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Sea moss: super food or just another health hype?

海藻：超级食物还是健康概念炒作？

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Is sea moss just another health fad? Some people claim it helps with any number of things from glowing skin to weight loss, and are flocking to buy it in gels, gummies, powders and capsules.

海藻仅是又一个健康饮食热潮吗？一些人称海藻具有许多功效，比如能使人的皮肤焕发光彩或减轻体重，并且争先恐后地购买海藻制成的凝胶、软糖、粉末和胶囊。

Sometimes called Irish moss, sea moss is a red seaweed found mostly along the Atlantic coasts.

这种海藻也被称为 “爱尔兰海藻”，它是一种红色的海藻，主要生长在大西洋沿岸。

People have been harvesting it for centuries. It's commonly used as a thickener and gelling agent in processed foods like ice cream and chocolate milk.

几个世纪以来人们一直在采收这种海藻。它被作为一种增稠剂和胶凝剂而广泛应用于加工食品中，比如冰激凌和巧克力奶。

Sea moss is packed with good stuff like iron, magnesium, fibre, and vitamins including A and C.

海藻富含多种有益成分，如铁、镁、纤维以及多种维生素，包括维生素 A 和维生素 C。

But nutritionists say there's little evidence to suggest sea moss should be called a superfood.

但营养学家表示，现有的证据很难证明海藻可以被称为一种超级食物。

Some early research has been done. One study on rats found that sea moss helps increase beneficial gut bacteria. But more testing is needed on humans.

科学家已经完成了一些对海藻的初步研究。一项在老鼠身上进行的研究发现海藻能帮助提升老鼠肠道益生菌的数量。但要得出结论尚需更多的人体试验。

There are a few risks too – sea moss has high levels of iodine, which can cause thyroid problems if you have too much, especially for pregnant women or elderly people.

食用海藻也会带来一些健康风险。海藻含有大量的碘，而食用过多的碘可能会引起甲状腺问题，特别是对孕妇和老年人来说。

And like other seaweed, it can also absorb small amounts of heavy metals from the water depending on where it grows.

并且和其它海藻一样，这种海藻也会从生长环境中吸收少量的重金属。

That could include arsenic, mercury, or lead, which might be harmful if they build up in your body over time.

其中可能包括砷、汞或铅，这些元素如果长期在体内积累就可能会对健康造成损害。

The advice from health professionals – sea moss is generally fine to eat for most people, but it shouldn't replace a varied diet.

来自健康专业人士的建议是，大多数人通常可以正常食用海藻，但它不应取代多样化的饮食结构。