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Description
Irish Sea Moss – Chondrus crispus
“Miracle from the sea”
Irish sea moss, also known as carrageen moss is a relatively small seaweed, rarely exceeding 20cms in length that grows by clinging to rocks in the intertidal zones. It grows mainly along the rugged Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. The name “carrageen moss” may derive from the Gaelic word, “carraign”, meaning little rock, as there is a location, bearing the same name, not far from the sea, in Co. Galway, where there is an abundance of sea moss.
Seaweeds such as Irish sea moss have been used for centuries as food and medicine in the British Isles and Ireland, and during times of crisis it has even helped save lives. During the great Irish potato famine for example, the people living on the western and southern coasts of Ireland used Irish sea moss as an abundant and nutrient rich food supplement when little else was available. The habit of using sea moss as a food supplement spread to America and the West Indies, where it is still popular as a tonic and restorative agent.
Analysis of Irish sea moss reveals why it became such a powerful dietary tool. It contains protein, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids along with an array of vitamins and minerals. No wonder it saved lives…it’s an almost complete food by itself! The protein consists of a broad array of amino acids such as arginine, ornithine, citrulline, glutamic acid, taurine, tyrosine and lysine. The minerals include magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and iodine. Vitamins include beta-carotene and vitamin E. The fatty acids consist of Omega-3, 6, 9 and 7 polyunsaturates, and even EPA that is normally found in fish oil! There are also powerful antioxidant phenolic compounds in Irish sea moss such as the catechins which are also found in green tea and red wine for example.
