Like many stylish so-called “superfoods,” sea moss has a celeb-studded backing, together with none aside from Kim Kardashian. (She posted a photograph of her breakfast, full with a sea moss-crammed smoothie.)
After all, like many other supermeals, this one has actually been round for centuries. Lately, you could be seeing it in body lotions and facial masks, as well as in powders, drugs, and even dried varieties that look lots like the seaweed you’d see within the ocean (except yellow in coloration).
What is sea moss, exactly?
In its easiest terms, sea moss—aka Irish sea moss—is a type of red algae believed to boost your health and enhance your skin. While it lacks significant science to back up the benefits, experts say it has some stand-out advantages, and other cultures have turned to it for years to improve health. “Irish sea moss has been used for generations in places like Ireland, Scotland, and Jamaica in food and as folks medicine,” says Robin Foroutan, R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Diet and Dietetics. In these cultures, it is typically used to help improve the immune system and fight off colds. (Associated: 12 Foods to Enhance Your Immune System)
Additionally know as carrageen, this type of algae grows on the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of the British Isles, as well as round Europe and different elements of North America, in line with the Encyclopedia Britannica. Most people don’t eat it plain but moderately as a gel (created by boiling raw or dried varieties in water) and often as a thickening agent. Different cultures additionally serve it as a drink, boiled with water and mixed with milk and sugar or honey. These days, you’ll likely find sea moss in a powered or pill form.
What are the benefits of sea moss?
When ingested…
When made into a gelatin-like consistency and added to meals like your morning smoothie, sea moss can soothe the respiratory tract and digestive tract, says Foroutan. (It does not have much taste, so it ought to just contribute to creating a thick texture.) This may be due partly to the truth that, like aloe and okra, Irish moss is a mucilaginous meals, which mucus-like texture (sticky, thick) can double as a remedy for irritation. This snotty-substance additionally dissolves in water, so sea moss can are likely to act like a soluble fiber. Bear in mind: soluble fibers dissolve in water and turn out to be a soft-gel that keeps you full and helps stool move through the GI tract.
Sea moss is also a prebiotic, which is a type of dietary fiber that’s essentially fertilizer for probiotics (healthy bacteria in your intestine) and, thus, helps additional assist digestion.
Although low in energy—49 per 100g, according to the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA)—sea moss is loaded with key minerals comparable to folate, which is essential for prenatal health and development. It’s also high in iodine, which is “is important for promoting the development of regular breast tissue,” says Foroutan. “Iodine is [also] super fuel for the thyroid.” Iodine helps the thyroid run properly and make thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism, encourage bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy, among many different important capabilities, in response to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (Associated: The Best Prenatal Vitamins, According to Ob-Gyns—Plus, Why You Want Them In the First Place)
Also, because sea moss is high in immune-boosting vitamins like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc, it may additionally help the immune system and make it easier to fight off cold and flu symptoms, adds Foroutan. One 2015 study on rats discovered that sea moss’ prebiotic effects improved their intestine microbiome, which led to heightened immunity
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