Q. I have a friend taking Sea Moss from St. Lucia as an aphrodisiac. Does it work and what are the side effects?
A. Sea moss refers to products made from varieties of red seaweed that grow in the Caribbean. Most of these belong to the Graciliaria genus. These marine plants are good sources of agar and carrageenan, used as gelling agents in foods like salad dressing, ice cream and yogurt.
Caribbean islanders have long described sea moss as an aphrodisiac or aid for impotence. We could find no research to support this belief, but there is little likelihood of side effects. Since emotion and expectation are so important in sexual responsiveness, just believing that seaweed is an aphrodisiac might be beneficial.
