The human body is an interesting creation of nature that is relatively difficult to maintain. It was much easier for the human body to reach its peak strength and speed in the days when we were forced to hunt to survive. Nowadays, civilization has turned keeping our bodies in shape an optional endeavor rather than a necessity for survival.
For those interested in bringing their bodies to the full extent of their physical prowess, new challenges have arisen that make doing so more complicated. The modern era has produced several tools designed to help us optimize our exercise routines, such as pre-workout powders and shakes. Other, more naturalistic tools have also come into play for those seeking physical fitness.
One tool you might not know about is sea moss, which has earned a place in the hearts of some workout enthusiasts. Sea moss might seem like an unlikely workout support tool, but it has found its way into the industry despite its unusual nature. As with all workout supplements, the question lies in the timing of when you should take the sea moss concerning your scheduled workout. This is one of the challenges presented by modern workout techniques since the vast quantity of products can make navigating the timing a little difficult. Fortunately, the right information can help overcome this challenge.
What is Sea Moss?
Sea moss, specifically Chondrus crispus, is a type of red algae that naturally grows on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. The moss itself typically grows to a maximum of 20 cm, making it fairly small for the type of plant it is. The coloration of the moss ranges from greenish yellow to red to dark purple, depending on the growth.
What makes sea moss so interesting is that it is a carrageenan moss, which is host to a family of sulfated polysaccharides called carrageenans. These carrageenans are part of what makes Chondrus crispus a well-received supplement for those seeking to improve their physical health.
The carrageenans in sea moss, while useful in some respects, are not the only part of sea moss that makes it a beneficial addition to one's diet. Sea moss is a very light and mineral-rich plant conducive to a healthy disposition. The nutritional information for a 4-tablespoon serving of sea moss is as follows:
- Calories: 10
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbs: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Total Sugar: 0 g
- Calcium: 1% of the Daily Value
- Iron: 10% of the Daily Value
- Magnesium: 7% of the Daily Value
- Phosphorus: 2% of the Daily Value
- Zinc: 4% of the Daily Value
- Copper: 3% of the Daily Value
The nutrition of the moss is not the true value associated with the algae. The real value lies in the nutrients and minerals found within that can provide a veritable bounty of beneficial effects. These effects have led several fitness seekers to use sea moss supplements to improve their workout regimen. The big question you are probably asking yourself is what benefits sea moss offers that make it so useful.
Sea Moss is an Anti-Inflammatory
One of the more prominent effects of sea moss is that it is an anti-inflammatory. Anti-inflammatory substances are highly useful compounds that help protect against the body's inflammatory response when it becomes a chronic issue. The inflammatory response is how our bodies respond to trauma and illness to repair the damage. Unfortunately, when the inflammatory response goes on for too long without any relief, it can do more harm than good. Chronic inflammation usually only occurs when you suffer a traumatic injury, but it is also feasible to experience the issue as a result of working out.
When you work out, you force your body to break down and rebuild itself stronger than before. This process of breaking down and repairing leads to inflammation while your body recovers from the strain of the workout. This is an inescapable part of working out, as the only way to reforge your muscles is to break them down through heavy strain. That said, the inflammation from working out can present a problem if you do not take steps to prevent it from getting out of hand.
This makes anti-inflammatory substances an important tool for managing the effects of your workout's inflammation. Chondrus crispus's anti-inflammatory effects make it an ideal tool to accomplish that goal. By consuming sea moss or supplements derived from it, you can minimize the inflammation caused by your workout regimen. Sea moss is packed with vitamins A, C, and E, which are well known to reduce inflammation when consumed. While sea moss can reduce inflammation, that is not the only benefit for people who work out regularly.
Sea Moss Can Regulate Blood Sugar
Blood sugar is an extremely important part of human biology as it affects our energy levels. Our blood sugar levels are automatically low when we wake up and do not rise again until we have eaten something. Once we have elevated our blood sugar, we are given the energy to begin the day and face whatever might arise. While the body's blood sugar levels require maintenance daily, it becomes more important if you are more active than the average individual.
While our blood sugar does increase after we eat, it lowers throughout the day. As our blood sugar gets lower, our energy levels and general mood lower. If your body, for whatever reason, burns through blood sugar particularly fast compared to others, it becomes critical to correct our body's blood sugar regulation. Conversely, if blood sugar spikes too high, you can experience many health issues, including vomiting, loss of vision, and rapid heart rates. Generally, blood sugar does not go too high unless you have diabetes, but the foods you eat can cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket.
This risk is especially likely in those who eat diets rich in carbohydrates or regularly deal with physical stress. Given the necessity of carbohydrates to fuel workouts and that working out is a physical strain, high blood sugar is a possibility. Fortunately, sea moss swoops in with a surprising benefit to help manage this issue. Research shows that sea moss can lower blood sugar to a more acceptable level. The reason for this effect has to do with a compound called fucoxanthin.
Fucoxanthin is found in most seaweed species, including Chondrus crispus, meaning consumption of sea moss can introduce fucoxanthin to your system. The studies surrounding fucoxanthin and blood sugar levels showed promising results in the test subjects, though some research is still in the animal phase.
Sea Moss Can Improve Heart Health
One of the worst things you can do to your body is subject to physical stress if you have cardiovascular issues. The heart is responsible for keeping the rest of the body alive by pumping blood throughout the veins connecting everything. Unfortunately, the essential nature of the human heart does nothing to protect it from damage or complications.
The heart is extremely fragile, not only in the emotional or metaphorical sense. Poor diet, genetic issues, or excess physical strain can overstress the heart and cause it to fail. If your heart is compromised, avoiding overstressing your body further is crucial if you do not want to suffer lethal results.
One of the biggest threats to heart health is our cholesterol levels. Cholesterol can be divided into high-density lipoproteins (HLD) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). The former benefits the body, while the latter is extremely dangerous. Keeping cholesterol levels in check ensures that the body is not swimming in LDL, which clogs arteries and thickens the blood. If either of these issues arises, it can reverberate back to the heart and cause heart attacks, among other issues.
LDL levels and thick blood can make working out impossible unless you take measures to correct them. The strain of working out causes the heart to beat faster and blood to pump faster, which increases the risk of clogs and complications when you have cardiovascular issues. Fortunately, sea moss also seems to have an answer to this predicament.
Further studies on sea moss have uncovered the power to reduce LDL levels and thin the blood. With this effect, sea moss can help restore balance to your cardiovascular system, so the strain of working out does not compromise your health.
A healthier cardiovascular system can protect you from the strain working out can have on your heart. However, there is still an important question we need to answer, and it is the one that brought you to this article in the first place. When should sea moss supplements be taken?
Should You Take Sea Moss Before or After a Workout?
Now we come to the ultimate question that brought you to this article. Multiple workout supplements are marketed to be taken at a specific point before or after you begin because the products are designed to help you yield better results from the exercise or to help you recover from the aftermath.
Working out is an excellent way to build muscle mass. Still, the proper preparation before your regimen and the proper recovery items are critical to ensuring you not only see results but do not irreversibly damage your body in your efforts to gain muscle. As for sea moss, we have examined a handful of the many benefits it has to offer.
Alone, sea moss's benefits can potentially solve several issues that affect you regardless of your workout habits. When it comes to working out, sea moss's benefits can go a step further to help improve the results of your efforts. The question of when to take it is very easily answered, as sea moss is a rare exception to the rule of workout supplements. Rather than strictly being for before or after you work out, you can take sea moss at either time. This is because the benefits sea moss offers have merit for preparing for a workout and recovering from the side effects.
Sea moss's ability to regulate blood sugar and cardiovascular health makes taking it before a workout viable for preserving your energy levels and heart health. That said, the main use of sea moss is as a post-workout recovery tool since it helps with inflammation and, by extension, relaxes the strain on your muscles, so you are not suffering from extensive post-workout pain.
Sea moss is an interesting tool when taken by an athlete or fitness enthusiast as its effects are not quite as limited as other workout supplements. The only real question is where you can acquire a reliable sea moss supplement so you can begin reaping the benefits of your workout regimen.
Keep it All Natural!
Chondrus crispus might appear to be little more than a common breed of seaweed found on the Atlantic coast, but it hides hidden powers. Its anti-inflammatory effects and interesting effects on heart health, diabetes, and more make it a useful health supplement. You can easily use these effects to turn your daily workout into a more productive and manageable endeavor.
The fact that there is no hard limit on when you can consume sea moss concerning your workout schedule makes it an even more valuable prize, though it is best as a recovery tool. While the benefits of sea moss are no doubt alluring to many fitness enthusiasts, there will always be the concern of finding a safe and reliable product.
Fortunately, we at Bella All Natural can assist with that last part. We have made it our mission in life to provide natural health supplements that you can use to improve yourself. Among our products are our sea moss capsules, designed to deliver the effects of Chondrus crispus in the most efficient and healthy way possible.
Taking responsibility for your physical health is a commendable lifestyle choice. With our sea moss capsules, you can take that lifestyle choice and revitalize it with the power of sea moss. But do not take our word for it. Instead, check out our website and try our capsules if you are inclined. Regardless of your decision, always remember to keep it All Natural!
