By: Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD
Sea moss is rapidly taking the health and supplement space by storm, with its potent nutrients and long history of use in folk medicine, health, and beauty. At Bey Moss, we specialize in products made using beautiful purple sea moss. We work to make this incredible marine plant accessible to consumers in a variety of forms fit for any lifestyle.
While sea moss is relatively new to the mainstream eye, it has been around for a long time. There are several varieties of sea moss, and perhaps more still being discovered and studied. It can be helpful to understand what is currently known about this family of oceanic treasures. Furthermore, while they grow in similar aquatic environments, sea moss and seaweed have differences, which are discussed below.
What is Sea Moss?
Sea moss is a powerful plant that naturally thrives off of the rocky coasts between the Americas and Europe, as well as Australia. It is often grouped into the same family as sea algae. Sea moss is a type of algae believed to optimize health and beauty, especially in terms of digestion, sexual health, metabolism, immune function, and even skin appearance.
Sea moss gets its impressive nutritional profile from the aquatic environment in which it lives and thrives. It is naturally rich in micronutrients, including a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants, fatty acids, and amino acids.
Sea moss or sea algae are sometimes called carrageenan, because these marine plants are the main natural source of this compound. Carrageenan is frequently used in consumer products, like foods, beverages, and even medicines, as an emulsifier and thickening agent. And these uses are not just in recent history, as there is evidence suggestive of carrageenan being obtained for culinary and health purposes throughout several centuries.
Rather than eating sea moss raw in its most natural form, most people find that it is best incorporated into their lifestyle in the form of an oral supplement, a topical product, or as another type of personal care product. This may mean using it as a capsule, gummy, powder, gel, or a beauty product like a soap or shampoo. Some cultures even make a sea moss drink, made by boiling it with water and mixing it with milk and a sweetening agent like honey or sugar.
Sea moss has been around for a very long time, with a rich history of cultures using it to enhance beauty, improve health, and support overall well-being. And while Bey Moss emphasizes purple sea moss, this isn’t the only type found in the ocean.
Types of Sea Moss
While it may commonly be referred to as carrageen moss or Irish moss, the scientific name for sea moss is Chondrus crispus.
One of the main differences between the types of sea moss and similar ocean plants is their natural coloring. It’s presumed that most sea moss, sea algae, and seaweed offer similar nutritional profiles and contain similar health-promoting compounds. This is because they thrive in very similar types of ocean environments. Furthermore, all types of sea moss are naturally rich sources of the compound carrageenan.
Sea moss may come in a number of vibrant colors, including Atlantic gold sea moss, red sea moss, yellow sea moss, purple sea moss, black sea moss, green sea moss, and shades in between. The main reasons for the variations in color are likely related to the specific pigment compounds found in each one, as well as the location in which they grow.
The multiple types of sea moss have veiny, thin-leafed branches that may grow in abundant patches on the rocky ocean coasts.
Types of Edible Seaweed
Purple sea moss and other sea mosses are often grouped into the same category as seaweed but, while they grow in similar environments, they are not exactly the same marine plant.
Edible seaweed is used more often in its natural form for culinary and health purposes. Seaweed is known to be one of the richest natural sources of iodine, an essential mineral for thyroid function that may also reduce risk for metabolic syndrome. Seaweed may be used to make leafy green salads, certain types of sushi and soups, or processed into supplemental form for consumer convenience.
There are many types of seaweed, found in numerous aquatic environments around the world. Some of the most well-known varieties of seaweed include:
- Wakame: This type of seaweed grows in shallow coastal waters around the world in kelp forests, where many species of marine life exist. It’s sometimes called sea mustard and is a dark green seaweed most often used in miso soup. Wakame has a somewhat sweet flavor and a smooth texture that lends itself well to a variety of preparations.
- Dulse: This is a red-colored seaweed that grows attached to rocks in colder northern waters, has a leathery texture, and is often cooked until crispy like bacon. It’s also often sold in dried, flake form, or ground into a powder for other culinary uses. Dulse is commonly used in soups or as a seasoning.
- Nori: This is also called purple lavar, and is known for its dark purple-red coloring that turns dark green when dried. Nori is roasted and pressed into sheets, which is similar to the process of making paper. It’s frequently used in Japanese cuisine to wrap sushi and rice balls, and to flavor other dishes.
- Sea lettuce: This is also called green nori, which is a bluish-green plant that grows along numerous coastlines around the world.
- Kombu: This is a type of sea kelp that is very popular in Eastern Asia. It’s most often cooked in water with skipjack tuna flakes to make the Japanese soup stock dashi, which is used for dishes like ramen and miso soup. It can also be steeped in hot water to make the Japanese hot tea called kombucha, which is not the same as the fermented, carbonated drink made in the United States.
- Hijiki: This is a thin, brown seaweed that turns black when it’s boiled and dried, and grows along the rocky coasts of China, Japan, and Korea. Hijiki is used in a number of seafood dishes.
Whether you’ve found a way to incorporate sea moss, edible seaweed, or perhaps both into your lifestyle, these sea plants offer a number of potential nutritional, health, and even beauty benefits. Plus, they can be enjoyed in the form of whole foods, supplements, or other types of personal care products to further enhance your healthy lifestyle.