If you are new to the world of sea moss, you may have little understanding when it comes to selecting real sea moss. Although sea moss offers several health advantages, you run the danger of obtaining the incorrect sort and being ill as a result. Let’s look at some of the characteristics that distinguish genuine sea moss from imitation.

What is Sea Moss?

Sea moss is a form of edible seaweed that grows along the Atlantic Ocean’s stony shores, including those in Europe and North America.

When consumed, sea moss supplies your body with 92 minerals, significantly reducing joint discomfort, inflammation, and bloating. These are just a few of the many health advantages that sea moss may provide.

What is Real Sea Moss and Fake Sea Moss?

Real wildcrafted sea moss contains 92 of the 102 minerals your body needs. Sea moss gets the majority of its minerals from the ocean in which it grows, allowing your body to absorb as many of these elements as possible.

The mineral content of pool-grown sea moss is negligible. This species of sea moss is produced in pool tanks and laced with table salt to mimic the natural salt from the ocean. Because imitation sea moss does not grow on rocks or get heat from the sun, it has very few minerals that are considered helpful to the body.

What is The Difference Between Real and Fake Sea Moss?

The look of genuine and imitation sea moss may be used to distinguish between the two. Genuine sea moss has golden, dark brown, or purple stems with salt crystals.

False sea moss, on the other hand, is lighter in color, has thick stems, and tastes quite salty. Real sea moss thrives in the water, however imitation sea moss is cultivated commercially in giant pool tanks, decreasing its quality significantly.

Unlike sea moss that grows in the water, fake sea moss does not retain nutrients since it is cultivated under artificial settings. Real sea moss collects nutrients from the rocks on which it grows, storing them in its spiraling stems and ready to distribute once gathered.

Real Sea Moss vs Fake Sea Moss

It’s rather simple to recognize the difference between the two types of sea moss once you’ve been acquainted with them.

The table below highlights some of the differences between genuine and imitation sea moss:

Real sea moss	Fake sea soss
Super thin	Super thick
Lightly salted	A thick layer of salt
Dried texture	Moist and wet
Smells like the ocean	Grows in pools brimming with salt and brine
May have bits of seaweed attached	No other seaweed attached
Different colors	No color

Real vs Fake Sea Moss Gel

Because real sea moss contains organic minerals that your body need, it must be utilized as sea moss gel.

False sea moss gel has much less minerals and is thus hazardous to the human body.

How to Identify Fake Sea Moss?

Before you buy your first batch of dried sea moss, you should understand the difference between genuine sea moss and pool-grown or imitation sea moss. Once you know what to look for, spotting fake sea moss is straightforward.

The following are some of the key things to look for when attempting to identify imitation sea moss.

Color

Real sea moss exists in a number of types, however wildcrafted sea moss is often a deeper colour of golden, brown, or purple.

Lower-grade sea moss is frequently lighter in color, with yellow, off-white, and other hues.

Structure

Simply by looking at them, you can tell the difference between genuine and artificial sea moss.

Place them side by side and examine their stems closely. Pool-grown sea moss has an almost flawless aesthetic that seems incredibly artificial, but real sea moss has an entangled array of stems that weave amongst each other, producing a knotted mess. If your sea moss seems clean and well-aligned, you probably have the incorrect sort of sea moss!

Real sea moss has smaller stems, but false sea moss has big, swollen stalks.

Smell

Real sea moss has a distinct fishy odor, however this varies depending on the kind of sea moss and where it was obtained.

Pool-grown sea moss, on the other hand, has a chemical-like odor, akin to that of burned leather.

Some pool-grown sea moss makers would often add seaweed to the sea moss to fool the consumer into believing they had got the genuine thing! Surely fake sea moss couldnt smell like the ocean?

Taste

While true sea moss has salt on its stems, it does not taste very salty. Furthermore, the salt on sea moss is nearly imperceptible since it just conveys the flavor of the sea.

False sea moss, on the other hand, has an excessively salty flavor with salt crystals sticking to its stems if you look closely.

Feel

The texture of the moss distinguishes between genuine and artificial sea moss. When grasped between your fingers, real sea moss feels thick and dry, but false sea moss feels sticky and slippery, like jelly.

When actual sea moss is immersed in warm or cold water for a few hours, the water turns sticky. When the same experiment is repeated using fake sea moss, the water stays unaltered.

Salt Concentration

When compared to artificial sea moss, wildcrafted sea moss has a lower salt content. If you look carefully at your sea moss, you won’t detect any salt on its stems, despite the fact that sea moss absorbs salt from the water it grows in, adding a faint salty flavor.

Salt crystals cover the stems of fake sea moss. This salt is really table salt, and it is often put just after cultivation to mimic the salt from genuine sea moss. This is because pool-grown sea moss has no salt in its natural environment, therefore producers sprinkle their sea moss with table salt to obtain a flavor similar to wildcrafted sea moss.

Impurities

Real sea moss may contain sand and rock bits clinging to its stems. When you take the sea moss from its package or prepare it for rinsing, you will notice this. You’ll see the sand settle at the bottom of the bowl or sink when you rinse your sea moss.

Fake sea moss, on the other hand, is free of contaminants and has incredibly clean and flawless stems.

Price

Real sea moss is unquestionably more costly than artificial sea moss. While this is not a determining factor in the validity of your sea moss, I have seen a significant price difference between imitation and genuine sea moss.

While a pound of pool-grown sea moss costs $12 to $15, the genuine thing costs almost twice or three times as much.

Area Harvested

Real sea moss may be seen growing on the rocks that encircle the Northern shore, depending on the species. Furthermore, genuine sea moss obtained from Jamaica, the Bahamas, and other regions of the Caribbean is preferable.

Fake sea moss is harvested on the East Coast, namely in China, India, and Vietnam. Because fake sea moss may be cultivated anywhere and at any moment, the best method to avoid acquiring pool-grown sea moss is to stay with a trusted provider.

Does Pool-Grown Sea Moss Provide Any Benefits?

Because pool-grown sea moss has little to no nourishment, it may be an alternative if you are unable to get the genuine thing. While pool-grown sea moss cannot be compared to true sea moss, it may have some health advantages.

That being said, it’s better to avoid pool-grown sea moss totally than to gamble on the minuscule chance of absorbing any form of nutrients!

Benefits of Pool-Grown Sea Moss

Fake sea moss does not provide the necessary nutrients that true sea moss does. Furthermore, the added salt content will injure your health even more.

Is Pool-Grown Sea Moss Bad For You?

If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should avoid using artificial sea moss. Additionally, if you cannot tell the difference between the two kinds of sea moss, then you should refrain from purchasing sea moss entirely.

With the increased salt content of artificial sea moss, your blood pressure may rise even higher!

Is Fake Sea Moss Common?

While imitation sea moss is obviously hazardous to one’s health, it is not as widespread as one would believe. Globally, sea moss collection from the ocean has risen, making tank-farmed sea moss incapable of competing with nature’s elixir.

Furthermore, synthetic sea moss grows in a laboratory or in areas of the ocean with extremely poor quality, indicating that the waters are contaminated or near to commercial ports. This form of sea moss should never be seen, much alone gathered and sold!

Where to Purchase Real Sea Moss From?

Natural sea moss may be purchased at your local health food shop. I usually get mine from here.

You may also buy ready-made sea moss gel, capsules, or powder, however you may choose to make your own fruit-infused sea moss gel for a more appealing flavor.

Benefits of Sea Moss

Natural sea moss emits a wide range of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to thrive. Among the many advantages of sea moss are:

• Can support thyroid health
• May support gut health
• May support immunity
• May improve blood sugar control
• May support heart health

How to Make Sea Moss Gel?

For good cause, sea moss has become more popular in recent years. This ocean-grown seaweed is not only very nutritious, but it may also help with weight reduction, skin texture, immunity, and so much more! It’s no surprise that this miraculous plant has many of us on edge, eager to get our hands on nature’s bounty!

Once you can tell the difference between genuine and imitation sea moss, you may start making your jar of sea moss gel.

Sea Moss Gel Ingredients and Instructions

To make your jar of sea moss magic, youll need:

• 3-4 oz. dried sea moss
• 4-6 cups filtered water

1. Prepare the sea moss: Place the dried sea moss in a strainer, then rinse it with water with your hands, being care to get rid of any debris.
2. Put the sea moss in a big bowl, then add enough filtered water to cover it.
3. Allow the raw sea moss to soak in the water for many hours, preferably overnight.
4. Make the gel as follows: Take the sea moss out of the water. Cut the sea moss into smaller stems using kitchen scissors, then add to your blender. Fill the blender halfway with water, then add more as needed.
5. Blend the sea moss until it becomes a smooth gel-like consistency, then place it in an airtight container and chill.

Sea Moss Recipes

Drinking, gulping, swallowing, and eating sea moss are all options. Because sea moss gel has a disagreeable flavor, you may want to try some of these delectable sea moss recipes:

Fruity Sea Moss Smoothie

Try this delectable vegan smoothie with sea moss gel and bladderwrack to boost its nutritious value!

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 medium-sized frozen banana
• cup coconut yogurt
• 1 cup almond milk (or other plant-based milk of choice)
• cup sea moss gel
• 2 tsp bladderwrack powder
• 3 tbsp sweetener

Instructions

1. Add the plant-based milk and coconut yogurt to a high-speed blender, followed by the other ingredients.
2. Blend on high speed until a smooth consistency is reached.
3. Pour the smoothie into a glass and serve.

Sea Moss Banana Smoothie

This delectable banana smoothie, made with frozen bananas, coconut water, roasted peanuts, and fragrant spices, is a fantastic morning beverage!

Ingredients

• cup peanuts
• 2 frozen bananas
• cup sea moss gel
• 2 cups coconut water
• tsp cinnamon
• tsp nutmeg
• cup gluten-free oats
• Agave nectar or dates

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 356°F and arrange the peanuts on a baking sheet.
2. 5 minutes, or until the peanuts are a wonderful golden color.
3. Remove the roasted peanuts from the oven and set aside to cool.
4. In a high-speed blender, combine the coconut water, frozen bananas, oats, spices, sea moss gel, peanuts, and some dates or agave nectar.
5. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, then serve!

Sea Moss Gummies

If you like gummies, why not create your own sea moss gummies? They’re just as tasty, plus they’re loaded with nutrients!

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh apple juice
• 2 tbsp agar agar powder
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 tbsp sea moss gel
• 1-2 tbsp agave nectar

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the apple juice, agar powder, ginger, and cinnamon. Whisk everything together until smooth.
2. Incorporate the sea moss gel and agave nectar. Turn on the burner and reduce the heat to medium-low, then begin whisking rapidly. Bring the mixture to a low heat. Don’t be concerned if you observe any lumps; this is due to the sea moss gel disintegrating.
3. Whisk until the mixture is thick but not too thick. Prepare your gummy mold and fill it with our gummy concoction using a dropper or a very little teaspoon.
4. Work rapidly since you don’t want the gummy goo to solidify yet! Place the mold in the fridge for an hour. Gummy bears should be solid to the touch.

So Real or Fake Sea Moss?

It is essential to get genuine sea moss in order to benefit from the plant’s vitamins and minerals. If you are worried about the legality of your sea moss, it is best to consult with an expert or perform extensive research before making any purchase.

Real Sea Moss vs Fake – FAQs