Now Gen Z start eating huge spoonfuls of sea moss: While our showbusiness reporter agrees it tastes disgusting, is it the natural replacement for vitamin supplements?
For the past few months I've started every day the same way – with a large tablespoon of a foul-tasting golden-coloured gel.
The best way to describe its texture is lumpy Vaseline, and the acrid chemical aftertaste is so severe the only thing that can get rid of it is a strong black coffee.
It might sound like a snake-oil medical treatment from the 1800s, but it is actually a £17 health supplement made with moss harvested from the shores of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.
And while this gel, known as sea moss, will not win any awards for its flavour, I believe it has changed my life.
Since I began taking it every morning, I've experienced what can only be described as an entire personality change.
Better than vitamins? Our reporter Dolly Busby put sea moss, which is becoming increasingly popular with Gen Z, to the test
US supermodel Bella Hadid swears by the benefits of sea moss and claims to drink a glass of it every morning
Suddenly I have boundless energy and I'm no longer yawning at 5pm. My friends have commented on how well I look, with some even describing my skin as glowing. I've also stopped getting hangovers.
I'm far from the only sea moss zealot. Over the past two years it has exploded in popularity among women under 25 – Gen Zs.
There are more than 1.4 million sea moss posts on Instagram, including gushing promotions from famous influencers.
It is essentially billed as the ultimate vitamin supplement. However, sea moss also has a dark side, with reports of users falling seriously unwell.
So what's the truth – and could this disgusting slime spell the end of vitamin supplements?
Sea moss is a type of algae that looks somewhat like seaweed and grows in tide pools.
There are several types, the two most common being Irish and Caribbean moss.
Records show it was used as a medicine as far back as 600BC, when the Chinese harvested it to treat respiratory illnesses.
During the Irish potato famine in the 19th Century, sea moss was eaten to combat starvation.
But in recent years, companies have begun to turn it into a gel that can be kept in a jar and stays fresh for several months.
These gels, which come in a variety of bright colours, have risen in popularity in part due to endorsements by celebrities such as reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who says she drinks sea moss smoothies.
US supermodel Bella Hadid claims to drink a glass of sea moss every morning.
As a showbusiness reporter for the Mail, I closely follow the lives of top celebrities and, after watching these influential women sing its praises, I thought I'd give it a try. I even went for the same brand as Bella – Planted Seeds Gold Sea Moss Gel.
Our reporter tried the same brand preferred by Bella Hadid – Planted Seeds Gold Sea Moss Gel
The main draw is that it is supposed to be packed with minerals. According to Island Moss, one of the UK's largest suppliers, a spoonful contains magnesium, potassium, iodine, sulphur, calcium, selenium, fibre, copper, phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin and manganese.
The firm says these 'supply energy, regulate digestion and detoxify the body'.
I'm 24 and I eat a fairly healthy diet. But while I don't know what many of these minerals actually do, it's an appealing promise.
But some experts have voiced concerns about the safety of sea moss, warning that excessive consumption can lead to thyroid issues due to high levels of iodine.
While iodine is crucial for the functioning of the thyroid – a small gland in the neck that produces important hormones – too much can leave it overactive, leading to symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue and difficulty sleeping.
Earlier this year, a 28-year-old woman in Connecticut in the US was hospitalised with severe thyroid disease after taking sea moss 'sporadically' for a month.
Dr Duane Mellor, a dietician at Aston University in Birmingham, said: 'If someone has an overactive thyroid, then too much iodine can be an issue.
'Normally most people struggle to consume enough iodine, but sea moss has a lot of it.'
Experts also question whether sea moss can be healthier than multivitamins, which are carefully formulated to contain a good balance of nutrients.
'Sea moss is without question rich in vitamins and minerals, but it's unlikely to be a superior replacement for a good multivitamin,' says Harley Street nutritionist Kim Pearson.
'Sea moss is naturally occurring so the chances that it will contain the same efficient health boost is low.'
As for me, I'm thinking of giving up the sea moss.
The energy boost I initially got from it has slowly faded. My theory is that when I first started taking the gel, my body suddenly got nutrients it didn't have before.
But now that's gone, I'm not sure I want to keep eating a repulsive – and surprisingly expensive – gel every morning.
