HERB CORNER Mysterious Sea Moss – Superfood of the Sea
The rest of the moss is made up of protein and a slew of nutrients in- FOXGLQJYLWDPLQV$'()DQG.DQGPDFURPLQHUDOVVXFKDVFDOFL - um, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium, as well as trace minerals like iron, manganese, iodine, copper, and selenium (source: 86'$ 7KLV LVQ¶WWKH¿UVWWLPHWKHVHDPRVV LQGXVWU\ERRPHG2QHRI WKH most popular sea moss varieties, Chondrus crispus GDWHVEDFNWR %&ZKHQLWZDVXVHGDVDWKHUDSHXWLFUHPHG\IRUWUHDWLQJLQIHFWLRQV and congestion, boost libido and virility, and to preserve foods and brew beer. To consume the sea moss, moss farmers would rake the sea PRVVIURPURFNVOLQLQJWKHRFHDQVKRUHVDQGOD\WKHPRVVÀDWWRGU\LQ the sun. Then they would wash it and boil it to turn it into a gel. A pop- ular recipe was to add the gel to warmed milk with sugar and nutmeg. 'XULQJWKH,ULVK3RWDWR)DPLQH ZKHQPRUHWKDQPLO - OLRQGLHGIURPVWDUYDWLRQPDQ\,ULVKOLYLQJQHDUWKHFRDVWVXUYLYHGHDW - LQJWKHQXWULHQWGHQVHVHDZHHG7KXVWKHQDPH,ULVKPRVVZDVERUQ
BY GINGER MAIR ,ZDV¿UVW LQWURGXFHG WR VHDPRVV LQ ,ZDV RQP\ ORQJ DQG QHYHUHQGLQJ MRXUQH\ WR ¿JXULQJ RXW QDWXUDO UHPHGLHV IRU HYHU\ LOO - QHVVDQGFRQGLWLRQ,ZDVGHDOLQJZLWKDWWKHWLPH7KHVHLQFOXGHGHY - HU\WKLQJIURPUHRFFXUULQJ¿EURLGVDQGPDVVDFUHOHYHOEOHHGLQJHDFK month, to terrible seasonal allergies and constant nasal congestion and chronic sinus infections, to post-partum anxiety, and yes, weight JDLQ, IRUWXLWRXVO\VWXPEOHGDFURVVYLGHR LQWHUYLHZVZLWK WKHKHDOWK LFRQ 'U 6HEL DQG KLV WHDFKLQJV RQ WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI JHWWLQJ VẊ - cient minerals through herbs and alkaline-based foods like sea moss LQWR \RXU GLHW WR SUHYHQW LQÀDPPDWLRQ IURP IRUPLQJ RU HVFDODWLQJ to more serious chronic conditions. After binge watching his videos DQG FKHFNLQJ RXW WKH VFLHQWL¿F UHVHDUFK RQ VHDPRVV , RUGHUHG 'U 6HEL¶VGULHG,ULVKPRVVSRZGHURQOLQHWRWU\RXWWKLVQHZVXSHUIRRG 7KHVPHOORIWKHSRZGHUZDVRYHUZKHOPLQJIRUPHVR,EHJDQORRNLQJ LQWRWKHJHOZKLFK,UHDGKDGDOLJKWHURFHDQVFHQWDQGZDVWDVWHOHVV, purchasedasmallbagof theraw,driedmoss froma localCaribbeanmar- ket and beganmaking the seamoss gel myself. The cleaning and gelling SURFHVVGRHVUHTXLUHVRPHH̆RUWDQGWLPHEXWLW¶VZRUWKLWDVEX\LQJ DQGJHOOLQJWKHVHDPRVV\RXUVHOILVPRUHFRVWH̆HFWLYHWKDQSXUFKDV - LQJWKHSUHPDGHJHO$QRWKHUEHQH¿WRIPDNLQJWKHJHO\RXUVHOILV\RX can add more or less water to get the gel to your preferred consistency. , EHJDQ DGGLQJ WKH JHO WRP\PRUQLQJ VPRRWKLH DQGZLWKLQ WKUHH GD\V,QRWLFHGVPDOO\HWVLJQL¿FDQWFKDQJHV ,ZDVFOHDULQJP\WKURDW more often and coughing up mucus; my skin was more vibrant and JORZLQJ DQG,H[SHULHQFHGLQFUHDVHGEDWKURRPWLPH$IWHUWZRZHHNV ,FRXOGFRPSOHWHO\EUHDWKRXWRIP\QRVHKDGLQFUHDVHGHQHUJ\OHVV MRLQWSDLQDQGIHOWPHQWDOO\DQGHPRWLRQDOO\EDODQFHGZKLFK,DWWUL - bute to the high amounts of magnesium in sea moss. And now after VHYHUDO\HDUVRIVHDPRVVLQDQGRXWRIP\GLHWDQGEDFNLQDJDLQ,¶P GRZQOEV,QRWLFHGVHDPRVVNHSWPHIXOOIRUORQJHUSHULRGVRIWLPH $QGWKHPRVWLQWHUHVWLQJUHVXOW,H[SHULHQFHGLV,¶PQRORQJHUDOOHUJLF WRFHUWDLQIUXLWV,RQFHZDVLQWKHSDVW,FDQQRZHDWUDZDSSOHVSHDFK - HVDQGRWKHUIUXLWVZLWKQRUHDFWLRQ,FUHGLWWKLVFKDQJHWRP\ERG\ QRZKDYLQJDFFHVV WRPLQHUDOV ,QHHGHG WRSURFHVV FHUWDLQHQ]\PHV ,KDGṘFLDOO\ IDOOHQ LQ ORYHZLWKVHDPRVVDQGDSSDUHQWO\VRGLG WKHZRUOG WKDQNVWRFHOHEULWLHVOLNH.LP.DUGDVKLDQ $VZRUGDERXW sea moss grew, confusion around it grew, too. There are many ques- WLRQVDQGFRQFHUQVÀRDWLQJRQOLQHDERXWVHDPRVV :KDWLVVHDPRVV DFWXDOO\":KDWGRHVLWGRLQWKHERG\",VWKHVHDPRVV,SXUFKDVHGUHDO RUIDNHRUZLOGKDUYHVWHGRUIDUPHG",VVHDPRVVVDIH"0\KRSHKHUH is to help shed some light on this mysterious superfood of the sea. Sea Moss 101 6HD PRVV DOVR FRPPRQO\ UHIHUUHG WR DV ,ULVK PRVV LV UHG DOJDH in the Rhodophyta marine family that grows in saltwater bodies of ZDWHU ,W W\SLFDOO\ JURZV XS WR WR LQFKHV KLJK LQ WKLFN FOXVWHUV that cover rocks like sprawling moss, but is not related to the land moss plants. Found mainly on the rocky coastline of the North At- lantic Coast, humans have consumed it for thousands of years. To- GD\LW¶VSODQWHGDQGSURFHVVHGLQVHYHUDOFRDVWDOFRXQWULHVLQFOXGLQJ WKH86&KLQD9LHWQDPWKH3KLOLSSLQHVDQGWKH&DULEEHDQLVODQGV $PDMRU FRPSRQHQW RI WKH ELOOLRQ GROODU VHDZHHG LQGXVWU\ LQ VRXUFH Aquaculture North America VHDPRVVLVPDVVKDUYHVW - ed primarily for its carrageenan and agar ingredients. Carrageenan and agar are complex carbohydrates with a gelatinous texture used as thickeners and gelling agents found in toothpaste, gum, dairy and QRQGDLU\ SURGXFWV DQG SUHSDUHG IRRGV SHUFHQW RI VHD PRVV LV PDGHRIWKHVHFRPSOH[FDUERK\GUDWHVWKDWDOVRFRQWDLQVGLHWDU\¿EHU
Chondrus crispus (photo credit: https://com- mons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chondrus_crispus.jpg)
Gracilaria in the market (photo credit: Derek Keats, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Types of Sea Moss 7KHUHDUHRYHUW\SHVRIVHDPRVVZRUOGZLGHZKLFKFDQPDNH it confusing for consumers when selecting a sea moss product to buy. The most commonly harvested sea moss varieties are Chon- drus crispus , and its close cousin *UDFLODULDVS&KRQGUXVFULVSXV LVDEXQGDQWLQWKH1RUWK$WODQWLFFRDVWOLQHVRIWKH86&DQDGDDQG ,UHODQGEHFDXVHWKLVYDULHW\JURZVEHVWLQFRROHUWHPSHUDWXUHV)UHVK Chondrus is dark purple or brown with red tones, and its frilly fronds DUHÀDWWKLQDQGIDQOLNH Gracilaria is found in warmer, tropical waters sourced from Ja- PDLFD9LHWQDP&KLQD DQG WKH3KLOLSSLQHV6LQFH LW JURZV LQ WURSL - cal locales, the Gracilaria species is typically a lighter yellow, or gold ZLWK UHG WRQHV EHFDXVH RI WKH LQFUHDVHG H[SRVXUH WR WKH VXQ +RZ - HYHU FRORU FDQQRWDOVREH DQ H̆HFWLYH LGHQWL¿HU Gracilaria growing in intercoastal and high marine activity locations can also carry dark purple or reddish colors. The sea moss plant shape is a more reliable PHWKRGWR LGHQWLI\WKHPRVVW\SH*UDFLODULDKDVWKLFNVKRUWWRORQJ F\OLQGULFDOEUDQFKHVZLWK R̆VKRRWV RIEODGHV WKDW UHVHPEOHQRRGOHV 0RVWVHDPRVVKHDOWKSURGXFWVRQ WKHPDUNHW WRGD\DUHSURGXFHG from the Gracilaria VSHFLHVHYHQLILW¶VODEHOHG,ULVKPRVV,ULVKSHRSOH WKDWPLJUDWHGWR-DPDLFDLQWKHVFDUULHGDORQJZLWKWKHPWKHLUWUD - dition of sea moss use for its nutritional and medicinal value, and they adopted the Gracilaria YDULHW\DVWKHLU³,ULVKPRVV´5HJDUGOHVVRIWKH name, both types of moss aremade up of similar constituents—amuci- laginous complex carbohydrate, proteinandahost of vitamins andmin- HUDOV7KHSULPDU\GL̆HUHQFHLVLQWKHW\SHRIFDUERK\GUDWHLQERWKYDUL - eties. Chondrus crispus contains carrageenan and Gracilaria contains agar. Gracilaria SURYLGHVRYHUSHUFHQWRIWKHZRUOG¶VDJDUVXSSO\ Two other tropical seaweeds that are growing in popularity and VRXUFHG IURP&KLQD9LHWQDP DQG WKH3KLOLSSLQHV DUH Kappaphycus
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PATHWAYS—Winter 21-22—11
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