Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Article information
- Author, Ed O’Driscoll
- Role, BBC World Service
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8 hours wey don pass
Some pipo dey see sea moss as di secret to glowing skin, easy weight loss and beta gut health.
Sea moss, wey be spiny seaweed wey pipo fit chop, don become trend for celebrities and TikTokers alike.
Social media dey flooded wit recipes for sea moss lattes, DIY (Do it yourself) face masks and videos of di #SeaMossChallenge – one viral trend wey influencers dey swallow a mouthful of fishy-smelling, gooey sea moss gel.
But any truth dey behind di superfood claims, or na just anoda wellness trend?
Wetin be sea moss?
Sea moss, wey also dey known as Irish moss, na one type of red algae wey dem dey generally find along di rocky coasts of Ireland and oda parts of di Atlantic. E also dey grow for di warmer waters of Asia, South America and Africa.
According to di International Council for Food Additives, humans don dey harvest and consume sea moss for around 14,000 years, wit evidence of medicinal use for China as far back as 600 BC.
Di plant dey produce one additive wey dem dey call carrageenan, wey food manufacturers dey use as thickener and gelling agent in products like ice cream, chocolate milk and jelly.
Like many seaweeds, sea moss dey rich in nutrients, including iron, magnesium, iodine and vitamins, wey dey contribute to overall good health, according to di British Nutrition Association.
E dey widely available online in both raw and dried forms, but di most popular products on social networks na pills, powders, gels and gums.
Di global sea moss market dey expected to pass $3 billion by 2032, e dey driven by strong demand in China, according to data from Polaris Market Research.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, You fit buy sea moss evriwia in pill, powder, gel and gum form.
Fair skin?
Inside one article about managing psoriasis, one chronic inflammatory skin disease, reality TV star Kim Kardashian bin tok say she dey drink sea moss smoothies as part of a plant-based diet.
Sea moss contain vitamins A and E wey, according to di UK National Health System (NHS), dey important for skin health. E also contain antioxidants, like polyphenols, wey get ‘well-established anti-inflammatory effects’, according to di NHS.
Leah de Souza-Thomas na qualified UK-based biomedical scientist based and member of Nutritionist Resource, a database for qualified nutritionists and dieticians. She say na ‘little direct evidence dey say to dey eat sea moss dey improve skin condition or appearance’.
Studies wey show di skin benefits of sea moss don focus on topical treatments, like creams, rather dan consumption, she bin tell di BBC.
Weight loss
Diet culture dey big on TikTok. For 2022, one study by di University of Vermont for di United States bin count 9.7 billion videos wit di hashtag #weightloss.
Users don promote sea moss as superfood wey dey help wit weight loss, but Bridget Benelam, tok-tok pesin for di British Nutrition Foundation, say no evidence dey to suggest say sea moss suppose get superfood status.
“We know veri little about di specific benefits wey eating sea moss fit get on human health,” she bin tell di BBC.
Sea moss dey rich in fibre, wey fit help you feel full, according to Richelle Isaacs, one registered naturopathic nutrition therapist for UK.
But she add say no “enough evidence dey say e dey contribute to weight loss”.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, According to di British Nutrition Foundation, no evidence to suggest say sea moss na superfood.
Love of guts
Seaweed, including sea moss, dey rich in polysaccharides, a type of prebiotic carbohydrate wey dey beneficial to di gut.
‘Prebiotics be like fertiliser for our gut microbes,’ British Dietetic Association explain. “Dem be essentially foods wey dey feed our good bacteria.”
Di Harvard School of Public Health note say healthy gut dey linked to oda benefits, including boosted immunity, beta brain health and fit even reduce di risk of diabetes.
De Souza-Thomas acknowledge say sea moss don show ‘promise’ for gut health, but tell di BBC say “more research dey needed to fully understand im role”.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Wetin we call dis foto, Sea moss contain a lot of iodine and fit also absorb heavy metals.
Potential risks
Some risks dey associated wit eating sea moss, as e dey highlighted by di experts wey wit di BBC.
E contain high levels of iodine, wey fit cause thyroid problems if you consume too much.
“Make you no pass di amount wey dey recommended on di pack,” Ms Benelam tok.
She add say, like seaweed, sea moss fit absorb heavy metals from di water, depending on wia dem grow am.
Di European Food Safety Authority say di accumulation of metals in di body fit get harmful long-term effects.
Nevertheless, de Souza-Thomas believe say sea moss fit dey consumed in small quantities as part of a healthy diet.
But e fit no be di miracle cure wey TikTokers claim say e be.
“E dey best to think of sea moss as complement to, rather dan substitute for, a varied diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, quality proteins and healthy fats,” de Souza-Thomas add.