Sea moss became the new super-food when Kim Kardashian started talking about blending it into her smoothies. Fans following the trend claim that sea moss gives skin a new glow, raises energy, helps with weight loss, and keeps digestion, er, moving along. While it’s nice to think that a jar of mango or strawberry-flavored sea moss gel can change your life, it’s worth taking a closer look at the product before you invest your hard-earned bucks.

People living by the sea have gathered seaweeds for thousands of years as free and healthy food. Nowadays you can buy many varieties of seaweeds at the supermarket. Think of sushi, which is rice wrapped in nori seaweed. All good stuff, as long as you can be sure that the seaweed you buy has been sustainably harvested from pollution-free waters. More on that later.We’ve also posted about the benefits of a different superfood, spirulina.

Singer Azealia Banks makes her own sea moss blend, as posted on X.

Commercially manufactured sea moss can come from different kinds of seaweed, although usually it’s the type known as Irish moss, or red algae. It’s soaked until the fronds become soft, then processed into gel, powder, gummies and capsules. It’s easy to blend into soups or smoothies, as gel or in powdered form.

Sea moss offers plenty of life-enhancing minerals and vitamins: calcium, folate, magnesium, vitamin K, and zinc, and iodine, a mineral essential for a healthy thyroid gland. It’s a natural source of carrageenan: a thickening and emulsifying agent in yogurt and ice cream, and non-dairy milks. Sea moss provides fiber too.

Yet too much iodine-rich sea moss can be harmful. Eating seaweeds in time-honored traditional ways is one thing; mixing a couple of tablespoons of gel into something liquid is another; and taking sea moss supplements is another thing yet.

Discussing sea moss supplements, registered dietitian Leah Oldham, atthe Henry Ford Health center, Michigan, explains:

“Some types of sea moss contain very high levels of iodine, and you could get more than your daily limit without realizing it. Going above the daily upper limits of iodine can lead to goiter, or an enlarged thyroid. The upper limit for adults is 1,100 mcg, but it’s less for children and teens.”

Seafoods, dairy, and eggs have iodine. Even some fruit and vegetables offer iodine: cranberries, strawberries, beans, spinach, and garlic are some. You could hardly overdose on iodine from eating normal amounts of fresh produce.

Sea moss from the Med Sea

“Sea moss supplements seem like an easy way to get the benefits of sea moss without the taste,” continues Oldham. “The problem is that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements, so you don’t always know what you’re getting.” Here we’re looking at the possibility of fillers and other un-labelled ingredients.

Oldham adds that sea moss growing in waters polluted with industrial runoff, heavy metals, and chemicals will naturally absorb all that garbage. If you if you’re interested in trying sea moss, look for brands that promise organic.

Blending two tablespoons of sea moss gel into your morning smoothie may safely fulfill the promise of boosted health and beauty. There are lots of glowing enthusiastic claims made for those benefits. But sea moss isn’t for everyone.

People taking medications for thyroid, high blood pressure, and potassium-sparing diuretics risk unpredictable interactions between sea moss and their meds. Sea moss may have blood-thinning properties, so those taking blood-thinning medication should avoid it.

Too much sea moss in your diet can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Take no more than the standard 2 tablespoons of gel daily. It hasn’t been determined if sea moss supplements are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding people. Talk to your health practitioner before starting to supplement your diet with sea moss.

There isn’t enough research to validate claims that sea moss can slow the progress of Parkinson’s disease. True, there’s research on treating stiff, slow-moving worms with sea moss. No conclusions reached as to the possible effect on stiff, slow-moving humans.

Best, of course, is to eat a normal culinary portion of seaweed when you can. Are you lucky enough to harvest fresh sea moss from an unpolluted beach? Then you can make your own, safe gel. Here’s a recipe from webmd.com:

First, wash the sea moss and then soak it in cold water for a full day, changing the water frequently and removing any dirt you see. You can leave this on your kitchen counter to soak, as you don’t need to refrigerate it.

You’ll know your sea moss is ready to use when it’s doubled in size and has become white and jelly-like.
Once it’s ready, put the sea moss, along with some water, into a blender and blend until smooth. Start with 1 cup of water and add more if the mixture is too thick.Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, which will thicken it some more.

Once you have your prepared sea moss, you can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and use it in recipes. For instance: smoothies, soups, stews, baked goods.

You can also make sea moss gel from sea moss powder by blending 1/4 cup of powder with 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water in your blender. Cool the mixture and store it in your refrigerator.

Photo of fresh dried sea moss by Plateresca, Getty Images

Author:Miriam Kresh

Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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