Have you heard of sea moss? It's recently been becoming quite popular across the health community, so I wanted to share a little bit about how I have been using it, what it can help with, and different ways to take/utilize it.
Sea moss is an edible North Atlantic seaweed. The edible portions come from the dried thallus of a species called Chondrus crispus found on the rocky Atlantic coasts of the British Isles, the EU, and North America.
Experts do conclude that various cultures have used sea moss as folk medicine for generations—and that as a plant it has some inherent medicinal advantages. In some places, principally the British Isles and the Caribbean, people still use sea moss to fight off colds and respiratory illnesses by boosting their immune systems.
Today, most don’t just eat Irish moss straight. Instead, they use it to create a gel by boiling the dried or raw sea moss in water—as a thickening agent, the result is a sticky gel.
Emotional/Mental Health
Rich in potassium, sea moss helps the cells of the body function optimally. Adding sea moss and other high-potassium foods into your diet can notably improve mental functioning, particularly for people suffering from ADHD.
High potassium foods are also useful for treating hyperactivity, anxiety disorders, depression, fibromyalgia, and mood swings. Irish moss can also reduce stress and support the nervous system because it is an excellent source of B vitamins.
Sea moss also has a neuroprotective effect against Parkinson’s disease and neurodegeneration, protecting the brain from accumulating too much α-synulein protein. In addition, sea moss contains the phytonutrient algin, which can help our existing detoxifying tissues remove heavy metals from our bodies.
Digestive Health
Like aloe, chia seeds, and okra, sea moss is a mucilaginous food. Yes—that means it has a slimy consistency, but that also means it can serve as a healing and soothing agent for mucous membranes anywhere in the body. That includes the membranes in the internal digestive tract.
As a prebiotic, Irish moss increases the colon’s production of helpful short-chain fatty acids, improves overall gut immunity and health, and reduces detrimental gut bacteria specifically.
Immune Support
Sea moss may help prevent or relieve symptoms of flu or colds. It does two things naturally that you’d hope a cough syrup, cold medicine, expectorant, and antibiotic combination might do: fight congestion and phlegm, and boost immunity to infections.
Irish moss is rich in the nutrient potassium chloride, which helps to eliminate catarrhs—phlegm and inflammation in the mucous membranes. By reducing these sources of congestion and acting as a natural antiviral and antimicrobial agent, sea moss may help to battle infections and respiratory illnesses.
For all of these reasons, something with a shot of sea moss such as a smoothie might become your go-to during cold and flu season and when infectious diseases are raging. This kind of Irish moss supplement or treat loads you up with potassium iodide, to help your body open airways and dissolve phlegm. It is also rich in antioxidants, amino acids, vitamin C, and other antimicrobial and antiviral agents that can help you ward off respiratory illnesses:
Bronchitis
Chest coughs
Cold
Flu
Mucous
Pneumonia
Sore throat
Tuberculosis
Other respiratory illnesses
Skin Care
Once transformed into sea moss gel, is basically a natural gelatin-like substance filled with minerals and vitamins useful in treating burns, dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis. It also contains citrulline–arginine, a compound that can improve metabolism and cell growth.
Irish moss can also support softer skin and hair by aiding the body in producing collagen. It does this because citrulline–arginine releases amino acids critical to synthesizing collagen and protein.
I've kept a small glass jar of the gel in my refrigerator and have started incorporating it into my nightly skin care regime.
Different ways to supplement with sea moss
There are of course various ways to consume this powerhouse supplement. It's available in capsules, powders, already made sea moss gel, and also the dried sea moss itself.
Always be sure to thoroughly read ingredients labels when you are getting any capsules to make sure there are not any additional binders or products in them that you may not desire.
I made my own sea moss gel this week and it was super easy!
Here's how:
8 oz of dried sea moss (I bought this brand HERE)
Purified water (you will want enough to cover the moss)
Glass or stainless steel container
Directions:
Open the package of sea moss rinse clean, inspect for sand and other sea debris. Soak for 24-48 hours hours at room temperature. Rinse out water every 6 hours and replace with additional purified water. The sea moss will turn into a white-translucent color, it will take on a slippery, soft texture. The size will double.Drain off the water, rinse clean.Add spring water and sea moss to the blender, blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a mason jar, and refrigerate. Allow up to an hour for thickening. Best stored in a glass jar. You can use it in items that call for a thickening agent, add a tablespoon to smoothies as is, or sweeten it up with some sweetener of your choice and take a spoonful down.
Leave plain for skin care use.
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