Sea Moss Gel: Superfood or Superfad?

You’ve probably heard a lot about sea moss recently — everyone from Kim K. to Hailey Bieber swears by the stuff. Hailey even partnered with Erewhon to create the now-iconic Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie, which features sea moss gel as a key ingredient. 

But does sea moss live up to the hype? The past decade has seen a slew of viral supplements like wheatgrass crop up like… well, grass. With so many supplements on the market, it can be difficult for consumers to understand what’s really going to benefit their health. Does sea moss gel deserve a place in your daily routine, like greens powder? (Dietitians agree with us on this one — check out our guide on the five best greens powders!) Or is it just another fad without much science to back it up? Our money’s on the latter, but we’ll give sea moss the benefit of the doubt…for now.

We reviewed the research for you and took a look at what expert nutritionists have to say about sea moss. We’re here to help you separate the facts from the bogus — because who wants to put moss in a smoothie if it isn’t worth it? 

This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See your primary care physician when making changes to your lifestyle.

What Is Sea Moss?

Sea moss goes by more than one name; you might hear it called Irish sea moss or red seaweed. To keep things nice and simple, we’ll just call it sea moss. 

Like spirulina or chlorella, it’s a nutrient-dense supplement that comes from the ocean. Unlike the two powders mentioned above, it’s seaweed, not algae. If you’ve ever walked along an Atlantic coastline, you’ve probably stepped in a bit of this stuff.

This type of seaweed grows in multiple parts of Europe and North America, and you’ve likely eaten it without realizing it. That’s because the food industry uses it to extract carrageenan, which you might recognize from the ingredients list on your almond milk. This jelly-like substance is used as a thickener (similar to xanthan gum, which we prefer). 

Sea moss grows in multiple colors, including gold, purple, and green. Gold sea moss stands out because it has a mild taste and minimal smell, while purple and green smell like…the sea. You can expect all sea moss to smell a little bit fishy, but don’t worry; it won’t make your smoothies taste like cod. 

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Delivery Forms of Sea Moss

Ever since sea moss’s popularity went from 0 to 100 (thanks a lot, Kim), it’s become a staple at health food stores and online supplement shops. It’s sold in multiple forms, but sea moss powder and sea moss gel are the most common. Irish sea moss gel, one of the most sought-after types of sea moss, often comes in capsules or gummies that you can take with the rest of your daily supplements. The powder, on the other hand, is the best choice if you want to mix your sea moss into smoothies Kardashian-style. 

So what’s the best way to get some sea moss into your diet? The evidence doesn’t currently point in any particular direction. Some companies claim that sea moss gel is more bioavailable than powder, making it a potentially better way to get nutrients from sea moss. However, there isn’t much to substantiate these claims (in other words, take them with a grain of salt). Just because a sea moss startup tells you that their product is the best on the market doesn’t mean it’s true.

How Did Sea Moss Get So Popular?

Like so many health and wellness fads, the rise of sea moss started with the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Back in 2020, Kim Kardashian told her tens of millions of followers that she drank sea moss smoothies, leading to the internet version of a Black Friday stampede. Not long after, sea moss got co-signs from Hailey Bieber, Meek Mill, Skai Jackson, and countless other stars.

In the wake of the initial sea moss boom, companies started hocking the stuff online and making wild (and wildly unsubstantiated) claims about its benefits. One now-infamous case saw the FDA sending a warning letter to a company that claimed that sea moss could cure COVID-19.¹ Spoiler alert: it can’t. 

A few years later, sea moss is as popular as ever. As we’ll get into below, it does have some legit health benefits. However, the influencer hype and online scams make it hard to separate the fact from the fiction. 

Does Sea Moss Have Real Health Benefits?

The science shows us that sea moss does have some potential health benefits, but potential is the keyword here. As you can imagine, there are plenty of bogus claims intermingled with the truth about sea moss. Here’s a rundown of the facts, the myths, and the numbers.

Sea Moss Benefits: The Facts

First of all, organic sea moss gel is definitely nutrient-dense.² In an interview with Organic Authority, registered dietitian Genieva Davidson described it as “packed with beneficial nutrients,” including polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and more.

We’re pretty impressed by the amount of calcium, magnesium, iron, and multiple vitamins that you can get from a single serving. It’s also a solid source of zinc, which can support your immune system.

Sea moss is also a source of some prebiotics and probiotics³, which may help you maintain a healthy gut. Like other forms of seaweed, it’s rich in fiber and beneficial bacteria. Davidson confirms, “The fiber content in sea moss may improve gut health and aid in stabilizing blood sugar levels.” We’re interested…but still skeptical.

Just because that organic Irish sea moss supplement offers fiber and probiotics doesn’t mean that it’s a must for a healthy diet — no matter what Goop tells you. You can also get prebiotics from foods that you probably already have in your kitchen, like bananas, berries, onions, and oats. Likewise, you can find gut-friendly probiotics in kombucha, tempeh, kimchi, and more. You don’t need sea moss for gut health. 

Finally, one study showed that the antioxidants in seaweed can strengthen your immune system as well.⁴  But there’s a catch: the more specific claims about sea moss and immunity aren’t backed by enough evidence at this point. Don’t let a health guru trick you into believing that sea moss is a cure-all!

Sea Moss Benefits: The Myths

Spend a little bit of time online, and you’ll see a slew of BS claims about sea moss. Companies will tell you that it’s everything from a weight loss catalyst to a cancer preventer to the secret to a revitalized sex life. It is, objectively, none of those. None. 

The biggest myth circulating about sea moss is — of course — that it’s some kind of miracle cure. We beg you to be ultra-skeptical of anyone who tells you that a new supplement will transform your life. It takes more than a spoonful of seaweed powder to kick-start a lifestyle overhaul.

Here’s the big issue: there still aren’t any clinical trials to back the purported benefits of sea moss in humans. That means all we have to go on is its nutritional profile. Don’t get us wrong, sea moss is pretty impressive when it comes to vitamin and mineral content, but that doesn’t directly link it to any incredible outcomes.  

Still, it’s not all lost for sea moss. The so-called superfood DOES show some promise based on animal studies. For example, studies done on mice found a link between sea moss consumption and anti-cancer activity. Bear in mind that we’ll need to see some human studies before we know what to think. 

Sea Moss Nutrients

Beyond the facts and the myths surrounding sea moss, it’s helpful to see some of the numbers to understand how this supplement stacks up. Let’s say you incorporate two tablespoons of raw Irish sea moss⁵  into your diet. Each day, you’d be intaking:

• Calories: 4.9
• Protein: 0.2 g
• Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 1.2 g

But of course, we don’t take supplements for the calories and the carbohydrates (we’d rather get those through pasta, thank you very much). Here are the vitamins and minerals you’d be getting in each dose: 

• Calcium: 7.2 mg (1% of the Daily Value [DV])
• Iron: 0.9 mg (10% of the DV)
• Magnesium: 14.4 mg (7% of the DV)
• Phosphorus: 15.7 mg (2% of the DV)
• Potassium: 6.3 mg (1% of the DV)
• Zinc: 0.2 mg (4% of the DV)
• Copper: 0.02 mg (3% of the DV)
• Riboflavin: 0.05 mg (4% of the DV)

And here’s how the nutrients in sea moss compare to a greens powder and a leafy green, to get a sense of how it stacks up:

Sea Moss Cautions and Concerns

Before you rush to Erewhon, it’s important to note that there’s definitely a limit to the amount of sea moss that you can safely take in. Too much of the powder or gel can drop a veritable BOMB on your stomach, leaving you feeling like you drank a nice cup of saltwater. People who went too far with sea moss have reported diarrhea and vomiting as the biggest results. If you have a sensitive stomach and supplements have sent you running for the office toilet in the past, you might want to steer clear (or at least be very careful).

In addition, sea moss is loaded with iodine, which Davidson explains can cause thyroid problems if you get too much. She adds that high doses of the supplement “Can be toxic and lead to goiters or hypo/hyperthyroidism.” However, she clarified that it takes a lot of sea moss (around 19 tablespoons) to reach this dangerous threshold. If you follow the recommendations that come with your sea moss supplement of choice, you shouldn’t come anywhere near that limit. 

Sea moss can also interact with some blood-thinning and thyroid medicines, so make sure you talk to your doctor before you make the supplement a part of your daily routine.

The Bottom Line: Is Sea Moss Worth the Hype?

Here’s the big takeaway: sea moss is nutritious. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s not uniquely nutritious. You’ll probably get all of the nutrients found in sea moss if you just eat a balanced diet — no seaweed required. 

RD Genieva Davidson reminds us, “It’s best to have a food-first approach and to use supplements like sea moss as additional sources of nutrients to fill the gaps.” You can also get many of these nutrients from another supplement like a greens powder, or other leafy greens like kale and arugula.

Finally, we don’t get the best vibe from most of the companies selling sea moss at the moment. Startups and influencers seem to be jumping aboard the hype train to pull the wool over the eyes of unsuspecting consumers. For that reason, if you’re going to give sea moss a try, make sure you get it from a reputable company that doesn’t make any bogus claims or ride a wave of influencer endorsements. You deserve better.

P.S. Did you know? Organic Authority has its own nutrition and wellness shop to meet your needs and help you take control of your health. Shop clean supplements for energy, sleep, inner beauty for skin support, protein, workouts, pantry items and more. Shop The Organic Authority Shop now. 

Read More on Organic Authority

Sources:

1. https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/everything-health-llc-613718-05242021
2. https://www.forbes.com/health/supplements/sea-moss-benefits/
3. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/7/358
4. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/19/6/341
5. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168456/nutrients
6. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168456/nutrients
7. https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Kale%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html

Joshua Sosin is a wellness and culture writer based in Virginia, USA. He loves food science, sci-fi, and 80s… More about Joshua Sosin

Tags:health benefits micronutrients minerals sea moss sea moss gel superfood supplements