Sea Moss vs Spirulina

Sea moss and spirulina are both known as superfoods because they contain a wide range of minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Sea moss and spirulina are some of the most popular in the market due to their incredible effects on health and the appearance of your skin, hair and nails.

They are a perfect addition to you meals, smoothies, and even your teas! If you want to start taking one of them, but are still unsure of which one, then keep reading because in this article, we tell you about the main difference between sea moss and spirulina and which one is better for you.

What Is Sea Moss

Sea moss also known as Irish sea moss, is an edible sea plant that grows in the Caribbean and Atlantic Coast. It grows in a variety of colors such as green, yellow/gold, red and purple. The most common way to consume sea moss is in gel form but you can also find them in pills and powder form. 

Sea moss is a recently popular superfood because it contains low calories and sugar, but contains many vitamins and minerals. 

Digestion & Soothing The Gut

Increasing your digestive health will improve the production of good bacteria in the gut that support your immune system and overall health. I've taken sea moss for over 3 years now and barely have any digestion problems anymore. 

Wide Range Of Nutrients With Trace Minerals

Sea moss contains many minerals such as iron, copper, zinc and magnesium. It also contains folate which is one of the B vitamins that plays an important role in daily health.

What Is Spirulina?

Spirulina is a microalga that has a blue-green color and it is believed to be used by the Aztecs as a way to treat different diseases. It is a type of cyanobacteria that grows in both freshwater and saltwater. It became most popular when NASA discovered that it could be grown in space.

Once spirulina was mainstream, it became one of the most sought after superfoods. It has a bitter taste so it is best to combine it with smoothies or juices if you want to improve flavor.

Just like sea moss, spirulina contains a low amount of calories, fat, and carbs. 7 grams of dried spirulina powder contains 4 grams of protein, which makes it a great source of protein for vegan diets. It also contains high amounts of B vitamins and minerals such as iron and copper.

Antioxidants

One of the main reasons why spirulina is so popular is because it contains antioxidants. Antioxidants fight against free radicals and oxidative stress. One of the main components of spirulina phycocyanin which is response for its blue-green color. (which is also in purple sea moss)

It’s also an antioxidant that fights inflammation and prevents the development of heart disease. The anti-inflammatory effects may have a beneficial effect on reducing allergies. 

Complete Source of Protein

The one thing that blew me away about spirulina was that it's a complete source of protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids. Wheat and legumes are only partial protein sources as they only contain 4-5 of the essential amino acids. So you'd have to eat a ton more wheat and legumes to even come close to getting the same amount of protein from spirulina. 

High Bioavailability

It also has the highest protein bioavailability compared to all other vegan options. A report from Antenna Technologies said " Unlike other microorganisms proposed as protein sources such as yeast, spirulina cells do not have cellulose walls, but a relatively fragile envelope of murein. This explains the high digestibility of its proteins (83-90% in spirulina, as against 95.1% for pure casein). 

So spirulina has almost as high bioavailability as pure whey protein! That's incredible to find out because getting enough protein being a vegan can be extremely difficult, especially when wheat and legume proteins are not complete sources of protein. 

Sea Moss vs Spirulina: Which is Better?

Although both sea moss and spirulina are considered superfoods, they have several differences that you should take into consideration when choosing which one to take. For an instance, sea moss has no taste and when you get it in gel form you can use it to thicken soups while spirulina has a bitter taste.

They also differ in nutrients. Spirulina contains more protein than sea moss but less folate. While sea moss contains more iodine than spirulina.

Alternative Sea Vegetables

Sea moss and spirulina may be some of the most popular sea vegetables but they are not the only ones that are amazing for your health. Here are some alternatives:

Chlorella

This is a green algae that contains nine essential amino acids and about 50% of its content is protein. It also contains antioxidants such as vitamin C, lutein, and beta-carotene. It is gaining popularity because it has the ability to remove heavy metal from your system and enhances your immune system.

Kelp

Kelp is a seaweed that contains iodine which is beneficial for your thyroid and it is high in antioxidants such as manganese, carotenoids, and flavonoids. You can use the powder form on a low-sodium seasoning.

Nori

This seaweed is typically found in sushi and can be used as a healthy low-calorie snack. It contains more calcium than milk as well as a good amount of vitamins such as Vitamin A, B, C, E, and K.

Final Thoughts

Sea moss and Spirulina have a great nutritional content profile and they are both considered superfoods making either a great addition to your diet! They have many components in common like vitamins and minerals, but they are not the same so if you are planning to start taking one of them this article should help you make the best choices. 

If you decide to try sea moss, make sure you choose a reputable company. At Vibrant Sea, we source are sea moss from local farmers in the pristine waters of St. Lucia. Each batch is wild harvested and sun-dried so the entire process is completely natural. You can order gold sea moss or purple sea moss here.