A Dietitian’s Honest Review of True Sea Moss Gel

If you’re like me, you’ve been seeing True Sea Moss all over your social media feeds. Those who sing its praises say that it has improved their skin, energy levels, sleep, immune system, and digestion. Can True Sea Moss really do all that though? 

As a registered dietitian, I’m here to break down the science behind sea moss. In this blog post, I’m going to give you a full True Sea Moss review. This review will discuss True Sea Moss pros, cons, who should or shouldn’t take this, and my honest thoughts on if it’s worth it. 

What Is True Sea Moss?

True Sea Moss is a US based company that sells a variety of sea moss dietary supplements. They offer flavored sea moss gels, capsules, and sea moss gummies. True Sea Moss also sells raw sea moss options such as purple sea moss, gold sea moss, and irish sea moss. 

Sea moss is a type of seaweed or algae that is found in oceans around the world. There are many different types of seaweed species, but True Sea Moss uses a specific type of seaweed that is scientifically known as Chondrus crispus. It’s also sometimes called Irish sea moss.

According to their website, True Sea Moss harvests its sea moss off the coast of Vietnam. They claim to have a dedicated local team which responsibly collects the wildcrafted sea moss in its natural habitat, and it’s then sun-dried right on the shore to maintain its quality and sustainability. The sea moss is then imported to the United States, where it’s manufactured into the different forms that True Sea Moss sells.

True Sea Moss Health Claims

The True Sea Moss website boasts several health claims that sea moss can provide. They claim that True Sea Moss is a natural superfood from the ocean. It claims to provide over 90% of the essential vitamins and minerals the human body needs daily.

True Sea Moss also claims that it provides these benefits:

• Nutrient-Rich. Sea moss contains over 90 essential minerals that our bodies need, including iodine, calcium, zinc, and potassium.

• Immune Support. The high percentage of antioxidants in sea moss helps combat free radicals in the human body, which, in turn, aids in reducing sickness.

• Respiratory Health. For centuries it was used to relieve respiratory issues as it dissolves mucus and helps in clearing out the lungs. 

• Strong Detoxifier. The algin in sea moss can help to detoxify the body by drawing out heavy metals and other contaminants that we may ingest through our diet and other sources.

• Digestive Health. It can act as a prebiotic, thereby aiding in the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and improving digestive health. 

• Energy & Mood. Due to its high vitamin and mineral content, sea moss can provide a natural energy boost and help balance deficiencies, leading to a vital feeling. 

• Skin Health. Vitamins C, A and sulfur are improving the complexion by nourishing the skin and getting rid of various skin issues such as irritation, dryness, and even acne. 

• Anti-Inflammatory Effect. Antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids help to reduce inflammation in the body, potentially easing conditions associated with chronic ones, such as arthritis and digestive issues.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s really inside True Sea Moss.

True Sea Moss Supplement Facts

The ingredients in True Sea Moss gel are purified water, fruit puree, dehydrated sea moss, monk fruit juice concentrate, and ascorbic acid.

The fruit puree and monk fruit juice concentrate are added to flavor the sea moss gels. Ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) is likely added as a preservative. 

The actual research on sea moss in humans is lackluster (1). Most of the alleged health benefits are based on the known nutritional content of sea moss. 

True Sea Moss does not have a nutrition facts label on it. It does provide some nutritional information on its website that was taken from the US Department of Agriculture research service data. Below is a copy of the nutrition facts that can be found on the True Sea Moss website. 

These nutrition facts are for a 100 gram portion of sea moss. To the lay person (and even to me for that matter!), you may be thinking what the heck does this even mean? 

It’s rather confusing honestly because a serving size of True Sea Moss is actually 2 tablespoons, which is about 10 grams. So the nutrition facts portrayed on the website is actually ten times the amount of sea moss that you’d be eating daily. 

Nutrients in True Sea Moss

Below is a table that shows how much of various nutrients you’d get from 2 tablespoons (10g) of sea moss daily (2). In the next column, you’ll see the daily recommended amounts for each nutrient for adults. And finally, in the far right column, I added the nutrition facts for a popular multivitamin, Grüns Daily Gummies.

You can read my full review on Grüns Daily Gummies here.

True Sea Moss advertises that their sea moss gel is: a pure, wildcrafted ocean algae packed with over 90 essential minerals that your body needs to thrive. Naturally sourced, nutrient-rich, and a powerhouse of oceanic goodness. 

The company also claims that wildcrafted True Sea Moss is “like a 100% natural multivitamin with no synthetics, proven by history to help cover your vitamin gaps.” 

I didn’t count all of the nutrients that sea moss contains, but I don’t doubt that it does contain over 90 essential nutrients. Their use of words though is a bit misleading since the amount of these nutrients in a daily serving of True Sea Moss is extremely low.

There’s also no way that you could truly compare the nutritional value of sea moss to a traditional multivitamin. I’ve compared some of the nutrient claims using a screenshot from their website with the actual amounts of each nutrient below. 

For example, they claim True Sea Moss is a great source of fiber. In reality, the daily serving of True Sea Moss contains 0.13 grams of fiber, which is actually less than 1% of the fiber that adults need daily. 

Ultimately, sea moss does contain a lot of nutrients…but it doesn’t provide a high amount of any of these nutrients, except for maybe iodine.

The potential outlier of my statement above is iodine. Since it is harvested from the ocean, sea moss contains iodine. Iodine is a trace element that’s found naturally in some foods and added to others, such as table salt. The amount of iodine in sea moss varies based on several factors. 

I did reach out to the company’s customer service to inquire about the iodine content in their sea moss gel. This was their response: “Sea moss is renowned for its high iodine content, which is essential for thyroid function. However, the exact amount of iodine in a serving of sea moss gel can vary due to factors like the sea moss’s source and preparation methods. Therefore, it’s challenging to provide a precise iodine measurement per serving.”

True Sea Moss Dosage & Side Effects

The recommended dosage of True Sea Moss gel is 2 tablespoons per day for most adults who weigh 175 lbs (about 80 kg) or less. If you weigh more than 175 lbs, it’s recommended to take 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of sea moss gel daily. 

It’s not recommended to take sea moss gel on an empty stomach, and to preferably take it in the morning. The consistency of the sea moss gel is reported like apple sauce or baby food. 

While everyone is different, the website recommends that you should expect to utilize their product for at least 2 to 3 months before you can expect to see results. 

Potential side effects are most often digestive issues including nausea, vomiting, bloating, and diarrhea. Other rare but possible side effects include iodine toxicity, thyroid issues, and heavy metal toxicity. 

Sea moss may not be recommended for those with thyroid disease, who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who are taking certain prescription medications such as thyroid medications and blood thinning medications.

It’s important to always talk to your medical doctor or healthcare provider prior to starting any new dietary supplements, such as sea moss.

Pros of True Sea Moss

• Vegan. Sea moss is considered vegan for those who follow a plant-based diet. 

• Customer Service. I reached out to this company with a couple of questions and they were incredibly quick to respond with answers to my questions. The company also offers free returns within 30 days. 

• Wide Variety of Nutrients. If you’re against taking a traditional multivitamin and you’re interested in getting a wide variety of nutrients, this may be a good option. Although, you’re likely not getting adequate amounts of any nutrients with the exception of potentially iodine. This may be an alternative for iodized salt for those who need to be conscious of salt consumption. 

Cons of True Sea Moss

• Third Party Testing. Since the True Sea Moss gel is classified as a food product per FDA guidelines, and not a dietary supplement, these are not third party tested. 

• Potential Contamination. Although this is unlikely, there is a potential for heavy metal contamination with any sea moss product or supplement. 

• Cost. Perhaps the biggest con in my opinion is the cost of True Sea Moss. With the recommended dosage being about 2 tablespoons (or 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon depending on your body weight), two to three jars is a month’s supply per person. That will cost you either $54 or $68 USD per month if you sign up for their Subscribe & Save option. 

Should I Take True Sea Moss?

Whether or not you should take True Sea Moss will be an individual decision to be discussed with your healthcare provider. 

While some of the health claims that True Sea Moss makes are true, they’re largely inflated claims in my opinion. The actual amount of various nutrients is negligible to make a significant difference in your health. 

If you are interested in trying sea moss, this does seem like a decent brand to try. For most healthy adults, taking sea moss has a low risk of harm. This means that you may see some positive benefits without any detrimental effects. However, for some people, potential side effects could be severe. 

Ultimately, to me, the cost does not justify the potential benefits. There are a lot of other habits that you can put your money into that can provide more benefits, such as: 

• Healthy eating. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats can provide significant health benefits. 
• Physical activity. Moving your body and increasing lean muscle mass is associated with improved health outcomes. 
• Better sleep. 
• Stress management.
• A quality multivitamin.

Always speak with your doctor before starting any sea moss supplementation to ensure it’s a safe choice for you. 

FAQs

Is True Sea Moss good for you?

Sea moss is rich in a wide variety of nutrients, however, the amounts of these nutrients found in a daily serving of True Sea Moss is extremely low and almost negligible. The exception is potentially iodine, which can be found in high amounts in sea moss. 

For most healthy adults, trying True Sea Moss isn’t particularly risky. However, for some people, the potential side effects could include digestive issues, thyroid dysfunction, iodine toxicity, or heavy metal toxicity. 

Does True Sea Moss have heavy metals?

All sea moss has the potential to contain heavy metals since they’re sourced from the ocean. True Sea Moss did provide me with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from 2022 for their True Sea Moss gel. The COA showed that any potential trace metals are well within safe levels for consumption.

The Bottom Line

Sea moss as a health food or as dietary supplements have become increasingly popular in recent years. True Sea Moss is a US based company that produces sea moss gels, sea moss pills, gummies, powders, and more. 

True Sea Moss claims that its products can improve a wide variety of health ailments. It claims that sea moss is nutrient-rich, with over 90 essential minerals. 

While their health claims may be rooted in some fact, their claims are largely inflated. The recommended dosage of True Sea Moss gel contains negligible amounts of almost all of the nutrients it claims can improve your health. The one nutrient that it may have high amounts of is iodine. Although, it’s unknown how much iodine is in True Sea Moss products. 

Sea moss should not be consumed by people with certain medical conditions such as thyroid disease, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or those who are on certain prescription medications like thyroid medication or blood thinning prescriptions. 

The cost of True Sea Moss will be either $54 or $68 USD per month depending on your body weight. To me, there are many more health habits or supplements that will provide more health benefits. 

Other Supplement Reviews

A Dietitian’s Honest Review of ARMRA Colostrum

Nello Super Calm Drink Mix (A Dietitian’s Review)

A Dietitian’s Wynk Soul Cyster Review

Unicity Balance: Is It a Scam or Not?