The Secrets Behind Irish Sea Moss

You may have heard about the Irish sea moss from the wonders of social media or as an old wives tale, well this blog is to help you understand the benefits of eating this superfood.

Sea moss is known as a type of algae, and could potentially be the answer to improving your skin and digestion.

Irish sea moss has been recently spoken about through social media and largely used by celebrities like Kim Kardashian. However, this isn’t a newfound food, it has been around for many years. However, it had a renewed debut when it was put into body lotions and masks, powders, and pills. 

What is it?

Irish sea moss is a type of red algae and is thought to improve the health and appearance of your skin. Although there isn’t a lot of science backing the algae, experts have been suggesting that there are advantages to consuming the product. 

In many cultures, it has been used for centuries, as mentioned previously. In places like Ireland, Scotland, and Jamaica, it was used to enhance your immune system and fight off colds. 

How do you consume it?

Many people are likely to eat this as a gel, instead of it on its own. It has recently been popular for celebrities to use it in smoothies. Other cultures drink it as tea, with milk and a sweetener such as sugar or honey. However, due to the unusual taste, it has been made into powder and pill form to make it easier to consume.

What are the benefits?

So now you have a larger understanding of the background of Irish sea moss, it’s time to learn the benefits of ingesting the substance.

Gel-like substance or in a smoothie:

When in either of these forms, the sea moss can soothe your respiratory and digestive tract, helping with your stool movement. It has been found not to taste anything prominent so it can also be used as a thickening agent.

Past research found sea moss to be a prebiotic, a dietary fibre needed as fertilizer for probiotics – also known as healthy bacteria in your gut – and therefore helps your gut movement and general health.

From a study in 2015, “sea moss’ prebiotic effects improved their gut microbiome, which led to heightened immunity.” 

Lots and lots of nutrients:

This may not come as a surprise, due to the fact that sea moss is sounding pretty beneficial right now, but it does also include a high amount of immune-boosting nutrients. For example iron, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus. 

Benefits of applying:

When applied on the skin it has been found, by Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, that it helps soothe the skin of inflammation and lower levels of microorganisms on the skin. This is due to the product being rich in sulfur.

Zeichner also adds that “sea moss also contains vitamins and minerals like magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids”, this is beneficial as it supports the hydration of your skin and promotes healthy skin cell function.

So there you go, you should now have a deeper understanding of why celebrities are using Irish sea moss within their diets, and maybe why you should too!

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to learn more about your gut, why not read our previous blog? Or if you’d like to browse our other blogs, visit our blog page by clicking here.