6 Reasons to Love Irish Moss

Irish moss is a seaweed packed with nutrients that can be soaked and used to create a powerful and nutritional gel. It is pretty much colorless and tasteless which makes it great to add to a wide range of dishes for nutritional value or just as a thickener. You can add irish moss gel or paste to smoothies, soups, desserts, and even as a partial replacer for some fattier foods like nuts or avocados in certain recipes to reduce the fat content.  I was recently  reminded of this moss’s superpowers when speaking to someone who may be having surgery soon. After a car accident a few years back that severely affected my lower back, I made smoothies with irish moss, and found that it helped to speed my recovery.

Like many other seaweeds, irish moss has an extensive nutritional profile which includes vitamins A, B, C, D, E K, B-vitamins, sulfur, protein, bromine, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, zinc, and pectin. As nature’s only plant based source of thyroid hormones, it can help to balance out thyroid related issues and speed up metabolism.  It has been reported to be effective against everything from cancer, radiation poisoning, obesity, and cholesterol build-up. Sometimes I.M. gets a bad rap because it is the seaweed that carrageenan is extracted from (which causes inflammation and is used as a stabilizer in things like nut milks); but truthfully they are not the same. In its whole form and taken with proper moderation irish moss can boost your overall nutrition.  Jamaicans have been known to consume irish moss or sea moss because of its reported abilities to boost male libido and increase sperm count. Below are some additional perks that come with incorporating irish moss into your diet. -XoXo Raw Girl 

Accelerates Recovery. Irish Moss is great for strengthening connective tissues which makes it excellent for recovery from strenuous exercise, or even more extreme injuries, surgeries, or invasive procedures.

Promotes Gorgeous Skin. On the beauty front, irish moss can deliver a serious beauty boost because of its high sulfur content. You can apply the gel directly to your skin for a mini face lift, or consume it as a food and allow the nutritional boost to up your pretty factor.  Irish moss can help to rehydrate dry skin, and leave it feeling smooth and supple. It is also effective on a number of severe skin disorders, including eczema, psoriasis, bad sunburns, and rashes.

Encourages Healthy Digestion & Elimination. The fiber content in Irish moss makes it a mild and effective laxative; simultaneously it soothes inflamed tissues of the intestinal tract which provides relief for intestinal disorders. In regard to promoting good digestion, Irish moss’s demulcent properties soothe the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and the gelatin-like content helps to ease gastritis, dyspepsia, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and can be used to prevent vomiting.   

Helps to Drop Those Extra Pounds. Irish moss is thought to help reduce the appetite by virtue of its ability to absorb moisture, increasing its volume and filling the intestinal tract with a  bulking-type material, increasing the feeling of fullness and also aiding in the elimination process of waste through the gastrointestinal tract. Taking the moss improves thyroid function because of it’s iodine content, which in turn boosts metabolism, increases energy, and can help accelerate weight loss.

Cure for Coughs, Respiratory Issues, & the Common Cold. Because Irish moss is an expectorant it can break up mucus and help clear out the lungs of any phlegm that builds up with a common cold, alleviate inflammation of the nasal passages, ease sore throat or dry coughing,  and also can treat other respiratory problems such as bronchitis and even pneumonia. It is especially effective for pulmonary (lung) complaints with its ability to absorb liquid and eliminate it from the body.

Assist with Healing of Radiation Poisoning & Cancer. Irish moss has been found to be very helpful with the recovery of radiation poisoning and cancer.  Apparently it can actually absorb toxins from the bowel and this gangsta  seaweed literally draws radiation poisoning out of the body.