Why is Sea Moss So Good for Blood Pressure & Heart Health?

All nutritionists agree that sea moss is a great heart-healthy superfood. Among its numerous health benefits, this exceptional seaweed helps lower blood pressure and blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and promote weight loss, all of which reduce heart disease risks.

Here's precisely why and how sea moss can lower blood pressure and maximize heart health.

Related article: Zoom in on sea moss actual nutrition facts!

Is Sea Moss Good for High Blood Pressure?

Yes, sea moss is good for high blood pressure. If consumed within a nutritionally balanced diet, it helps lower blood pressure. But, before understanding how sea moss can help, one first needs to know what high blood pressure is.

What is high blood pressure?

According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is when “your blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high."

Causes and risk factors include age (over 65), family history, overweight, lack of exercise, tobacco, salty diet, alcohol, stress, and others. If left untreated, hypertension considerably increases the risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and other severe health complications.  

While some people may need medicine, healthy habits such as a heart-healthy diet and exercise help treat high blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. This is where sea moss comes in. 

Does sea moss lower blood pressure?

Edible seaweeds are known to lower blood pressure. A study from Japan[1] even found that seaweed intake was directly involved in lowering blood pressure levels in children.

Sea moss, scientifically known as Chondrus crispus and sometimes referred to as Irish moss, is one of the most nutrient-rich seaweeds to add to your diet. While there isn't any sizeable clinical study about the effects of sea moss on blood pressure, nutritionists agree that its minerals and vitamins play a significant role in lowering blood pressure levels, notably potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Eventually, how sea moss lowers blood pressure comes down to substituting your table salt and increasing your heart-healthy minerals intake.

Substituting sea moss for table salt 

Diet itself can cause or aggravate high blood pressure. If you've been diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor probably advised you on specific diet changes. High blood pressure is indeed related to two main nutritional issues:

• High sodium consumption (table salt) causes fluid retention and raises blood pressure.[2].
• Too little potassium intake is also directly related to higher blood pressure.

Most Americans consume too much sodium (on average, 3,400 milligrams when the daily recommendation is less than 2,300 mg) and too little potassium (on average, half of the recommended 4,700 mg daily). The results are concerning, with nearly half of American adults diagnosed with hypertension.

Sea moss is a crucial ingredient here, and it's perfectly suited for people on a low-sodium diet. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one serving of sea moss (2 tbsp / 10g) contains, on average, 6.7 mg of sodium and 6.3 mg of potassium. In contrast, the same serving of table salt contains more than 8,000 mg of sodium and close to 0 mg of potassium.

Substituting sea moss for table salt within a healthy diet rebalances the sodium/potassium ratio, which considerably helps lower blood pressure.

Related article: The complete list of minerals and vitamins found in sea moss

How much sea moss should you take for blood pressure? 

While one serving of sea moss daily can significantly benefit blood pressure and heart health, taking too much of it could be dangerous. Chondrus crispus is a 100% natural but powerful ingredient, potentially containing over 92 minerals and vitamins.

Overconsumption of sea moss has been associated with iodine poisoning and other side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and others.

Always stick to the recommended dosage and ask for your doctor’s advice before taking sea moss for blood pressure, as it can interfere with your treatment. 

Related article: Find out ow much sea moss to take daily

Can You Take Sea Moss With Blood Pressure Medicine?

Sea moss works so well on blood pressure levels that it can interfere with blood pressure medications.

Taking sea moss occasionally can't have much of a negative impact. But if you're willing to incorporate sea moss into your lifestyle and have it daily (which you should!), ask for your doctor's advice first, especially if you're taking blood pressure medicine. There's a chance that the combination of sea moss with your treatment makes your blood pressure drop too low!

Organics Nature's Sea Moss Capsules are Enriched with Bladderwrack and Burdock Root

Why Sea Moss is Good for Your Heart and Blood Pressure

“Heart-healthy” is probably the #1 on the extensive list of sea moss’s health benefits. That's because consuming sea moss regularly lowers blood pressure but also reduces cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar, and promotes weight loss.

High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and being overweight are the four most common and intrinsically related risk factors for heart disease. By acting on all three simultaneously, sea moss greatly improves heart health and prevents complications.

Sea moss and cholesterol 

Like all seaweeds, sea moss is fat-free and contains no cholesterol at all. The little fat it has comes exclusively from unsaturated fats like Omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health.

Studies[3] show that regular seaweed consumption improves cholesterol balance and has blood thinning properties.

Additionally, by lowering cholesterol, sea moss also participates in lowering blood pressure, as the two are directly linked. Cholesterol plaques narrow your arteries, so the heart must pump much harder, which ultimately increases blood pressure.

Blood sugar control 

Just like blood pressure and cholesterol, blood sugar is a critical factor that must be carefully monitored for good heart health. People with diabetes (high blood sugar) are twice more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and heart failure.

Several nutrients in large amounts in sea moss play an essential role in blood sugar control, including zinc and magnesium. Magnesium increases insulin sensitivity[4] while zinc supplements are known to improve type 2 diabetics’ average blood glucose levels.

Fucoxanthin and alginate, two natural compounds found in seaweeds, also help reduce blood sugar and prevent after-meal blood sugar spikes. 

Besides, sea moss contains no sugar, so it can safely be added to diabetic-friendly food or drink recipes.

Related article: Is sea moss good for diabetes?

Weight management

Last but not least, consuming sea moss improves heart health and helps decrease blood pressure by promoting weight loss. Let's not forget that being overweight is directly linked to hypertension and is one of the most common causes of heart disease.

Related article: Can sea moss really help you lose weight?

While there's still a lot to discover about the powers of edible algae, eating sea moss has proven to improve your health in many ways. Each of its numerous micro and macronutrients can positively impact different parts of your body, including your heart, the most important one.

References:

[1] Wada K, Nakamura K, Tamai Y, Tsuji M, Sahashi Y, Watanabe K, Ohtsuchi S, Yamamoto K, Ando K, Nagata C. Seaweed intake and blood pressure levels in healthy pre-school Japanese children. Nutr J. 2011 Aug 10;10:83. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-10-83. PMID: 21827710; PMCID: PMC3199754. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3199754/

[2] Grillo A, Salvi L, Coruzzi P, Salvi P, Parati G. Sodium Intake and Hypertension. Nutrients. 2019 Aug 21;11(9):1970. doi: 10.3390/nu11091970. PMID: 31438636; PMCID: PMC6770596. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770596/ 

[3] Chan, P.T., Matanjun, P., Yasir, S.M. et al. Antioxidant and hypolipidaemic properties of red seaweed, Gracilaria changii . J Appl Phycol 26, 987–997 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-0135-z

[4] Takaya J, Higashino H, Kobayashi Y. Intracellular magnesium and insulin resistance. Magnes Res. 2004 Jun;17(2):126-36. PMID: 15319146.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319146/