Many of us have made the mistake of eating expired food. The results of eating expired foods range greatly, from nothing at all happening to severe nausea and vomiting.
Sea moss is no different than any other food in the fact that it is perishable. As a perishable item, it is entirely possible to consume expired sea moss if you aren’t careful.
If you think you may have consumed expired sea moss, ask yourself a few questions:
- How far past expiration was the sea moss?
- How much was consumed?
- How did it taste compared to fresh sea moss?
- How long has it been?
[More on the above later)
Can You Eat expired sea moss gel?
While you might get away with eating expired sea moss gel, it isn’t something you should do. Sooner or later you will likely experience stomach discomfort or diarrhea if you consume expired sea moss on a regular basis.
It is much better for your digestive health if you stick to consuming fresh sea moss and sea moss gel that was made less than one month before consumption (and kept refrigerated of course).
Will Expired Sea moss make you sick?
Consuming expired sea moss may not always make you sick. The effects can range depending on many factors. You may get away with consuming expired sea moss and not experiencing any ill effects or you might consume expired sea moss and experience stomach pain and vomiting.
Your symptoms depend on a whole host of factors such as the type of bacteria that may have been present in the sea moss, how much you consumed, whether you consumed it with other foods (or on an empty stomach), and how far past expiration the sea moss was.
Related:
11 things that Expired Sea moss can do to your body
There are several things that can happen once you consume expired sea moss. It is important to understand the possibilities so you can be prepared and know what to look for if you suspect you consumed expired sea moss.
Below is a list of 11 things that can happen in your body when you eat expired sea moss.
1. You Feel Gassy:
Gas is a mild symptom that can occur when you eat expired sea moss. Thankfully, this is usually minor and passes within 24 hours.
If you are gassy or bloated after eating expired sea moss, try drinking peppermint tea.
2. You may experience Diarrhea
Diarrhea often results when the digestive system is confronted with something it doesn’t agree with. This could be caused by bacteria in the sea moss.
If you experience diarrhea after eating expired sea moss, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. If it persists after 12 hours, you may need to seek medical help to avoid dehydration.
3. You may get Stomach Discomfort
Your stomach may react to consuming expired sea moss by cramping or making you feel like you have indigestion.
This feeling often passes within a few hours. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you can try drinking peppermint or ginger tea to help settle the stomach.
4. You may experience Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea is a common symptom that accompanies consumption of expired foods. This is your body’s way of working to get rid of the pathogen causing issues. The body is trying to make you sick so you throw up the expired food. The smell of fresh ginger can help reduce feelings of nausea.
Vomiting is the body’s way of expelling the problematic food. It is definitely no fun and can lead to dehydration if you can’t stop.
Make sure you stay as hydrated as possible if you are vomiting. If your vomiting persists for more than six hours, you may need to seek medical help to avoid dehydration or other issues.
5. Feeling of Fullness
Sometimes the stomach can bloat when it encounters something it doesn’t agree with. This results in a distended abdomen and a feeling of fullness.
This is a minor symptom of eating something expired and often passes within a few hours. Try to lie down on your side with a heat pad on the abdomen until it passes.
6. You feel fatigued
Fatigue is the body’s way of saying it is fighting something. We often feel fatigued when our body is fighting a virus, bacteria, or other pathogen because the body is using its energy to fight off the invader. Listen to your body if you are feeling fatigued and try to rest.
7. You may become Malnourished
Some foods that are significantly past expiration may not harm the body, but they may lack the nutrients they once had. This goes for sea moss as well.
Time takes its toll on everything and as a result of the passage of time, sea moss inevitably loses the many minerals and vitamins it once had.
You may not get sick, but eating expired sea moss may not provide the health benefits you were hoping for.
8. Nothing
One of the most common things that happens when you eat expired sea moss, or any other expired food, is nothing.
This is because the amount you consumed was probably small and the sea moss was probably not too far expired.
How Dangerous are the effects of consuming bad sea moss gel?
Consuming expired sea moss gel, whether knowingly or unknowingly can have various effects on the body. These effects can range from mild effects like fatigue, to more serious symptoms such as vomiting, dehydration and other food poisoning symptoms.
Food poisoning is definitely the worst-case scenario and very rare when it comes to eating expired sea moss. However, there is a chance you could experience food poisoning depending on how expired it was, how much you ate, and the bacteria you were exposed to.
Food poisoning is a severe reaction to bad food that may trigger excessive vomiting and diarrhea. If you feel like you have food poisoning, seek medical help and stay as hydrated as possible.
So, how adverse are the effects of consuming spoiled sea moss gel? Below are factors that determine how adverse the effects might be:
1. How far past expiration was the sea moss?
The further past expiration, the higher the chances of a more serious adverse reaction when consuming expired sea moss. The longer a perishable item sits past expiration, the more time for potentially harmful mold and other bacteria to grow.
2. How much was consumed?
The more expired sea moss you consume, the greater your chances of an adverse reaction. There is a daily limit to the amount of sea moss you should be consuming.
For sea moss gel, it is two tablespoons a day. If you consumed two tablespoons or less, you may not experience anything but an upset stomach, but it you consumed a larger amount, you might feel very sick afterward.
3. How did it taste compared to fresh sea moss?
You should definitely notice a difference in the flavor of the sea moss if it was expired. If you consumed sea moss that tasted fresh, you may not experience any symptoms or they may be minor, such as an upset stomach or gas.
If the taste was really “off” such as very putrid tasting or sour, you may experience side effects from the expired sea moss, such as vomiting or diarrhea (depending on how much you consumed and how far past expiration it was).
A change in taste is a very common issue with expired sea moss due to the presence of mold and/or other bacteria.
Your tongue is one of the most sensitive parts of your body and has many taste buds to detect even subtle flavors.
That is why many people report a change in taste when eating expired sea moss. It may taste sour, fishy, or foul. That bad taste is your body’s way of saying, “stop eating this.”
Related:
4. How long has it been since consumed?
If you ate expired sea moss, you will likely notice the effects after about six hours.
Most cases of food poisoning occur within six hours, although some people have reported an onset of symptoms within 12 to 24 hours after consuming the food.
If you suspect you ate expired sea moss, the first thing you should do is closely monitor yourself and stay hydrated.
Hopefully you won’t experience any adverse symptoms, but if you do, you need to seek medical help if they last more than 12 hours.
What Can You do if You Eat Expired Sea moss?
So, now that you’ve erroneously eaten expired sea moss gel, what can you do? Is there anything you can do help alleviate the effects? Below are 4 things you can try for a more positive outcome:
- Drink Lots of Water (Spring water): If you suspect you ate expired sea moss, the first thing you should do is closely monitor yourself and stay hydrated.
- Seek Medical Help: If you eat expired sea moss, you may be at risk for food poisoning. If you’re not feeling okay, its best to contact a doctor.
Final Notes:
The effects of eating expired sea moss range greatly from nothing to severe vomiting and diarrhea. You never know what you may experience as a result of consuming past-due sea moss products, but it is important to be aware of the potential harm it may cause.
It is definitely not worth it to risk eating expired sea moss. Not only can it cause stomach upset, it likely lacks the nutritional content it once had.
Have you ever experienced sea moss poisoning? I’d be glad if you could share in the comments 🙂
Read More:
Dr. Sebi On Coffee: What Does He Say?
Leave a Reply