Omega XL Review – Does It Really Work?

About Omega XL

The product we are tackling today is a joint support supplement. It is called Omega XL and it is made by a company called Great Healthworks. It is claimed that Omega XL is a quality joint supplement mainly because of its ingredients which include 30 types of fatty acids.

The company claims to have done over 30 years of research on this Omega XL and how it can combat inflammation and joint pain. It noted an 89 percent decrease in pain symptoms among 50 subjects studied.

The website also noted that some of the ingredients have been sourced from green-lipped mussels from New Zealand. These shellfish are known for having a fatty acid content similar to fish oil.

It should be noted that Omega XL is mainly a fish oil supplement. Fish oil has indeed been linked to joint health and support.

Great HealthWorks Omega XL Review – Omega 3 Supplement – Health Insiders Images

Omega XL Ingredients – The Breakdown

There are 3 main active ingredients that we are told about in the Omega XL formula. Here you will find a breakdown of these three ingredients:

• Perna Carnaliculus – According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, perna carniliculus is the name given to the green-lipped mussel, sometimes called the New Zealand Mussel. The oil from this mussel is said to be rich in fatty acids that has been shown to help lower inflammation in osteoarthritis.
• Vitamin E – Vitamin E is one of many natural antioxidants. We read in this Versus Arthritis article that it can be especially useful for helping to spur cartilage generation in individuals with osteoarthritis among animal studies. It should also be noted that current evidence from studies on humans suggests that antioxidant vitamins aren’t effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence from trials of the effectiveness of vitamin E in treating osteoarthritis provided mixed results.
• Monosaturated Olive Oil – This ingredient is linked to lowered inflammation not only in the joints but heart as well. Olive oil has naturally occurring antioxidants that are responsible for decreasing inflammation and reducing pain according to WebMD.

How Does it Work – The Science Behind Omega XL

Although there is not a lot of clinical understanding as to how green-lipped mussel works on joints, we do know what makes it beneficial. As we see again in a Versus Arthritis article, it contains a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, and amino acids. All of these are pivotal for the support of joints. So why is it important to get these omega-3’s?

A separate Harvard article informs us that it is important for us to get omega-3’s in our diet because the body does not naturally produce them.

The way that omega-‘s work in the body is at the cellular level. The University of California San Diego site tells us that there are enzymes called lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase or LOX and COX (for short) that spark inflammation by generating prostaglandin. It has been observed that at the cellular level omega-3 fatty acids inhibits these enzymes, therefore stopping inflammation in its tracks and thus reducing pain.

Omega XL Pros & Cons

Pros

• Omega XL contains at least thirty types of omega fatty acids
• This product produces more bioavailable fatty acids as opposed to flaxseed oil which only contains omega 3 fatty acids which are not readily converted to the active form in the body
• This is an all-natural supplement with hand-selected ingredients
• New Zealand mussels are considered a good choice on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list
• It is free of common allergens gluten, corn, and dairy

Cons

• We do not know the quality of olive oil or vitamin E that is put in this product
• Consumer reports noted that when tested it had surprisingly little omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) present
• There is no mention of the specific names of the omega fatty acids
• The quantity of the omega fatty acids are not listed on the product
• The recommended dosage is high at 3-6 pills per day
• Cheapest price requires that you enroll in auto-ship
• It may be hard to cancel this product and get out of the auto-ship program
• Long-term benefits are unknown
• The company’s research claims and clinical trials are not published on their website
• No regulations on the product to tell if the ingredients are accurate
• The paid infomercials may be misleading
• The bottle says it is free of shellfish protein but we do not know how everyone will react if they have a shellfish allergy
• We do not know the quality of the seafood used for this product
• The website does not have a lot of information on usage
• May be better to just eat fish since when you consume omega 3 fatty acids from food you have a higher amount that is absorbed (90 verse 50 percent) when compared to supplements

Omega XL Alternatives & Comparisions

Now it’s time to take a brief look at some of the other options you have for joint pain relief in terms of price and ingredients.

Omega XL Customer Reviews & Results

The reviews for Omega XL are a bit mixed but there seem to be more positive reviews than negative. At any rate, we will go over some of the positive and negative reviews for this product so you can get a feel of what people think of it.

Positive

• Helped reduce inflammation in the knuckles which made taking off rings easier
• Helps with arthritis
• Helped reduce diarrhea and leg pain

Negative

• Showed no results after 30 days
• May get the same results from Boron supplementation
• Does not work to reduce joint pain
• Cholesterol and triglyceride levels slightly increased after use
• Product arrived clumped together and was unusable
• Can get the same results from getting cardio and weight training
• Some felt more pain after taking this supplement
• Less pills in the bottle than advertised on the label

Omega XL – Where to Buy and How to Save

This is a tough one. That’s because, at third-party retailers, it is generally more expensive than on the official Omega XL site. The catch is that if you buy from the official website at a cheaper price, you are enrolled in an auto-ship program you will have to cancel if you don’t want it shipped every month. It might be hard to get out of the autoship program.

The Bottom Line on Omega XL

On paper, Omega XL seems like a great product. It is rich in omega-3’s, it may help with joint pain and there are accounts of people seeing that it really helps with inflammation.

It seems to be a natural join product which is positive. Omega XL may have a high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids from a quality source of low mercury fish. However, there is no actual evidence of this on their website so that makes it a little skeptical.

There are some negative reviews of it but it should be noted that not all joint supplements will have a universal effect. Everyone’s body is different and will react differently to supplements.

Is There Anything Else I Should Know About Omega XL?

Omega XL contains an unknown quality of olive oil. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats. These have been shown to be healthy enough on their own as we see in this Mayo Clinic article, but when combined with a high saturated fat diet could be too much fat in general.

Other than the unknown information about the quality and quantity of some of the ingredients it seems to be safe to use. However, if you have a health condition you should talk to your doctor before starting this supplement.