The reality is that sea moss contains a plethora of other vitamins and minerals, including calcium and magnesium. It’s also a prebiotic, which helps to encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, including probiotics. But better-known foods like beans, oats, and bananas are also good sources of prebiotics.
Beyond its potential health benefits, sea moss is also a source of carrageenan, a food additive that’s used to thicken certain dairy products and their non-dairy alternatives. Carrageenan has been under scrutiny in recent years because of its possible connection to inflammation, bloating and other GI problems, although research hasn’t confirmed a link.
“Food-grade carrageenan is generally from seaweed,” Kramer says. “Is it from sea moss directly? I can’t say, but we know that carrageenan is unhealthy, and I caution people not to drink nut milk with carrageenan.”
Consuming sea moss as a whole food is believed to be healthier than ingesting carrageenan, a single component. But the benefits of sea moss consumption aren’t research-proven, and, in fact, only a handful of studies have looked at its benefits. Instead, Kramer says, seaweed and other related foods may be better choices.
“There’s not really a lot of information about it out there, and most studies that have been done on sea moss are done on animals, not on people, so that’s a concern of mine,” Kramer says. “Most people have heard of spirulina, which is another algae-based superfood. Spirulina is supposed to help with energy, and it has folate, and that’s been studied. That’s the closest thing that we know to sea moss, spirulina.”
Since it’s not an incredibly common ingredient, if you’re inclined to try sea moss, you may need to look beyond your neighborhood grocery store for it. “I know it’s available on Amazon, and I’m sure it’s available in certain health food stores,” Kramer says. “It could come raw, and would have to be washed and soaked. Or you can sometimes find it in gels or dried in capsules.”
However, she cautions that since sea moss isn’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in raw or supplement form it isn’t possible to know the quality of what you’re purchasing.
“If I knew you were really getting Irish sea moss, it would be fabulous,” Kramer says. “But the question is, by the time it gets to us, does it have the nutritional properties and the antimicrobial properties that they say it does?”
Additionally, Kramer says there are certain people who should refrain from eating sea moss altogether because it’s high in iodine, namely those with thyroid conditions. “I don’t recommend it for people who have Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism, because then you’re taking two types of iodine,” Kramer says. “And obviously breastfeeding and pregnant women shouldn’t overdo it with the iodine.”
In the end, she says, while it may be exciting to hunt down new possible superfoods, sea moss may not be worthwhile.
“I’m not going to say that one can’t benefit from it, but it’s not where I would put my money or my time,” Kramer says. “I think the main use for sea moss is the fact that it’s gelatinous and that it’s a thickening agent. In terms of nutritional value, I wouldn’t tell anyone to take it.”
