Irish Moss Health Concerns
Go figure, I finally jump onto the Irish Moss train, which has been touted as a super food in the raw food community for years, only to wake up to a weekly email in my in-box from Dr. Andrew Weil warning about the dangers of carrageenan. What does this have to do with Irish Moss? Carrageenan is extracted from Irish Moss.
Alarmed, I started digging and emailing. I even went to the woman who is considered to be the one of the top experts in carrageenan research, Dr. Joanne Tobacman of the University of Illinois. Dr. Tobacman has been studying the effects of carrageenan for over a decade.
It seems that carrageenan can cause inflammation (one of our greatest enemies) and intestinal distress. Even more alarming, when carrageenan is extracted from the irish moss, this form of carrageenan has been associated with human cancers.
But wait, haven’t we all read about the wonderful health benefits of Irish Moss? Isn’t it supposed to be great for us? I wondered if there was a difference between consuming Irish Moss in it’s whole form vs an extraction, the carrageenan.
I asked Dr. Tobacman if we needed to be concerned with consuming Irish Moss in it’s whole form. While the extraction is the most dangerous form (and widely found in many organic and non-organic products for sale), Dr. Tobacman stated, “When we tested Irish moss, we found that it also caused inflammation, similar to the effect of the derived carrageenan. The degree of inflammation was less, probably due to reduced availability of the carrageenan, due to the other ingredients in the seaweed. The answer to your question is yes, I think that Irish moss should be avoided, due to the likelihood that the carrageenan in the Irish moss will lead to inflammation.”
So there you have it. Armed with that information, you will not see Irish Moss used in any more recipes designated for consumption on this website. I am also redoing the Lemon Raspberry Souffle Tart that I published last week, replacing Irish Moss on the ingredient list.
Because of the prevalence of carrageenan in so many of the products that we use, including many organic varieties, I am including some links that I think are important for you to visit to educate yourselves on this dangerous food additive.
Dr. Tobacman’s studies can be viewed here: Studies on Carrageenan (these are published medical studies)
Another excellent, easier to read article by Rodal Press: Carrageenan, The Natural Ingredient that is Wrecking Your Gut
From the Cornucopia Institute: Carrageenan: Linked to Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Colon Cancer This article also discusses the attempts to get carrageenan removed from organic foods and the push-back the ensued.
After researching, reading and communicating with Dr. Tobacman, I would suggest that you remove Irish Moss from your raw food pantry and also make sure you look for carrageenan on your food labels and avoid it. Cornucopia has compiled a list of food producers that use carrageenan and those who don’t. You can find that list here: Shopping Guide to Avoid Carrageenan.
Lukas wrote on October 11, 2012
Thank you so much, I wanted to buy Irish Moss some days ago but now I will definitely keep my hands off that!
Kammie wrote on October 11, 2012
I haven’t ever had Irish moss but I have to say I came very close to buying on numerous occasions. This is what I’m afraid is going to happen with stevia- some research that says its bad for you after all. I’ll be sad if that happens. Sigh. Thank you for the information!
Elena wrote on October 11, 2012
I am wondering too. Do other seaweeds contain carrageenan ? Thank you.
Michelle Endersby wrote on October 11, 2012
Is this an issue only with Irish Moss or should we be concerned about other seaweeds?
jennifer m wrote on October 11, 2012
amazing timing! we just this week started using irish moss..making tea and face masks. guess i’ll stop brewing the tea and keep up the facials (unless we find out we’re absorbing too much carrageenan through our skin?!) thanks for your words as always, susan
Diana wrote on October 11, 2012
Thank you Susan for posting this. I really apreciate the research you have put into this article! I have only used it once a few years ago and stopped because of a comment Dr. Russell Blaylock said in a lecture on brain health. He said that carageenan is a neurotoxin and should be avoided. Like you, I also wondered if Irish Moss in it’s whole form would not have this neurotoxic effect. Now I am surprised to hear that it is also damaging to the digestive system. I also look forward to seeing what you are going to use instead of Irish moss.
Ann wrote on October 11, 2012
Wow disturbing, especially since I have a tumor condition (not cancer) related to inflammation in the body! There is carrageenan in ALL the milk substitutes, almond and coconut etc. Guess I really do have to make EVERYTHING from scratch if I have any hope to get rid of these ugly, painful lumps =( Thanks SO much for the heads up. I appreciate the heads up Susan, very much appreciated!
dre wrote on October 11, 2012
Thank you for posting this. One more thing to the list, right? But as someone with multiple autoimmune issues, I’m glad to be made aware of anything that causes inflammation. No more carrageenan for me. Good thing almost all of what I eat is from whole, unprocessed foods, because carrageenan is in everything!
Susan wrote on October 11, 2012
There is a great link above that has a shopping list to avoid carrageenan. Cheers!
Laura-Jane The Rawtarian wrote on October 11, 2012
Wow, this is alarming! So Susan, what are you recommending instead of irish moss as a thickener?? I use chia seeds a lot. I have also heard of agar agar, but I don’t think that is truly raw. Interested to hear more about substitutions as you phase this out of your recipes. Keep up the great work keeping us informed!