​You may have heard about the sea moss “superfood” recently. It’s being touted by celebrities as an immune-boosting, skin-healing, digestive aid, but like most declared superfoods, sea moss has actually been consumed for centuries.

Although the research on sea moss is limited, there are reports of the seaweed possessing brain-protecting, immune-boosting and digestion-aiding properties. Plus, we know that seaweed is an excellent source of health-promoting nutrients.

So is sea moss all it’s cracked up to be? Let’s find out.

What Is Sea Moss?Sea moss, also known as Irish moss, is a red seaweed with the scientific name Chondrus crispus. It’s been consumed by humans for thousands of years, found mainly on rocks along the North Atlantic Coast.

Today, it’s planted and processed in several coastal countries, including the U.S., China and Ireland, and used for its carrageenan content.
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Carrageenan is commonly used as a food additive for its binding, thickening and stabilizing effects. It’s used in food products including almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, creamers, yogurt, canned soups and frozen pizzas.

Carrageenan is also an active ingredient in some conventional medicine solutions.
Sea moss is also valued for its algal polysaccharide, which is extracted from carrageenan and has medicinal and health-related properties. Studies propose that algal polysaccharide aids:

• immunity enhancement
• antioxidant effects
• antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities
• tumor inhibition
• hypertension prevention
• high cholesterol prevention
• blood sugar control

In addition to its carrageenan and algal polysaccharide content, sea moss is also rich in:

• proteins
• peptides
• amino acids
• lipids
• pigments

The potential health benefits of this red algae are linked to its neuroprotective and immune-boosting constituents.

BenefitsThere are some potential benefits of sea moss, but the studies evaluating these effects have been done in labs or on animals. There certainly isn’t a clear understanding of how Irish moss may improve the health of humans, but the nutrient content in the seaweed is promising.

1. Aids Digestion

Irish moss works as a prebiotic, allowing it to influence the composition of our gut microbiota. It’s also a mucilaginous food that has a sticky texture and helps stool move through the gastrointestinal tract more easily.

In a study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, rats fed Irish moss showed significant improvements in gut microbiota composition.

Researchers suggest that, based on these findings, sea moss may help improve gut health and immune modulation. It was able to increase the population of beneficial bacteria and decrease harmful bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae.

2. May Boost Neurological Health

Studies suggests that red seaweed may have neuroprotective effects because of its ability to alleviate oxidative stress. For this reason, researchers indicate that C. crispus may be a promising ingredient in pharmaceutical applications for potential novel anti-neurodegenerative drugs for humans.

3. Boosts Immune Function

Research published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology indicates that red seaweed enhances host immunity and suppresses the expression of what’s called “virulence factors,” or molecules that are produced by bacteria, fungi and viruses.

This study was conducted in a lab, but researchers concluded that its results suggest that components of C. crispus may play a health-promoting role in animals and humans.

4. Increases Satiety

When combined with liquids, Irish moss has a gel-like texture that is thick and sticky. It acts as a soluble fiber that helps keep you full longer.

Adding Irish moss to meals may increase satiety and, therefore, possibly cut down on the amount of calories you consume. There isn’t scientific evidence to back this up, but the idea is that sea moss works similarly to chia seeds and aloe in this respect.

5. May Have Anti-Tumor Effects

There are some lab studies suggesting that Irish moss has anti-tumor effects that are due to its algal polysaccharide content. Researchers don’t have definitive answers about why this occurs in lab trials, but they indicate that it may be due to polysaccharide’s ability to enhance the body’s immunity and improve its antioxidant activity.

6. Rich in Iodine

A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that iodine in C. crispus is high and bioavailable. Both low and high iodine intake levels can increase the risk of disease, so it’s important to consume the right amount.

Iodine-rich foods support thyroid function, healthy metabolism and brain health. Your thyroid, for instance, must have high enough iodine levels to make thyroxine, a key hormone that works to regulate important, everyday biochemical reactions.

Thyroid disorders that may arise from low-iodine levels can lead to symptoms like sluggish appetite, heart issues, mood changes, weight fluctuations and appetite changes.

7. May Boost Skin Health

Sea moss is used in skin care products because of its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and magnesium.
Using sea moss topically may help hydrate and soothe your skin, while fighting damage and infections. There isn’t any scientific research on the benefits of Irish moss for skin, but its vitamin and mineral content alone is promising for promoting healthy aging.

How to Use

You can find sea moss in raw, dried or gel form. It’s also available as a powder or capsule, and it’s used as an ingredient in some skin care products.

You may have a hard time finding sea moss at your local grocery store, so purchasing it from a reputable company online is another option.

Irish moss is pretty much flavorless, so it can easily be added to smoothie, juice and soup recipes. Remember that it works as a thickener, so it also works well in sauces and even baked goods.

Like algae, you have the option to supplement with sea moss pills and sea moss powder. However, keep in mind that the science on humans is lacking, so check with your health care provider first. This is especially true if you have hypothyroidism.

Risks and Side Effects

When consumed in normal amounts, sea moss is generally safe and may have health benefits. Excessive consumption of Irish moss, however, can mean that you’re ingesting too much iodine.

Too much iodine can cause thyroid disorders, so you need to be careful not to take in too much of the nutrient. If you have Hashimoto’s, thyroiditis or other issues related to hypothyroidism, speak to your doctor about limiting iodine foods.

One of the most frustrating components to the illness is the condition of Fibro Fog.  Fibrofog is a term given to a variety of cognitive problems that many fibromyalgia sufferers face from time to time.  Fibrofog encompasses memory loss, difficulties using language, and difficulties with learning.  These symptoms tend to descend in a haze or "fog," around the sufferer.  Fibrofogs can occur at any time and can vary in intensity when they do occur.  Fibrofogs tend to be at their most severe during flare ups. Fibrofog affects about both women and men who have fibromyalgia pain, though it tends to hit women more often.  Women between the ages of 30 and 50 are most likely to be affected by fibrofog.  Episodes of fibrofog typically last only a few days, though sometimes severe fibrofog can last for weeks or even months.

Fibro Fog Symptoms Include:

* short term memory loss
* difficulty remembering where you put things
* difficulty remembering plans
* difficulty with language, including trouble holding conversations
* difficulty finding the "right" word to use in conversation
* trouble remembering simple numbers
* transposing letters and numbers
* trouble concentrating and focusing
* trouble retaining new information

Anyway you can ease up major brain functioning during this time can be an added blessing to ward off stress. Simple lists to attack daily needs can enable a sense of confidence when the day is through.  Do be aware of how much you can physically undertake.  Making lists that are multi-tasked and loaded with a major task load should be avoided or split over several days.

When fibro fog hits, be gentle on yourself.  Don't push these days; wait for the fog to pass.  You can always make up chores on good days when you are feeling better.  Pushing yourself only leads to compound anxiety that fuels flare-ups.

One major tool I've implemented is the use of pill boxes.  No more worries if I've remembered to take that pill or supplement.  And there is nothing more that heightens anxiety than wondering if you took an extra pill, or forgot to take one.  I have a large pill box for supplements. On Sunday evening I can easily set out my vitamin supplements for a week.  Since I can't take several doses at once, I can easily take them throughout the day until my section remains empty.  Taking several doses prompts slight flare ups which I've learned to avoid.  Any medications go into a smaller pill box.  This allows me to stretch doses so that my body is not overwhelmed.  I have medicine sensitivities so I have fewer pills and don't feel comfortable mixing them with other daily supplements.

​Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

​You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right.

Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress.

During the year 1851 news reached California, that in the spring of that year a family by the name of Oatman, while endeavoring to reach California by the old Santa Fe route, had met with a most melancholy and terrible fate, about seventy miles from Fort Yuma. 

​A family vacation takes a terrifying turn when a couple discover their young daughter has vanished without a trace. Stopping at nothing to find her, their desperate search for the truth leads to a shocking revelation

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​In the late 1930s, wealthy landowner Edith Pretty hires amateur archaeologist Basil Brown to investigate the mounds on her property in England. He and his team discover a ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a burial ground.

​On a hiking trip to rekindle their marriage, a couple find themselves fleeing for their lives in the unforgiving wilderness from an unknown shooter.

​In a remote area of the Canary Islands, young surfer Alvaro Vizcaino accidentally falls from a cliff. Seriously injured, he must fight to survive.

​A summer in rural Oahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends, and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.

​A shady legal guardian lands in hot water when she tries to bilk a woman who has ties to a powerful gangster.