HERB CORNER
Mysterious Sea Moss... ...continued from page 11
and other minerals because of its greater exposure to the sun; howev- HUWKHUHDUHQRVFLHQWL¿FVWXGLHVWRYDOLGDWHWKLVFODLP Benefits of Sea Moss 6HDPRVVLVKHUDOGHGDVWKHVXSHUIRRGRIWKHRFHDQIRULWVPLQHUDOULFK - QHVVDQWLR[LGDQWVDQGLWVDELOLW\WRUHGXFHLQÀDPPDWLRQLQWKHERG\ Abundantly nutritious, just two tablespoons of seamoss provides a host of essential vitamins and minerals that support all our body systems: • 0HWDEROLFKHDOWK 6WXGLHVVKRZVHDPRVVFDQKHOS\RX WR ORVH ZHLJKW6HDPRVVFRQWDLQVIXFR[DQWKLQZKLFKFDQKHOSWRPHWDEROL]H IDWDQGLVDOVRDVRXUFHRI¿EHUWRNHHS\RXIHHOLQJIXOOORQJHU VRXUFH 0DULQH'UXJVMRXUQDO • 5HVSLUDWRU\KHDOWK 0RVVKDVDORQJKLVWRU\DVDQDQWLYLUDODQG anti-bacterial remedy for respiratory issues such as persistent coughs, VRUHWKURDWVVLQXVLQIHFWLRQVSQHXPRQLDDQGÀXYLUXVHVDQGVHDVRQ - DODOOHUJLHV6HDPRVVFRQWDLQVSRWDVVLXPFKORULGHZKLFKGLVVROYHVH[ - FHVVPXFXVIURPWKHERG\OLNHDQH[SHFWRUDQW,WVPXFLODJLQRXVSURS - erties coat irritated membranes in the ears, nose, and throat bringing relief. • 'LJHVWLYHKHDOWK 6HDPRVVFDQEHEHQH¿FLDOIRUKHDOLQJXOFHUV UHOLHYLQJFRQVWLSDWLRQDQGEDODQFLQJJXWKHDOWK,WVKLJKPLQHUDODQG ¿EHUFRQWHQWPDNHVIRUDQH̆HFWLYHSUHELRWLFWKDWIHHGV\RXUJRRGJXW bacteria. • 6NLQKHDOWK 6HDPRVV¶KLJKFDUUDJHHQDQFRQWHQWPDNHVLWDZRQ - GHUIXODGGLWLRQWR\RXUVNLQUHJLPHQ,WVWKLFNHQLQJDQGJHOOLQJSURS - erties works similarly to collagen and creates vibrant and tighter skin. When used topically, sea moss gel can cool and soothe irritated skin. • ,PPXQHKHDOWK Preliminary animal studies show that sea moss may boost the immune systemby increasing antibodies. Another study found sea moss may have some anti-cancer activity. One study found that fucoxanthin may reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. • 7K\URLGKHDOWK ,RGLQH DQG VHOHQLXP DUH IRXQG LQ DEXQGDQFH in sea moss. These two minerals are instrumental in thyroid function and producing necessary hormones. One gram of sea moss contains a ZKRRSLQJPJRILRGLQH • 6H[XDOKHDOWK $QRWKHUZHOONQRZQEHQH¿WLVWKHVHDPRVV H̆HFWRQWKHPDOHOLELGR7KHUHDUHPDQ\FODLPVWKDWVHDPRVVPD\ increase sperm quantity and quality as well as boost testosterone levels. There are anecdotal stories about sea moss being a fertility resource for promoting ovarian support and egg production, however there is little research to support these claims. The Safety of Sea Moss Just like any health product, consumers should be aware of poten- tial safety concerns before adding this plant to your daily regimen. 'HEDWHV KDYH VXUIDFHG RQOLQH DQG WKHPHGLD DERXW WKH VDIHW\ RI VHD moss due to its carrageenan content. There are claims that carrageen- an can be tumor-promoting or carcinogenic to humans and animals if FRQVXPHGLQODUJHDPRXQWV6WXGLHVVKRZWKDWGHJUDGHGFDUUDJHHQDQ at high doses can be toxic; however, sea moss and food products that LQFOXGHFDUUDJHHQDQDUHXQGHJUDGHGDQGVDIHWRFRQVXPH6HDPRVV products on the market are typically the whole plant processed into a gel, powder, or the dried plant branches. Consumers are getting the EHQH¿WRIWKHZKROHSODQWZKLFKLVKLJKLQFHOOXORVHDQGRWKHUSODQW¿ - EHUVWKDWDLGWKHERG\LQGLJHVWLRQRIKDUPIXOFRQVWLWXHQWV²DEHQH¿W RIZKROHSODQWPHGLFLQHYHUVXVVWDQGDUGL]HGH[WUDFWV 6HDPRVVKDVDQWLFRDJXODQWSURSHUWLHVDQGWKHUHIRUHLVQRWUHFRP - PHQGHGIRUSHRSOHFXUUHQWO\RQEORRGWKLQQHUPHGLFDWLRQV6LPLODUO\ people on high blood pressure medication may experience negative VLGHH̆HFWV VXFKDV OLJKWKHDGHGQHVVRUGL]]LQHVV VRXVHRI VHDPRVV
alvarezii HONKRUQVHDPRVV DQG (XFKHXPDGHQWLFXODWXP JXV{ ,Q the sea moss industry, Kappaphycus may be called (XFKHXPD FRW - tonii , and (XFKHXPD may be referred to as Spinosum after its previ- ous Latin name. These names are used interchangeably in the mar- NHWSODFH6LPLODUWR Chondrus crispus , these two sea moss varies are carrageenan-rich and have replaced Chondrus DV WKH ZRUOG¶VPDMRU source of it.
Sea moss farming, Philippines (photo credit: Derek Keats, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
How Sea Moss is Grown 0DMRULW\RIWKHVHDPRVVVROGWRGD\LVKDUYHVWHGIURPRFHDQZDWHUV )DUPVDUHVHFWLRQHGR̆DUHDVRQWKHFRDVWOLQHVDQGVHDPRVVJURZVRQ DQFKRUHGURSHV)DUPKDUYHVWLQJLVPRVWFRPPRQLQ&KLQD9LHWQDP and the Philippines. Wild harvesting requires swimmers to go out in WKH RFHDQ RQ ERDWV DQG GLYH WR JDWKHU VHDPRVV R̆ URFNV DORQJ WKH coastline or at the bottom of the shallower seabed locations. Recent controversy about wild harvested, farmed sea moss, and pool or tank raised has many consumers concerned about the qual- LW\DQGH̆HFWLYHQHVVRIWKHVHDPRVVSURGXFWVRQWKHPDUNHW6HYHUDO WUDLWVDUHFODLPHGWRVXSSRVHGO\DOORZRQHWRWHOOWKHGL̆HUHQFHVXFKDV how much dried sea moss expands when soaked in water, the amount RIVDOWRQWKHPRVVDQGWKHVKDSHDQGVL]HRIWKHEUDQFKHV+RZHYHU these traits are more telling about the processing method used, and WKH\DUHQ¶WUHOLDEOHIRUWHOOLQJWKHGL̆HUHQFHEHWZHHQZLOGDQGIDUPHG sea moss. For example, many sea moss farmers add salt to the sea moss to preserve the semi-dried moss during transport; while other farmers fully dry the moss and, therefore, no added salt is required. Pool or tank-raised sea moss is rare because of high costs to maintain and produce large amount of sea moss in this manner. 7KHGL̆HUHQFHEHWZHHQZLOGDQGIDUPHGPRVVPD\QRWKDYHPXFK bearing on the nutritional value since both types of moss grow in min- eral-rich ocean environments. The type of sea moss and the location ZKHUHWKHVHDPRVVLVKDUYHVWHG 6RXWK3DFL¿F1RUWK$WODQWLFRUWKH &DULEEHDQ,VODQGV LVIDUPRUHLPSRUWDQWLQGHWHUPLQLQJKRZDVSHFLI - ic sea moss will work in your body. 6HDPRVVOLNHDOOVHDZHHGVDEVRUEVWKHPLQHUDOVIURPLWVVXUURXQG - LQJHQYLURQPHQW$VWXG\VKRZVWKDWWKHZDWHUWHPSHUDWXUHD̆HFWVIDW FRPSRVLWLRQDQGRWKHUQXWULWLRQDOYDOXHVRIWKHPRVV6HDPRVVWKDW grows in colder temperatures possesses a greater amount of Omega 3 DQGIDWW\DFLGVWKDQPRVVWKDWJURZVLQWURSLFDODUHDV VRXUFH 1,+ 1DWLRQDO /LEUDU\ RI0HGLFLQH 0DQ\ EHOLHYH WKDW WKH VHDPRVV KDU - YHVWHGLQWKHWURSLFDOUHJLRQVLVPRUHQXWULWLRQDOO\GHQVHLQ9LWDPLQ'
64—PATHWAYS—Winter 21-22
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