The Difference Between Sea Moss Colors
Sea moss is a red-algae that contains many vitamins and minerals and can be found all around the world. The most popular type of sea moss, Gracilaria, is found in the Caribbean and is harvested in 4 different colors: Gold, Purple, Green, Full Spectrum. The difference between gold sea moss, purple sea moss, green sea moss and full spectrum sea moss ranges from different nutrient profiles to sun exposure and the drying method.
There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet, so my team and myself dived into the topic and read through tons of different scientific articles to come up with the main differences for each color of sea moss that are known. Although there are not a lot of differences, there are a few main ones.
Purple Sea Moss
The purple sea moss’ color comes from its higher profile of antioxidants called anthocyanins which are found in blueberries, blackberries and elderberries. Anthocyanins are a group of deep red, purple and blue pigments called flavonoids that are found in most fruits, giving its color and increased nutrient profile. Purple sea moss is less common because it does not grow year round and is mainly found during the summer. It also needs to be dried in a dark room instead of the sun, to avoid losing its bright color and nutrient profile.
The Benefits of Purple Sea Moss
Purple sea moss tends to be higher in anthocyanins.
Gold Sea Moss
Gold sea moss is the most widely available sea moss due to being grown year round. It’s supposed to be higher in cryptoxanthin and is found in carrots, bananas, pineapples etc.
Since gold sea moss is dried in the sun for a long period of time, it can have slightly different colors in it, ranging from light goldish to dark brown.
Green Sea Moss
Green sea moss has a dark-medium green color, which comes from its higher content of Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a natural compound found in green plants which gives them their green color. In fact, wheatgrass is actually 70% chlorophyll, and that’s why it’s so green.
Most green sea moss harvested has to dry in a dark room to keep its green color and benefits. Green sea moss is more difficult to find because it doesn’t grow year round and takes more man-hours to produce.
Full Spectrum Sea Moss
Full Spectrum sea moss contains a mix of gold, purple, red & green sea moss. It will vary in color every harvest due to its variety of colors. Full Spectrum sea moss is usually harvested when sea moss gets stuck together, but sometimes farmers will mix them together afterwards.
The Main Differences Between The Different Colors of Sea Moss
The different phytonutrients, sun exposure and drying method play a role the color variation e.g. gold is high in beta-cryptoxanthin, and is sun-dried for longer durations. Purple is high in annocyansis. It’s mainly found during the summer months and dried in a dark room. Green sea moss contains chlorophyll, which is a green pigment and is also dried in a dark room.
How I Use Each Sea Moss Color
For myself personally, I use:
- Gold Sea Moss for foods, powders and skin care products
- Purple Sea Moss for my gel
- Green sea moss for gel (powder is great but very hard to create compared to gold)
- Full Spectrum sea moss for gel
You can learn how much sea moss to take daily here
What Is The Best Sea Moss?
Overall the nutrient profiles of the different colors of sea moss are very similar, with slight nutrient differences like chlorophyll and annocyanis. It’s up to you on which one you prefer. Each sea moss has a small difference in texture when dried and in gel format.
Get Wildcrafted Sea Moss From St. Lucia Here
