Irish Moss: Your Natural Health Booster

Irish moss is a form of algae first used in Ireland in the mid-19th century. Since then, its medicinal applications have increased. The alga’s thallus has a cartilaginous consistency (Latin Chondrus = cartilage) due to the high amount of mucilage it contains.

Healing Properties and Indications

The thallus is rich in iodine, provitamin D, and mineral salts and contains 80% mucilage. Mucilage is the most crucial active component, to which Irish moss owes its emollient, expectorant, and laxative properties.

This alga is recommended for bronchitis and catarrhs since it promotes expectoration, eases coughs, and reduces airway inflammation. It is also suitable for gastritis and intestinal inflammation caused by colitis or chronic constipation. Irish moss is widely used in the food industry because of its jellifying effects.

Irish moss, a seaweed, is found among submerged rocks off the coast of Ireland and France. Its high nutritional mineral content is responsible for its powerful healing qualities. It treats intestinal problems, coughs, bronchitis, and tuberculosis. Due to its high-level mucilage content, it is an excellent demulcent for lung and kidney ailments and soothes inflamed tissues.

When preparing a decoction, you might want to sweeten it with an aromatic herb, honey, or licorice root. Irish moss also treats throat and stomach ulcers, goiter, thyroid difficulties, and anemia. In external applications, it is used as a hair rinse for dry hair and ointment for dry and burning skin diseases; it can soften skin and prevent premature aging and surface inflammation.

NOTE: Irish moss and other seaweeds, such as Norwegian kelp and Novia Scotia dulse, are rich in minerals and the best sources of trace minerals. Try to incorporate a little every day into your diet.

Irish Moss Scientific Facts

1. Other names: Carrageen, pearl moss.
2. French: Carragaheen.
3. Spanish: Musgo de Irlanda, carragen.
4. Environment: This alga grows on underwater rocks in the North Atlantic Ocean, from Ireland to southern Spain.
5. Description: Despite its name, moss, it is a red alga (Rhodophyta) of the Gigartinaceae family. Its thallus is five to 15 cm long, and its color varies from red to ochre when fresh to whitish when dry.
6. Parts of the plant used medicinally: The thallus (the whole alga).

How to use Irish Moss

1. Make a decoction with 10 g of alga per liter of water and boil it for five minutes. Drink two or three cups daily.

Infusion: Steep for five to fifteen minutes and take two ounces two to three days, up to two cups daily. Tincture: Take thirty to sixty drops (1/2 to one teaspoon) two to three times daily. Fluid Extract: Take ½ to one teaspoon two to three times daily. Powder: Take four to six #0 capsules (20 to 40 grains) two to three times daily.

DISCLAIMER: All content on this website is presented solely for educational and informational objectives. Do not rely on the information provided as a replacement for advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical expert. If you are pregnant, nursing, or have any preexisting medical concerns, talk to your doctor before using any herbal or natural medicines.

REFERENCES

1. George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. “Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.” George D. Pamplona-Roger, M.D. Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Ed. Francesc X. Gelabert. Vols. 1 San Fernando de Henares: Editorial Safeliz, 2000. 301. Print.
2. Vance Ferrell Harold M. Cherne, M.D. The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia [Book]. – Altamont, TN: Harvestime Books, 2010. – Vol. Seventh Edition: 7: pp. 142, 143.
3. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Data Central: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
4. National Institutes of Health (NIH), PubMed –  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
5. The American Thyroid Association: https://www.thyroid.org/