Irish Sea Moss – Chondrus crispus

“Miracle from the sea”

Irish sea moss, also known as carrageen moss is a relatively small seaweed, rarely exceeding 20cms in length that grows by clinging to rocks in the intertidal zones. It grows mainly along the rugged Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. The name “carrageen moss” may derive from the Gaelic word, “carraign”, meaning little rock, as there is a location, bearing the same name, not far from the sea, in Co. Galway, where there is an abundance of sea moss.

Seaweeds such as Irish sea moss have been used for centuries as food and medicine in the British Isles and Ireland, and during times of crisis it has even helped save lives. During the great Irish potato famine for example, the people living on the western and southern coasts of Ireland used Irish sea moss as an abundant and nutrient rich food supplement when little else was available. The habit of using sea moss as a food supplement spread to America and the West Indies, where it is still popular as a tonic and restorative agent.

Analysis of Irish sea moss reveals why it became such a powerful dietary tool. It contains protein, carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids along with an array of vitamins and minerals. No wonder it saved lives…it’s an almost complete food by itself! The protein consists of a broad array of amino acids such as arginine, ornithine, citrulline, glutamic acid, taurine, tyrosine and lysine. The minerals include magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron and iodine. Vitamins include beta-carotene and vitamin E. The fatty acids consist of Omega-3, 6, 9 and 7 polyunsaturates, and even EPA that is normally found in fish oil! There are also powerful antioxidant phenolic compounds in Irish sea moss such as the catechins which are also found in green tea and red wine for example.

The carbohydrate fraction of Irish sea moss is most interesting as it has spawned a whole industry by itself. Within this fraction of the plant we find polysaccharides such as carrageenan, the famous thickening and gelling food additive used world-wide, and mucilages which are thick, slimy substances (also found in marshmallow and psyllium seeds). Polysaccharides are also found in the immune stimulating mushrooms such as Reishi etc., and we also see the seaweeds used throughout history for conditions where immune boosting would help If we look at the medicinal uses of Irish sea moss through time we find an amazing story, stretching back millennia.

During World War 1, for example, the seaweeds were used as antiseptic dressings due to their iodine content which kills germs, and the mucilage content soothes inflammation and stimulates healing. A liquid version was given to gassed soldiers to ease throat inflammation. Throughout history Irish sea moss has found a place in the treatment of all manner of chest and respiratory infections, from TB to bronchitis. With its broad spectrum anti-microbial effect it has found use in a number of viral and bacterial infections…even during the covid-19 pandemic. This antimicrobial effect extends to the treatment of gut infections and together with the mucilage content Irish sea moss can soothe all manner of gut inflammatory conditions, ulcers and acid reflux. The mucilages are also useful for delaying the absorption of fats and sugar from the gut and so may help high blood sugar problems and cholesterol/ arterial problems as well as feeding the gut bacteria needed for healthy gut function. The bioavailable iodine content means that Irish sea moss can be used to nourish the thyroid gland.

Apart from its internal use, seaweeds have been used externally and as cosmetic ingredients for centuries, providing an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory restorative and healing agent for the skin and hair. With all these uses it is quite clear to see that Irish sea moss is indeed a ‘miracle from the sea’.

Our Irish sea moss extract is made using traditional hot water, maceration and percoltion procedures and is totally free from alcohol, sugar, gluten, lactose and all other unnecessary and unwanted additives.

CAUTION:

Do not take Irish sea moss if you are allergic to seafood, shellfish etc.

If you are taking medication for an over active thyroid (hyper-thyroidism) consult your health care practitioner before taking Irish sea moss

It is our aim to offer a fast and reliable delivery service, using the method specified in the checkout procedure. The cost of your delivery is automatically calculated depending on the total value of your order. Any order £30 and above is free of charge.

We will endeavour to despatch all orders within 24 hours. If some or all items are unavailable, then we will contact you before shipping.

It is always best to allow up to seven working days for delivery but unfortunately this can sometimes take longer and we cannot guarantee delivery dates for overseas delivery dates as they are sometimes subject to customs clearance in the destination country due to the quality of postal services from country to country.

Other Important Information

Where it is not possible for Royal Mail to deliver your order, it will be held at your local Royal Mail office for 5 days before being returned to us. To contact your local sorting office to arrange re-delivery or collection, please call 08457 740 740 in the UK.

We would advise that you check your local sorting office before contacting us if delivery has taken more than seven working days in the UK and Overseas, although overseas customers may have to wait up to two weeks.

If your order has been 'lost in the post’, it will only be investigated 17 working days after it was shipped because it is only after this period that the Royal Mail regards postage as officially lost.

European customers should note that in some rare occasions parcels do appear to take longer than usual to arrive and in such occasions it may be necessary to wait longer before further action is taken. This is largely because of the varied quality of postal services throughout Eurozone countries.

After the post office has completed its investigations, it will subsequently refund Elixir for the value of the parcel and postage and package. Upon receiving our costs from the post office your replacement parcel will then be re-sent, or your costs reimbursed if the product is no longer required. Customers are therefore advised to request signed for deliveries to ensure full tracking opportunities.

Depending upon the weight of your consignment we will inform you of the price separately.

For deliveries within England, Scotland and the Channel Islands our charges are as follows:

Overseas Deliveries

We are delighted to be able to offer international once again however there are still certain items that we can no longer send to certain countries.  If this is the case for your order we ill notify you and a full refund will be given.

Every order we send is despatched either first class Royal Mail, or if the parcel exceeds 1kg, at our discretion, send the goods by parcel post, which can take a few days longer to reach you. On any recorded delivery, a signature may be required on delivery. In the case of recorded deliveries which fail to be delivered an acknowledgement card will be left stating the time and place for you to collect. International orders will take a little longer.

Please Note: If orders weigh more than two kilos we will often send packages in two separate boxes in the interests of security and safety.

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