No, sea moss cannot cure diabetes

What is the claim?

A viral video on TikTok is spreading claims that sea moss can cure diabetes. The claim in the video read, "Sea Moss is a type of weed that has gained popularity for its potential health benefits. While sea moss contains various nutrients and minerals, currently, scientific evidence suggests that it can cure diabetes."  

The claim comes from an account referencing Alfredo Bowman, also known as Dr. Sebi, a controversial Honduran herbalist known for spreading pseudoscientific medical claims. At the age of 82, Dr. Sebi died of complications related to pneumonia in a Honduran prison, where he was imprisoned over charges of money laundering. However, conspiracy theorists have claimed that he was killed for finding cures for several diseases for which modern medical science still does not have a cure, such as AIDs and diabetes.

The viral video suggests that Dr. Sebi was killed, noting he had proved that diabetes could be cured using sea moss, also known as Irish moss, a type of seaweed.

Screenshot of the TikTok video that claims sea moss can cure diabetes. (Source:TikTok/@doctorsebi.foryou)

However, these claims are incorrect and have repeatedly surfaced on social media. There is no scientific evidence that says sea moss can cure diabetes.

What did we find? 

Speaking with Forbes, Dr. Carrie Lam, a doctor and medical director at the Lam Clinic in Tustin, California, said, "While sea moss has been harvested and consumed either as food or for healing for thousands of years, there is limited scientific evidence to prove many of these claims." Forbes further noted, "There are more studies on the benefits of seaweeds as a whole than on sea moss itself. Preliminary research on sea moss thus far is based on small studies." More large-scale studies are needed to verify the health benefits of sea moss, noted Forbes. 

Some recent studies indicate that sea moss may have some health benefits and may be able to relieve symptoms of diseases like Parkinson's disease. According to WebMD, Parkinson's causes stiffness in muscles, and a study using sea moss on worms has shown to reduce stiffness and slowness of movement. However, it also noted that more research is needed to see if this would have the same effect on humans. 

The article also noted that consuming sea moss may cause intestinal inflammation, stomach ulcers, and stomach and bowel cancer. More research is required to determine the positive and negative effects of sea moss on the human body. 

Furthermore, we found no clinical studies stating that sea moss can cure diabetes. 

Can diabetes be cured? 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that diabetes is a condition that presently does not have a cure, but "losing weight, eating healthy food, and being active can really help."

The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has recommended not to replace diabetes medication with dietary supplements as they may not be safely tested and may have side effects. It further cited a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning that cautions people against using illegally marketed natural diabetic cures that may harm people.

What about Dr. Sebi's claims? 

We did not find any clinical evidence to support the claims made by Dr. Sebi regarding sea moss. Dr. Sebi has been criticized for propagating false cures for medical conditions like AIDS and cancer. Logically Facts has previously debunked such claims made by Dr. Sebi.

The verdict 

There is no clinical evidence to show that sea moss can cure diabetes. There is no treatment or medicine available at the moment that can cure diabetes, and research is ongoing to find a cure. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.