “superfood” and part of the “clean beauty” trend, which has led to tremendous market growth.
Why is sea moss extract gaining popularity?
The benefits of sea moss are supposedly related to thyroid support, gut health, skin hydration, and exercise recovery, depending on the form of use (supplement vs skin care). There are also claims that it is anti-inflammatory.
What do we know about sea moss?
Sea moss contains important minerals and vitamins like calcium, potassium, folate, and iodine. Nutritionists believe that some of the benefits of sea moss are related to these nutrients rather than sea moss as a whole. For people deficient in these nutrients, sea moss may provide a good source for these nutrients. Sea moss can also act as a thickener for foods such as dairy alternatives, soups, and smoothies.
The components of sea moss, particularly the sulfated polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber do have associated health benefits, such as:
- Antioxidant activity
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Improved immune response
- Glycemic control
- Anticancer properties
- Cardiovascular and metabolic health
- Thyroid support
However, much of the research known here comes from red seaweeds and not from sea moss specifically. Also, high-quality studies in humans are lacking, so it’s hard to make specific health claims. It is possible to find the nutritional components of sea moss in other forms in your diet to achieve similar health benefits.
What are some concerns about using sea moss?
While sea moss can be a good source of iodine for patients with iodine deficiency, it can be dangerous if patients take too much of it. The composition of sea moss depends on its origin, and you are unlikely to know how much iodine (or other nutrients) you’re getting from a supplement. Most people get enough iodine through their diet from fish, dairy, and iodized table salt. If iodine levels are low, you can always discuss an appropriate supplement and dosing with your healthcare provider.
Sea moss also carries the potential for heavy metal contamination. The nutritional content and level of contaminants in sea moss vary depending on where in the ocean it lived, so it’s important to understand where it was sourced to ensure the highest quality. In addition, concerns about overharvesting have been raised, so it’s important to use products that use eco-friendly sourcing.
What are we still learning?
Research needs to catch up with the sea moss trend. The nutritional benefits sound exciting, but we need to learn more so that we can consume it safely. Sea moss supplements are not yet FDA-approved, so we can’t be certain of its safety or effectiveness. While there are some benefits from sea moss, there are also some risks.
Sea moss extract is turning up across social media and in supplements, smoothies, and skin care. Sea moss, also known as Irish moss or Chondrus crispus, has been hyped online as a “superfood” and part of the “clean beauty” trend, which has led to tremendous market growth.
Why is sea moss extract gaining popularity?
The benefits of sea moss are supposedly related to thyroid support, gut health, skin hydration, and exercise recovery, depending on the form of use (supplement vs skin care). There are also claims that it is anti-inflammatory.
What do we know about sea moss?
Sea moss contains important minerals and vitamins like calcium, potassium, folate, and iodine. Nutritionists believe that some of the benefits of sea moss are related to these nutrients rather than sea moss as a whole. For people deficient in these nutrients, sea moss may provide a good source for these nutrients. Sea moss can also act as a thickener for foods such as dairy alternatives, soups, and smoothies.
The components of sea moss, particularly the sulfated polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber do have associated health benefits, such as:
- Antioxidant activity
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- Improved immune response
- Glycemic control
- Anticancer properties
- Cardiovascular and metabolic health
- Thyroid support
However, much of the research known here comes from red seaweeds and not from sea moss specifically. Also, high-quality studies in humans are lacking, so it’s hard to make specific health claims. It is possible to find the nutritional components of sea moss in other forms in your diet to achieve similar health benefits.
What are some concerns about using sea moss?
While sea moss can be a good source of iodine for patients with iodine deficiency, it can be dangerous if patients take too much of it. The composition of sea moss depends on its origin, and you are unlikely to know how much iodine (or other nutrients) you’re getting from a supplement. Most people get enough iodine through their diet from fish, dairy, and iodized table salt. If iodine levels are low, you can always discuss an appropriate supplement and dosing with your healthcare provider.
Sea moss also carries the potential for heavy metal contamination. The nutritional content and level of contaminants in sea moss vary depending on where in the ocean it lived, so it’s important to understand where it was sourced to ensure the highest quality. In addition, concerns about overharvesting have been raised, so it’s important to use products that use eco-friendly sourcing.
What are we still learning?
Research needs to catch up with the sea moss trend. The nutritional benefits sound exciting, but we need to learn more so that we can consume it safely. Sea moss supplements are not yet FDA-approved, so we can’t be certain of its safety or effectiveness. While there are some benefits from sea moss, there are also some risks.
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