Sea moss (sometimes called Irish moss or carrageen) is a type of red algae with many unofficial roles. Swimmers and boaters often see it as an obstacle, photographers as a great piece of natural décor, and for marine organisms, it can be a food source or a place of shelter. What is particularly interesting is that people have tried eating it and creating various health products with it, in turn discovering numerous health benefits that we never could have imagined. Let’s go over some of the perceived top benefits of sea moss.
Fitness benefits
– Energy levels
Sea moss is rich in iron, which helps keep energy levels high and athletes feeling full of strength, just like several other minerals found in this algae.
– Weight loss
Moss has a lot of fiber, which can be helpful for dieting individuals, since they get the benefit of feeling full without consuming a lot of calories.
– Muscle recovery
Taurine, one amino acid found in moss, is well-known for helping build muscle by repairing torn or damaged muscle tissue.
Body function improvements
– Heart function
Your heart works best when it is not burdened with high cholesterol, and it’s believed that when taken consistently over time, moss helps lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the body.
– Digestion
As we have mentioned, sea moss has plenty of fiber (which is great for digestion), but it also has a wide variety of helpful bacteria cultures which promote gut health.
– Thyroid
Like many sea products, moss is full of iodine – which is very important for regulating thyroid function in humans. However, consuming a surplus of iodine can be harmful by causing various health problems.
– Blood sugar
When we experience spikes/drops in mood or alertness, imbalanced blood sugar is often the culprit. Thankfully, the compound fucoxanthin found in moss is known to effectively control blood sugar levels.
Other health benefits
– Immune system
Some people believe that sea moss can strengthen the human immune system because salmon (which often consume moss themselves) have been found to have stronger immune function than other moss-avoiding sea creatures.
– Skin health
Eating vitamins is essential if you want smooth and vibrant skin. Coincidentally, sea moss contains Vitamins A, C, and E in abundance – all of which can help bring you softer and healthier skin.
– Sex drive
Don’t take our word as gospel on this one, but there is anecdotal evidence that suggests sea moss can act as an effective aphrodisiac to strengthen your sex drive.
– Anti-inflammation
Many experts that study sea moss have found it to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This means that it could help curb inflammation (e.g. in chronic illnesses), and may serve as the foundation for the development of countless new treatments in the future.
Please keep in mind that currently there is no global and professional consensus on how we should consume or apply sea moss – but there have been plenty of studies and anecdotes that show promising links. So don’t take the information in this article as professional medical advice.