Steps Lifestyle

Health Benefits of Sea Moss

Sea moss, also known as Irish moss or red seaweed, is a type of seaweed that grows year-round in tidepools and inlets.

Sea moss is commonly harvested in New England to extract carrageenan, a gelatinous carbohydrate used in baked goods and cosmetics. However, sea moss can also be eaten on its own and is often used to thicken soups and stews. Let’s take a look at the health benefits of this intertidal seaweed.

Health Benefits
Ever since Kim Kardashian posted about drinking a sea moss smoothie, the healthy eating community has been bursting with information about this superfood, claiming that sea moss can help with everything from your skin to your immune system. But how many of those benefits are based on science and how many are just hearsay? 

The truth is that, while people have eaten sea moss for years, scientists are only now beginning to research its medical benefits. Here’s what we know so far.
 

May Prevent Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is the second-most-common degenerative disease found in older adults. 

Parkinson’s Disease affects movement, causing tremors, stiffness, and slowness of movement, and there is currently no cure. However, early research shows that sea moss may be able to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

In a study done with worms, extract from sea moss was shown to decrease the accumulation of α-synuclein and reduce stiffness and slowness of movement. This could mean promising things for people with Parkinson’s Disease. However, more research is needed to see if sea moss has the same effect on humans that it has on worms.

May Improve the Immune System
Early studies suggest that sea moss can boost the immune system and may even protect the body from contracting salmonella. 

One study showed that sea moss can stop the growth of S. Enteritidis, the bacteria that causes salmonella in humans. However, this is a very early study, and has not been reproduced in animals or humans. More research is needed to determine whether sea moss could help prevent or treat salmonella in humans.

Article Credit: Nourish by WebMD