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.
Sandy wrote on December 6, 2013
And many scientist have agendas and are backed by someone or a pharmaceutical company.
So was this an individual study? What may be a truth for some may not be truth for all.
Susan wrote on December 6, 2013
You might want to check the links in the post. There are multiple studies done over 12 years by different sources.
Elna wrote on November 29, 2013
I am with Susie-Q on this!
Susie-Q wrote on November 20, 2013
Kudos, Susan, for sticking to your beliefs and your blog! IT IS ***YOURS*** and you get to do whatever you darn well please and say whatever you darn well please! To each their own, people! If you don’t like it, go find a BACON BLOG and get out of here!
Jeepers… Some people’s KIDS… I tell ‘ya…
Susan, we love you dearly and we support you! You have a very loyal following that appreciates your contribution to the raw and vegan communities. Please feel comforted in this big fat virtual {{{HUG}}} and don’t let the big bacon bully get to you. <3
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Susan wrote on November 20, 2013
Susie-Q…love ya!!
Michelle wrote on November 19, 2013
Tom, I am extremely upset that on one of the best raw food websites in the world people are not respecting the raw vegan health ethos. The definition of healthy consumption should not be limited to nutritional value alone, healthy eating for me cannot simply be reduced to evaluating the end product, there are many definitions of health and what is ‘healthy’ for humans to consume might not be healthy using a broader definition :-s
I take your point that some non-vegan foodstuffs are be considered ‘healthier’ than others but to me this whole lard discussion is completely going against both the raw-vegan ethos and the whole entire subject of Irish Moss!
Susan wrote on November 13, 2013
Well, Tom, this is a free country and you can eat as much Irish Moss as you wish. I actually interviewed Dr. Tobacman and after talking to her and doing A LOT of research, I have decided I will no longer be eating any Irish Moss or using it in any of my recipes. You are free to do as you wish but as this is my website, and these are my recipes, this is also my decision. There were two recipes on the whole site…over 200 recipes that I used Irish Moss in. So, I honestly don’t consider myself to be “alarmist”for changing two. It is a personal decision I have made. Simple as that. And honestly, I am getting really tired of being told that I didn’t do my research. Because I did. This is my conclusion. I am sure there are many recipes that contain Irish Moss out there. You just aren’t going to find them here. Cheers!
Tom wrote on November 13, 2013
Dr Tobacman is a single scientist. When trying to ascertain the safety of something, it is much more satisfactory to discover the consensus view. In 2001, the FAO and WHO conducted a study into Carageenan, the concentrated industrial derivative of Irish Moss, and concluded that there was no need to recommend a maximum daily dose. In 2007, they revisited the issue and revised the earlier conclusion to say that “it is inadvisable to include Carageenan in infant formula”. There are literally thousands of similar food additives taken perfectly safely more or less every day by adults that would give a young baby an upset stomach! And it is well-known that Irish Moss contains additional compounds that counter the effects of the concentrated extract Carageenan. In short, Irish Moss is perfectly safe for human consumption but, like almost everything else you eat and drink, is probably not suitable for babies. Your warning and action in removing it from your recipes is alarmist. Please check more widely in future.
DORIAN CURGES wrote on November 2, 2013
HI, MY NAME IS DORIAN, AND I’VE BEEN USING ANGEL BRAND IRISHMOSS FOR A YEAR NOW, BUT WHAT I WOULD TRULY LOVE TO KNOW IS WHICH BRAND OF THIS STUFF IS THE BEST! ONE, (1) BECAUSE IT BREAKS MY HEART TO THINK! THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO ME AS A GOOD THING, NOW IS A KILLING ME THING, SOOOOOOOOOO WHICH ONE IS IT???????????? I TRULY WHAT & NEED TO KNOW, BECAUSE I TRULY LOVE MY HEALTH PRODUCTS.
Dr. Aqasikesat wrote on December 11, 2014
This is information that I just found out and I think it would be wise to check if this form of sea moss also has this carrageenan in it. Doing my best to get answers also
ORGANIC SEA MOSS
Organic sea moss grows from a rock in the sea based on the current or wave that pushes the weed back and forth. Without this activity from the sea, the weed can not grow.
HYBRID SEA MOSS
Commercial industry make tanks, place the rock and sea moss in it while the tank via hydraulics rock the tank back and forth, a hybrid sea weed is produced.
Susan wrote on November 2, 2013
I no longer use any Irish Moss. So I can’t help you with that one. Sorry…
Tom wrote on October 9, 2013
I came to your site via Google when looking up Carrageen Moss. Personally, I wouldn’t eat this, or any other form of algae, until extensive research has been conducted into how it concentrates pollutants. I didn’t know until very recently that an extract of Carrageen was a common food additive. That is madness!
I couldn’t help noticing your discourse with Megan about lard. In her defence, I would point out that it was you who introduced the subject onto your Vegan blog. And, just because you choose not to eat it, doesn’t make it unhealthy. Lard is one of the healthiest cooking fats; this is scientific fact not a matter of personal belief. It’s use in commercial pastry-making should be reinstated after decades of banning by the ignorant food-police – it is impossible to make good shortcrust pastry without it!
Rick wrote on February 23, 2015
Tom, you’re completely brain washed. Lard is not in any way shape or form good for you. Quit torturing and killing animals. Check out http://www.nutritionfacts.org for all the latest nutritional science. Go vegan for the win.
Susan wrote on October 9, 2013
Tom, just because lard is considered to be “one of the healthiest cooking fats” which I honestly don’t know if that is true, it doesn’t mean consuming it is heathy. Or that it is a health food. That was my point. I do not consider lard to be a nutritious, healthy food. We may disagree here but I would point you to Dr. T. Collin Campbell’s work for more clarity on this.
Cathi Morgan wrote on May 14, 2013
Agar Agar makes a great alternative, expensive at health food shops, I found the cheapest source to be Chinese and Asian supermarkets – Not sure if it qualifies as raw as needs to be simmered in order to dissolve, then whisked into juice etc for jelly. Nice when combined with arrowroot or kuzu for a softer texture.