Sea Moss or Irish Moss is an edible spiny sea vegetable scientifically known as Chondrus crispus. It is a sea algae growing in the Atlantic Ocean's coastal regions, including North America and Europe. Sea Moss is a sea vegetable harvested for its health supplements and its thickening agent in commercial foods.
Sea moss is available in many health food stores or online. If you are curious about the health benefits of sea moss, this article is for you. We will look at the nutritional content of sea moss and the potential health benefits you may reap once you make it part of your daily diet.
What Is the Nutritional Content in Sea Moss?
Seaweeds vary in vitamins and mineral content. Sea moss is naturally low in calories, sugar, and fat. We have it available as sea moss supplements and as a gel in our health store. It contains a small amount of plant protein. Here is a list of minerals you can find in sea moss:
- Calcium
- Folate
- Zinc
- Iron
- Sodium
- Copper
- Soluble potash
- Iodine
- Manganese
- Boron
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Sulphur
- Phosphoric acid
- Selenium
- Alginic acid
- Laminarin
- Mannitol
- Nitrogen
- Vitamins A-E, along with Vitamin K
Here are the main minerals in sea moss and how they are helpful to the human body:
Magnesium
Sea moss is loaded with magnesium, essential for protein synthesis and muscle and nerve function. Magnesium also helps regulate sugar and blood pressure and aids in glycolysis, producing energy, oxidative phosphorylation, bone structure and development, and synthesis of RNA, DNA, and some antioxidants.
Magnesium also plays an essential role in transporting calcium and potassium ions across different membranes. It is also crucial in impulse control and muscle contraction.
Phosphorous
Sea moss is also abundant in Phosphorus, which is essential in teeth and bone formation in the human body. It is also an important component in ATP, the molecule that makes energy in the body. Phosphorus is crucial for kidney and muscle function and not forgetting nerve health and a regular heartbeat.
Collagen
Sea moss has loads of collagen, a popular protein in body function. Collagen is essential in the skin structure and also helps in blood clotting. Additionally, collagen is the building block for tendons and ligaments, teeth, blood vessels, and cornea.
Collagen supports the structure of the body through the connective tissues. You will need to increase your collagen intake as you get older as it depletes from the body as you get older.
Iron
Iron has various bodily functions, including making the most significant percentage of the blood. It makes up the more significant part of haemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen across the body. Iron is essential in the body to keep the muscles oxygenated and uses other enzymes and proteins.
Zinc
Zinc is essential in the optimum functioning of the immune system, and it helps keep your body healthy and prevents you from getting infections and illnesses. It is also responsible for the function of more than 100 enzymes in the body, making it crucial for most body functions.
Zinc also helps your body heal faster and heal chronic wounds like ulcers.
What Are the Potential Health Benefits of Sea Moss?
Taking sea moss supplements offers a lot of health benefits to the body. Here is a look at the different benefits your body can read from either ingesting sea moss or applying it topically to your skin.
It Supports a Thyroid Health
This is one of the many benefits of sea moss to the body. The spiny sea vegetable is rich in iodine which helps naturally balance out the thyroid when it stops being active. Iodine stimulates the production of hormones from the thyroid, which help keep the body well regulated.
The thyroid regulates metabolism in your body, including your body temperature. It is essential to see a health professional for advice before trying sea moss. They will recommend the amount you can take daily based on the health state of your thyroid to avoid taking in too much iodine, which can cause goitre.
Improves Digestive Health
In addition to thyroid health, sea moss is an excellent source of fibre and live bacteria, all of which help support gut health. The gut is associated with the overall health of the human body, and beneficial bacteria help balance the wellness elements.
Regular intake of sea moss helps replenish the bacteria in our body, improving overall gut health. It is also soothing to the mucus membrane in your body and helps soothe the stomach, and it has been shown to work great in people with stomach ulcers.
It is also known to benefit the short-chain fatty acids in the colon and help flush out toxins. Sea moss also contains folate, which is excellent at improving your DNA and other compounds in the body. Additionally, it is also a great plant-based substitute for eggs for people who are vegan or allergic to eggs.
It's Great for Hair, Nails, and Skin
Sea moss is abundant in collagen, which contributes to the overall health of the skin, nails, and hair. It is also rich in Vitamins A, C, and E, which promote skin health. Collagen gives your hair, skin, and nails a natural glow.
It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the risk of skin conditions such as acne. With its antioxidants and antimicrobial properties, it promotes healthy hair growth and helps treat dandruff.
It also contains sulphur which helps balance out the microbiome on the skin hence controlling bacteria growth thus promoting the overall health of skin, nails, and hair. Sea moss also promotes skin hydration, therefore reducing wrinkle appearance. You can take it in supplement form or apply it topically to improve the health of your hair, nails and skin health.
Promotes Weight Loss
Sea moss is rich in fucoxanthin, an antioxidant that promotes fat metabolism in rats. It is also high in fibre. High-fibre food helps you get fuller faster, which keeps you from overeating. If you are trying to reduce the amount of food you eat, sea moss gel will help you by keeping you full for longer.
It is also rich in iodine which stimulates the production of thyroid hormones. These hormones are significant for both bone and growth hormones which help regulate metabolism in the body, and increased metabolism can help promote weight loss.
Adding sea moss to your diet can help build lean muscles during weight loss. It contains 6 grams of protein for every 100 grams and has taurine, an essential amino acid for burning fat and building muscles, and it also promotes fat burning during a workout more than carbs do.
It Promotes A Healthy Heart
Sea moss is rich in potassium, magnesium, and other minerals that help regulate blood pressure and other heart functions. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that aid in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Other studies have found that seaweed helps reduce LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), often referred to as the 'bad' cholesterol, and acts as a blood thinner, reducing the risk of heart disease.
Sea moss also contains a high fibre content, and most vegetables offer excellent bodily benefits. High-fibre food helps control sugar in the body, reducing the chances of heart disease.
Sea Moss And Mental Health
Sea moss also has neuroactive characteristics that offer neuroprotective effects, which help protect the brain from neurodegenerative disease. It has been shown to slow down the growth and impact of Parkinson's disease.
It also contains potassium, which helps improve cognitive behaviour and function. Potassium is also great for people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and other issues like fibromyalgia. Sea moss also contains Vitamin B, which is great for the nervous system and excellent for energy creation and reducing stress.
Improved Love Life
Raw sea moss contains zinc, a mineral that improves libido and sex drive. If you suffer from a low sex drive, you might want to try taking sea moss supplements and see if it works. It also helps increase your self-esteem, which is excellent when intimate with your partner.
Sea moss supplements have also been shown to be an excellent remedy for women who experience vaginal dryness, which can often be caused by hormonal imbalance and certain medications. Sea moss helps balance out the pH in the vagina and helps provide lubrication by promoting the growth of the natural flora.
Regular intake of sea moss supplements helps reduce stress which can often cause vaginal dryness. You can have a glass of sea moss smoothing to take off the edge.
Anecdotal Benefits For Fertility
Sea moss has been shown to promote fertility, and there is no scientific evidence that it promotes fertility in either men or women. Still, it has traditionally been used for fertility treatment. It contains folate, the natural form of Vitamin B9, which has been shown to boost fertility in humans.
It also contains zinc and other antioxidants known to help improve the quality of the sperm hence increasing the chance of fertilisation. Therefore, if you want to get pregnant, you can incorporate a sea moss smoothie into your pregnancy routine.
It Boosts Immunity Response In Human And Prevents Colds
A study showed Atlantic salmon fed on sea moss have a more efficient immune response when compared to salmon that didn't. The same research has, however, not been conducted on humans, and fish may differ from humans.
Raw sea moss is still associated with a healthy gut related to a healthy immune system, and it is rich in antioxidants and iron, which contribute to immune health. Sea moss is also a great source of Vitamins A, C, and E, all known to boost immunity.
Moreover, Sea moss contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the risk of infection.
Prebiotic Effects
Studies have shown that sea moss has prebiotic effects on the human body. It helps reduce the harmful bacteria in your gut and helps uptake fatty acids within your colon, improving your immune system.
It also stimulates the digestion of complex foods while increasing your metabolism.
Increased Energy
Sea moss has many minerals and vitamins that help increase your energy levels. It contains a large amount of iron which helps increase energy levels. Studies show that the iron levels in sea moss are higher than in chickens.
It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the risk of fatigue.
Fights Prostate Enlargement
Sea moss has properties that help fight prostate enlargement, and it also helps reduce the chances of getting prostate cancer.
Prevents Kidney Stones
It contains large deposits of iodine that help prevent kidney stones. Its anti-inflammatory properties also help reduce the chances of getting kidney disease.
It Cleanses Your Blood
Sea moss is abundant in vitamins A, C, and E, all known to cleanse your blood, and its anti-inflammatory properties also reduce the risk of infection in the blood.
Expels Mucus from The Body
Sea moss is rich in iodine, which helps expel mucus from the body.
Helps in Workout Recovery
Sea moss is an excellent source of protein essential for muscle growth and repair. It contains properties that help reduce muscle soreness and promotes recovery after workouts.
Improves Blood Sugar Control
Studies have shown that seaweed supports blood sugar management and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. It contains fucoxanthin and carotenoid that help reduce insulin resistance hence better blood sugar control. Its high fibre content helps slow the speed of digestion which is excellent for blood sugar control.
So, What is Sea Moss good for?
Sea moss is packed with nutrients that are essential for good health. For one, it is an excellent source of iodine, which is important for thyroid health. Additionally, sea moss is a good source of iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. All of these nutrients are important for maintaining good health and preventing disease. It is vital to seek advice from a health professional before taking sea moss as part of your regular diet. You can ingest our sea moss or apply it topically to reap its benefits, and you can easily incorporate it into your daily routine to reap its benefits.
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