Real Sea Moss vs Fake? If you’re new to the sea moss world, you might not be well-versed in the selection of genuine sea moss. Despite the fact that sea moss has a number of health advantages, you run the danger of getting the wrong sort and becoming ill as a result. Let’s look at some of the characteristics that distinguish genuine sea moss from imitation.
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Describe Sea Moss.
A form of edible seaweed called sea moss thrives along the Atlantic Ocean’s stony shores, including those in Europe and North America.
When sea moss is consumed, your body receives 92 minerals, which successfully reduce bloating, inflammation, and joint discomfort. These are just a few of the numerous health advantages that sea moss can offer.
What distinguishes authentic from fake sea moss?
Real sea moss that has been harvested from the wild contains 92 of the 102 minerals that your body needs. Your body can obtain as many of these minerals as it can because sea moss gets the majority of its minerals from the ocean it grows in.
Your mineral intake is hardly increased by sea moss that has grown in a pool. In an effort to replicate the real salt from the ocean, this variety of sea moss is grown in pool tanks and treated with table salt. Fake sea moss hardly contains any minerals that are said to be good for the body because it doesn’t grow on rocks or get warmth from the sun.
What Sets Real Sea Moss Apart from Fake Sea Moss?
Real and imitation sea moss can easily be distinguished by their outward differences. Real sea moss has slender stems, salt crystals, and a golden, dark brown, or purple tint.
On the other hand, fake sea moss is extremely salty, has thick stems, and is much lighter in colour. Real sea moss grows in the ocean naturally, however imitation sea moss is produced for commercial purposes in enormous swimming pool tanks, which significantly lowers its quality.
In contrast to sea moss that grows in the ocean, fake sea moss is developed under artificial conditions and does not retain nutrients. Real sea moss takes in minerals from the rocks it grows on and stores them in its twisting stems, ready to be plucked and distributed.
Comparison of Real and Fake Sea Moss
It’s not difficult to distinguish between the two types of sea moss once you get to know it.
The table below lists some of the differences between genuine and synthetic sea moss:
Sea moss gel: real vs. fake
Real sea moss must be utilised in sea moss gel since it contains organic minerals that your body requires.
False sea moss gel is detrimental to the human body and has much fewer minerals.
How Can You Spot Fake Sea Moss?
It is vital to understand the difference between genuine sea moss and imitation or pool-grown sea moss before buying your first batch of dried sea moss. Knowing what to look for makes it relatively easy to identify phoney sea moss.
The key characteristics to watch out for while attempting to identify phoney sea moss are listed below.
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Color
Although there are many varieties of real sea moss, most wildcrafted sea moss is a darker colour of golden, brown, or purple.
Lower-grade sea moss frequently has a lighter hue; you might discern hints of yellow, off-white, and other colours.
Structure
The appearance alone can distinguish between genuine sea moss and imitation sea moss.
Put them side by side and examine the stems carefully. In contrast to pool-grown sea moss, which has an almost perfected appearance and appears highly artificial, real sea moss has a tangled array of stems that weave between one another. You may have the incorrect variety of sea moss if your sea moss looks tidy and evenly spaced.
In contrast to false sea moss, which has thick, swollen stems, real sea moss has thinner stems.
Smell
Real sea moss has a potent fishy smell, though this can differ depending on the species and region from which it was harvested.
However, sea moss that has grown in swimming pools has a chemical smell that is comparable to that of burnt leather.
Some companies that produce sea moss for swimming pools will frequently mix in seaweed to make the product look more authentic to the consumer. Surely synthetic sea moss couldn’t have an oceanic scent?
Taste
While the stems of true sea moss do contain salt, the taste is not overly salty. Additionally, the salt on sea moss is hardly noticeable because it only imparts the flavour of the ocean.
The taste of fake sea moss, on the other hand, is incredibly salty, and if you look closely, you can see salt crystals adhering to its stems.
Feel
The texture of the moss determines whether it is real or artificial. When held between your fingers, real sea moss feels dense and dry, while imitation sea moss feels wet and slick, similar to jelly.
Real sea moss makes the water slimy when immersed in warm or cold water for a few hours. However, the water doesn’t change when the same experiment is done with fake sea moss.
Concentration of salt
Comparatively speaking, wild-crafted sea moss contains less salt than synthetic sea moss. Even though sea moss absorbs salt from the water it grows in and subsequently imparts a subtle salty taste, if you look closely you’ll hardly notice any salt on its stems.
The stems of fake sea moss are covered in salt crystals. This salt, which is actually table salt, is frequently added right away following harvest to mimic the salt from actual sea moss. This is due to the fact that sea moss grown in swimming pools doesn’t naturally contain any salt. As a result, producers sprinkle table salt on their sea moss in an effort to mimic the flavour of sea moss harvested in the wild.
Impurities
On the stems of genuine sea moss, there may be minuscule sand and rock particles. When you take the sea moss out of its packaging or get it ready for rinsing, you’ll notice this. You’ll notice that the sand settles at the bottom of the bowl or sink as you rinse your sea moss.
The stems of fake sea moss, on the other hand, look incredibly clean and perfect and are devoid of any impurities.
Price
Real sea moss is undoubtedly more expensive than imitation sea moss. Although the price difference between real and fake sea moss is noticeable, this is not a factor that determines the authenticity of your sea moss.
While a pound of sea moss from a swimming pool can be purchased for $12 to $15, the real thing is almost twice as expensive.
Harvested Area
Real sea moss can frequently be found growing on the rocks that line the Northern coast, depending on the species. Additionally, it is preferable to buy genuine sea moss that has been gathered from Jamaica, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean nations.
China, India, and Vietnam are among the East Coast countries where fake sea moss is harvested. The best way to avoid buying sea moss that has been grown in a swimming pool is to stick with a reputable supplier. Knowing where your sea moss was harvested from isn’t always accurate because fake sea moss can be grown anywhere at any time.
Does Sea Moss Grown in Pools Have Any Advantages?
When you can’t find real sea moss to buy, pool-grown sea moss can be an alternative because it has very little to no nutrition. Although sea moss that is grown in swimming pools cannot be compared to real sea moss, it may have some health advantages.
However, rather than risking the slim chance of ingesting some sort of nutrition, it is better to completely avoid pool-grown sea moss.
Benefits of Sea Moss Grown in Pools
The proper nutrients found in real sea moss are not present in fake sea moss. Furthermore, the additional salt it contains will harm your body even more.
Is Sea Moss From a Pool Bad For You?
It is best to avoid faux sea moss if you have trouble with high blood pressure. Additionally, you should completely avoid buying sea moss if you are unable to distinguish between the two varieties.
The increased salt content of fake sea moss poses a risk for further raising blood pressure.
Is fake sea moss widespread?
Even though fake sea moss poses a risk to everyone’s health, it is not as widespread as you might believe. Sea moss harvesting from the ocean has increased globally, making it impossible for sea moss grown in tanks to compete with nature’s elixir.
Additionally, fake sea moss can grow in a lab, in waters with significantly poor quality, which indicates that the waters are polluted, or in areas of the ocean that are near commercial ports. You shouldn’t even attempt to collect and sell this kind of sea moss!
Where Can I Buy Real Sea Moss?
Your neighbourhood health store may sell natural sea moss. I prefer to buy mine from this store.
Although you can choose to buy sea moss gel, capsules, or powder already made, you may prefer to make your own sea moss gel with fruit infusions for a more appealing flavor.
Advantages of sea moss
Natural sea moss emits a wide range of nutrients that your body needs to thrive, including vitamins and minerals. Among the advantages of sea moss are:
- able to promote thyroid health
- could benefit gut health
- might promote immunity
- may enhance blood sugar regulation
- may benefit heart health
How is sea moss gel made?
Over the past few years, sea moss has gained popularity quickly, and for good reason. In addition to being incredibly nutritious, this seaweed from the ocean can also help with immunity, weight loss, and skin texture. It’s understandable why this enchanted plant has so many of us on edge and clamouring for a taste of mother nature’s goodness.
You can start making your jar of sea moss gel once you’re able to tell real sea moss from imitation sea moss.
Ingredients and instructions for sea moss gel
What you’ll need to make your sea moss jar magical is:
- dried sea moss, 3–4 oz.
- 4 to 6 cups of clean water
- To prepare the sea moss, put the dried sea moss in a colander and then rinse it with water using your hands, making sure to get rid of any debris.
- Place the sea moss in a sizable bowl, and then add just enough filtered water to cover it.
Give the uncooked sea moss several hours or even overnight to soak in the water.
Creating the gel Clear the water of the sea moss. Sea moss can be cut into smaller stems with kitchen shears and then put in the blender. Water should be added to the blender in increments of 1-2 cups.
The sea moss should be blended into a smooth gel-like consistency before being transferred and placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container.