For the past few months, I’ve started my day the same way every day: with a tablespoon of that nasty-tasting, gold-colored gel.
Its texture can best be described as lumpy Vaseline, and it leaves a strong, pungent chemical aftertaste that can only be washed away with strong black coffee.
What may sound like a quack drug remedy from the 1800s is actually a 17-pound health supplement made from moss harvested from the shores of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.
This gel, known as sea moss, may not win any awards for its taste, but I believe it has changed my life.
Since I started taking this every morning I have experienced what can only be described as a complete personality change.
Suddenly, I had boundless energy, I stopped yawning at 5pm, my friends told me I looked amazing, some even said my skin was glowing, and I no longer had hangovers.
I’m not the only sea moss fanatic: Over the past two years, sea moss has exploded in popularity among women under 25, i.e. Gen Z.
There are over 1.4 million sea moss posts on Instagram, including glowing promotions from well-known influencers.
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It’s touted as the ultimate vitamin supplement. But seaweed has a dark side, and there are reports of people taking it making themselves seriously ill.
So what’s the truth, and does this nasty slime mean the end of vitamin supplements?
Nori is a type of seaweed-like algae that grows in tide pools.
There are several types, but the most common are Irish moss and Caribbean moss.
Records show that as early as 600 BC, the Chinese harvested it and used it medicinally to treat respiratory ailments.
During the Irish potato famine in the 19th century, people ate seaweed to stave off hunger.
But in recent years, companies have started turning it into a gel that can be bottled and kept fresh for several months.
The gels, which come in a range of bright colours, have become increasingly popular thanks in part to the endorsement of celebrities such as reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who has been known to drink seaweed smoothies.
American supermodel Bella Hadid claims to drink a glass of sea moss every morning.
As the Mail’s showbiz correspondent, I follow the lives of A-list celebrities in detail, and when I saw so many influential women raving about this gel I knew I had to give it a try. I bought the same brand as Bella, Planted Seas Gold Sea Moss Gel.
Its biggest draw is its mineral content: one spoonful contains magnesium, potassium, iodine, sulphur, calcium, selenium, fibre, copper, phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin and manganese, according to Island Moss, one of the UK’s largest suppliers.
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According to the company, these “provide energy, regulate digestion and remove toxins from the body.”
I’m 24 and eat a pretty healthy diet, but I don’t know what many of these minerals actually do, although they are enticing promises.
However, some experts have expressed concerns about the safety of seaweed, warning that consuming too much could cause thyroid problems due to its high iodine concentration.
Iodine is crucial for the function of the thyroid gland, a small gland in your neck that produces important hormones, but getting too much can cause an overactive thyroid, leading to symptoms like mood swings, fatigue and trouble sleeping.
Earlier this year, a 28-year-old woman from Connecticut, US, was hospitalized with severe thyroid problems after “sporadically” consuming seaweed over a month.
Dr Duane Mellor, a nutritionist at Aston University in Birmingham, said: “If you have hyperthyroidism, then too much iodine can be a problem.”
“Most people have a hard time getting enough iodine, but seaweed is rich in iodine.”
Experts also question whether seaweed is any better for your health than a carefully formulated multivitamin that provides the right balance of nutrients.
“Seaweed is undoubtedly rich in vitamins and minerals, but it’s unlikely to be a good substitute for a good quality multivitamin,” says Harley Street nutritionist Kim Pearson.
“Because seaweed is a natural product, it is unlikely to contain the same effective health-promoting compounds.”
Personally, I think I’ll give up on seaweed.
The energy boost I got from taking this gel the first time gradually wore off – my theory is that when I first took this gel, my body was suddenly getting nutrients it didn’t have before.
But now that it’s gone, I don’t want to keep eating that nasty (and shockingly expensive) gel every morning.
