If you have been interested in trying sea moss or just wanted to know more about it, you should probably start with which kind is fake and which kind is real. Figuring out the difference between fake and real sea moss can be confusing and a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry we are here to help. In this blog we will go over what is the difference between pool grown (fake) and wildcrafted (real) sea moss.
What is pool grown sea moss?
Pool grown sea moss is ultimately the processed version of sea moss. This is typically when sea moss producers take the sea moss from the ocean and try to grow it in pool farms. These farms attempt to replicate the properties of the ocean in the pools for the sea moss to grow. However, even by replicating the back and forth motion of the ocean , these farms are not able to replicate all the properties of the ocean that are needed for the sea moss to grow properly. Sea moss needs all of the ocean's properties that it interacts with in order to develop properly and intake all of it’s benefits. The environment where sea moss is grown is very important for its development. Pool farms are not able to replicate the rocks, air , sunshine, amount of salt and other nutrients in the ocean. Along with those aspects, the motion of the ocean also cannot be replicated to the fullest extent. Although these sea moss producers are successful in growing the sea moss quicker in these brine pools , the sea moss does not grow in the necessary conditions. The nutrients of the sea moss are less than of naturally grown sea moss. Pool grown sea moss is typically three times thicker than the size of wildcrafted sea moss , due to the increased mucilage on it. Just like you should avoid processed foods , you should also avoid processed sea moss.
What is wildcrafted sea moss?
Wildcrafted sea moss is usually found around the rocky Atlantic coasts, primarily in North America, Europe and the Caribbean Islands. Suppliers harvest the sea moss directly from the ocean once the sea moss has grown naturally. Since the sea moss is wildcrafted from its natural habitat , it means that there is no human intervention. When sea moss is harvested, only a part of the plant is taken by the harvesters. This allows the plant to regrow and continue supporting the ecosystem. Naturally grown sea moss keeps the natural color and is a lot thinner than pool grown sea moss. Natural or wildcrafted sea moss is also less saltier than pool grown sea moss. Sea moss offers 92 of the 102 minerals that the body needs, but it must absorb these minerals through the ocean. When grown in pools the sea moss does not have the ability to absorb these minerals.
Organics Nature sea moss is harvested directly from the ocean in St. Lucia. We work with the agriculture government of St. Lucia to harvest the sea moss in an eco-friendly way. Our sea moss grows naturally around their caribbean.
Wildcrafted sea moss vs Pool Grown sea moss
Many people focus on gaining knowledge on the benefits of sea moss and overlook the fact that there are different types of it. Although it is good to know the benefits , you should also educate yourself on which products you should be purchasing. There is a big difference in wildcrafted and pool grown sea moss. The biggest difference is the amount of nutrients that are in the sea moss you are consuming daily. This is not saying that all pool grown sea moss is bad, but pool grown sea moss does not contain the same amount of nutrients that natural sea moss does. The most noticeable difference between the two is the color and the stem structure. Along with the color and stem structure , there have been studies that have shown that wildcrafted sea moss contains natural sea salt and pool grown sea moss has table salt on it. Since salt ions conduct electricity , the salt you consume directly correlates with the concentration of the salt in the sea moss. If someone is consuming pool grown sea moss and has high blood pressure this is extremely dangerous. Since you are ultimately intaking synthetic salt daily. But the sea salt in wildcrafted sea moss is not harmful for these people, in fact it is beneficial for those with high blood pressure to take sea moss daily.
So let’s talk about some of the differences for pool grown and wildcrafted sea moss. Wildcrafted sea moss will have some salt on it but not too much like pool grown sea moss. There shouldn’t be visible salt sitting on top of the dried sea moss if it is wildcrafted. You will see some sand on wildcrafted sea moss as well but not on the pool grown sea moss. The sand is from the ocean and since pool grown sea moss does not have any sand surrounding it when growing, it will not have any on it. The appearance of wildcrafted sea moss will be spongy and pool grown will be more like a noodle and very thin. The texture of wildcrafted sea moss will be dry and have no moisture to it in its raw form. Whereas pool grown sea moss will be slightly wet even before it is made into a gel. You will also see a difference in the smell for the two. Pool grown sea moss will have more of a chemical smell, whereas wildcrafted sea moss will have an ocean smell. Not to say that the ocean smell will be strong , but that is also a good way to distinguish between the two. Typically , wildcrafted sea moss is more expensive than pool grown. But the price of sea moss can also differ depending on the supplier you purchase from. The color will be different between the two. The color of wildcrafted sea moss can differ depending on the environment that it is grown in, but the most common colors are a slight brownish color, dark tan or a golden color. Pool Grown sea moss is almost yellow, sometimes lighter in color. The wildcrafted sea moss will also be a lot thinner than pool grown sea moss in it’s dry form. When preparing the two into a gel, you will be able to tell that wildcrafted sea moss is slimy and like jelly but pool grown sea moss will have a gummy texture to it.
(Salt on Pool Grown Sea Moss) ⬆️⬆️
How to tell the difference?
Color
Compare the colors of the sea moss. Wildcrafted sea moss should have a darker tone to it compared to the pool grown sea moss. As stated before , the color of wildcrafted sea moss also depends on the environment it is harvested from but it will generally always be in a golden tan , dark tan or purple color. Pool grown sea moss will be in a lighter shade of yellow, or off-white or beige color.
Structure
The structure of wildcrafted sea moss will be tangled and disorganized with a mesh-like spongy feel to it. Pool grown or fake sea moss will have a noodle structure to it. Like spaghetti noodles that are very thin. The alignment of the two differ because of how they are grown. Since pool grown is grown artificially , it will look more artificial and deliberately put together. But wildcrafted sea moss grows in an uncontrollable environment , causing it to have a more distorted look.
Size
Wildcrafted sea moss has thinner stems than pool grown sea moss. The stems of pool grown sea moss will be twice as thick. Depending on the sea moss you purchase , the size will be about 1-3mm for wildcrafted sea moss. Whereas, pool grown sea moss will be 5-10mm.
Smell
Pool grown sea moss does not grow in the ocean , so certain chemicals are needed to sustain and duplicate the ocean. So it will have a chemical scent to it. Whereas , wildcrafted sea moss will have a fishy or sea smell. The smell will differ with each sea moss brand but typically , it is not too strong. For our Organic Wildcrafted Sea Moss Gel, we like to add a bit of lemon when preparing it, in order to neutralize the fishy smell. However, it is not possible to neutralize the synthetic smell of pool grown sea moss.
Feel
When you receive your dried sea moss, you can feel it to see if it is real or fake as well. Wildcrafted or real sea moss will have a completely dried out feel to it. You will not be able to feel any moisture on it. But pool grown sea moss or fake sea moss will still contain some of its moisture from the pool. It will not be completely dry to the touch.
During the Soak
If you are still unsure about whether the sea moss is wildcrafted or pool grown, you can compare how it looks when you are soaking it. Wildcrafted sea moss will become slimy and slippery after a couple of hours. Whereas , pool grown sea moss will either stay the same or become like a gummy texture. The difference is very clear during this step.
Summary on Wildcrafted vs Pool Grown Sea Moss
Although many companies sell sea moss claiming it is wildcrafted and naturally grown, that is not always the case. You must watch out for these companies. Pool grown sea moss does not give you the benefits that wildcrafted sea moss does because of the environment it is grown in. It does not contain the minerals that wildcrafted sea moss absorbs from the ocean , which nulls the benefits that sea moss provides. Wildcrafted sea moss is a great addition to your daily life. But if you are consuming sea moss , make sure it is providing you with the benefits.
At Liquified Juicery, we value the importance of providing our customers with wildcrafted sea moss. Your health is important not only to you but to us as well. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about sea moss. We would be happy to share our knowledge and make sure your sea moss experience is nothing short of excellent.