The Complete List of Minerals & Vitamins in Sea Moss

Last updated on October 12, 2022

Sea moss, also known as Chondrus crispus or Irish moss, is a seaweed that grows along the Atlantic coasts. Recent studies have revealed its exceptionally high content in minerals and vitamins making it one of the most in-demand superfoods.

But it has become so popular that everybody wants to have a say in it. Not everybody is a nutritionist though, and most online information about sea moss's nutrients is shockingly erroneous.

Let’s debunk the myths and focus on science. How many minerals and vitamins does sea moss actually contain? What are they?

Related article: What are the health benefits of sea moss?

Minerals Vs Vitamins: What’s the Difference?

Before going through the detailed list of sea moss’s minerals and vitamins, let’s go back to the basics and review our nutrition lessons. 

Chondrus crispus is one of the most nutrient-rich natural foods. Nutrients are substances our organism uses to function. They can be classified into 7 main categories: 

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Minerals
• Vitamins
• Dietary fibers
• Water

Because they’re usually combined in nutritional supplements, minerals and vitamins are often thought to be the same thing, but they’re not.

Vitamins are organic substances made by plants or animals. There are 13 essential vitamins for our body (A, B, C, D, E, and K, with 8 vitamins in the B complex).  

Minerals are inorganics elements. They come from soil or water and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. While there’s a wide diversity of minerals, only a few are essential like calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, and zinc. Our body needs these major minerals in larger amounts than other trace minerals.   

Vitamins and minerals act in concert and play vital roles. They help build bones and cells, heal wounds, boost the immune system, convert food into energy, and a lot more.

Nutritionists generally agree that there are about 30 vitamins and minerals that our body needs but cannot produce on its own or in sufficient amounts. That's why a varied diet is important and superfoods like sea moss or dietary supplements can make a big difference in health and wellness.

Related article: Zoom in on sea moss's actual nutrition facts

Sea Moss Minerals

Rumor has it that sea moss naturally contains 92 of 102 minerals our body needs to function. While there’s no doubt sea moss is exceptionally rich in minerals, these numbers aren’t completely accurate.    

The presence and exact amount of each mineral vary greatly from plant to plant and depend on the environment in which sea moss has grown. It's important to understand that not all sea moss plant contains all 92 minerals. Sea moss absorbs minerals that are found in the water in which it grows. Consequently, pool-grown sea moss (fake sea moss), for example, contains much fewer minerals than the wildcrafted type (real sea moss).

Related article: What’s the difference between real and fake sea moss?

What are the 92 minerals in sea moss?

According to the US Department of Agriculture, a 10 g serving of sea moss contains the following 12 essential minerals in significant amounts (average content): 

• Calcium: 7.2 mg
• Copper: 0.02 mg
• Iodine: 47 µg
• Iron: 0.89 mg
• Manganese: 0.037 mg
• Magnesium: 14.4 mg
• Phosphorus: 15.7 mg
• Potassium: 6.3 mg
• Selenium: 0.07 µg
• Sodium: 6.7 mg
• Sulfur: data not found
• Zinc: 0.195 mg 

Besides, depending on the water in which sea moss has grown, it may contain traces of these 80 minerals and elements:

• Actinium
• Aluminum
• Americium
• Antimony
• Argon
• Arsenic
• Astatine
• Barium
• Berkelium
• Beryllium
• Bismuth
• Bohrium
• Boron
• Bromine
• Cadmium
• Cesium
• Californium
• Carbon
• Cerium
• Chlorine
• Chromium
• Cobalt
• Curium
• Dubnium
• Dysprosium
• Einsteinium
• Erbium
• Europium
• Fermium
• Francium
• Gadolinium
• Gallium
• Germanium
• Gold
• Hafnium
• Hassium
• Helium
• Holmium
• Hydrogen
• Indium
• Iridium
• Krypton
• Lanthanum
• Lead
• Lithium
• Lutetium
• Mercury
• Molybdenum
• Neodymium
• Neon
• Neptunium
• Nickel
• Niobium
• Nitrogen
• Osmium
• Palladium
• Platinum
• Plutonium
• Polonium
• Praseodymium
• Promethium
• Protactinium
• Radium
• Radon
• Rhenium
• Rhodium
• Rubidium
• Ruthenium
• Samarium
• Scandium
• Silicon
• Silver
• Strontium
• Tantalum
• Technetium
• Tellurium
• Terbium
• Thallium
• Thorium

Unlike what some self-proclaimed sea moss experts may say, not all these minerals are essential for the human body. Some may even be toxic if ingested in excess, especially heavy metals like mercury, lead, and others. So, make sure to only purchase sea moss products that have been tested for heavy metals.

Organics Nature only sells wildcrafted organic sea moss that’s been tested by third-party laboratories and approved for safety.

Organics Nature Premium Sea Moss Gel is Tested & Guaranteed Without Toxic Minerals 

What are the 10 minerals missing?

It’s hard to tell because the belief that sea moss contains 92 of 102 minerals isn’t backed-up by science. First, there’s a big confusion here between minerals and elements. If you remember your chemistry class, the periodic table contained 102 elements. But new ones have been discovered since and there are now 118 identified elements in 2022. Most importantly not all of them are minerals nor essential for the body!

But depending on where it grows, we can assume that sea moss could potentially absorb any of these 118 elements…

Nutritionally, it doesn’t really matter though. What matters is that sea moss does contain most of the essential minerals for our body, and in great amounts!

Sea Moss Vitamins

Sea moss also contains a surprising number of vitamins. In fact, it contains all of the essential vitamins, 12 of them in significant amounts, and others in trace amounts.

What vitamins are in sea moss?

According to the Food Data Base of the US Department of Agriculture, sea moss contains significant amounts of the following 12 vitamins (average content per 10 g serving):

• Vitamin C: 0.3 mg
• Vitamin A: 11.8 IU
• Vitamin E: 0.087 mg
• Vitamin K: 0.5 µg
• Vitamin B6: 0.007 mg
• Thiamin (Vitamin B1): 0.002 mg
• Niacin (Vitamin B3): 0.059 mg
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 0.047 mg
• Vitamin B9 (folate): 18.2 µg
• Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5): 0.018 mg
• Choline (similar to vitamin B complex): 1.29 mg
• Beta Carotene (converted into vitamin A by the body): 7.1 µg 

It also contains traces of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and retinol (a form of vitamin A). As for minerals, these numbers can vary considerably depending on the quality of the seaweed.

 

Looking for high quality wildcrafted Sea Moss? Look no further, Organics Nature is the #1 seller of Sea Moss in the U.S. known for the highest quality products. Shop the collection here now. 

 

Related article: Should you take sea moss in the morning or evening?

Does sea moss have Vitamin B12? 

Many people who follow a vegan diet are told to eat sea moss for vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is an essential vitamin that’s commonly found in animal-based foods like meat, fish, and dairy.

The rumor is wrong and sea moss only contains traces of vitamin B12. Nutritionally, it isn’t a reliable source of B12 to compensate for a vegan diet.

Can you take sea moss and multivitamins together?

Absolutely. While sea moss is an excellent natural source of multivitamins, it would not be enough to cover all your needs. You can take sea moss along with your multivitamin supplements as long as you do not exceed the daily recommended dosage.

Warning: Chondrus crispus is a potent natural ingredient. Due to its high content of iodine and other minerals, it should be consumed in moderation. 

Related article: How much sea moss should you take daily?