Alfredo Bowman, aka Dr Sebi (Photo: YouTube screenshot)
In some circles, Dr. Sebi is a well-respected herbalist and natural healer, particularly in the hip-hop community. Born Alfredo Bowman in 1933 in the village of Ilanga, Honduras, Sebi was known for his holistic approach to healing. He once claimed to have the cure for cancer and AIDS.
On his website, Dr. Sebi claimed to be a pathologist, herbalist, biochemist, and naturalist, though he was not a medical doctor or a licensed healthcare practitioner. Dr. Sebi died in August 2016 at 82 in Honduras due to complications from pneumonia.
Dr. Sebi studied herbs in Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Central and South America. Dr. Sebi created natural vegetation cell food compounds that clean and replenish the body that he dubbed Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food. Dr. Sebi treated high-profile clientele, including Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of TLC, and Teddy Pendergrass, according to Health & Holistics.
Many today still follow his nutrition advice. And one of the key ingredients in his notion regime is sea moss.
“Sea moss is a gateway to Dr. Sebi or Dr. Sebi is a gateway to sea moss,” Dani Solorio, the founder of Compton Health Bar, told The Los Angeles Times. “They’re very much synonymous with each other.”
See moss is an edible sea vegetable in the algae family packed with nutrients like folate, vitamin K, vitamin B, iron, iodine, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. It grows along the Atlantic coasts, mainly between North America and Europe, and in the warm waters of Asia, South America, Africa, and parts of the Caribbean, The New York Times reported.
There is a debate on the health benefits of consuming sea moss.
It can be consumed raw and in supplement form — including as pills, powders, and gummies. Most often eaten as a gel, made by soaking the dried plant in water, blending it, and letting it gel in the refrigerator. Consumers of sea moss say that if taken daily, it can heal gut problems, lead to clearer skin, regulate menstrual cycles, strengthen immune systems, or foster weight loss, The New York Times reported.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to makers of sea moss, as the products are not FDA approved, according to The New York Times.
“There seem to be quite a few health benefits of sea moss, but they aren’t heavily studied,” registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, told Everyday Health, “and sea moss supplements are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
But Czerwony added, “Studies show that sea moss may help lower bad cholesterol, which is one of the factors for heart disease. It has also been shown to help lower blood pressure, another key factor in heart health.”
Alfredo Bowman, aka Dr Sebi (Photo: YouTube screenshot, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUey7RlqLU)
