Omega-3s are an important group of essential fatty acids that our bodies can't produce themselves – we have to get it from our diets, such as in fatty fish, fish oils, chia seeds, flaxseed oil and walnuts.
And therein lies the problem – most of us simply aren't getting anywhere near enough of it.
It's a very wise health choice to supplement with omega-3. The fatty acids can have a powerful impact on the health of our hearts and brains, reduce inflammation in our bodies, and even protect us against several chronic conditions.
OmegaXL is one of the many omega-3 supplements available today. This supplement promises to be 'better than fish oil', delivering on supporting our joint health and flexibility.
But is it worth the money compared to a standard fish oil? Here, I look way deeper than its claims and marketing, by studying the facts – the formula, the science, and my own personal results during trial, ensuring my Omega XL review is thorough and honest.
Quick Verdict: Omega XL
I didn't feel any major positive effects when taking Omega XL. The proprietary blend that Omega XL provides is pretty uninspiring and the price tag makes both of those statements eye watering.
If you are going to spend your money on a premium joint support supplement then I'd highly recommend Flex Again over Omega XL. For people dealing with joint pain, it's far and above anything else I've tested.
Omega XL Supplement Overview
So what exactly is in a bottle of Omega XL? Well, it's an omega-3 supplement that markets itself towards users who need dietary support with their joints and flexibility. And this is a key concern for many of us, especially as we age.
It's brought to us by a company called Great Healthworks, who are based in Florida and were founded in 2003. They offer a range of different supplements, focusing on aspects such as immunity, heart health, brain and bone health, and joints and muscles with their OmegaXL.
They believe they go further than your typical omega-3, by adding more than the two standard fatty acids DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). Its most boastful ingredient is its concentrated source of green-lipped mussel oil, which it claims is packed with healthy fatty acids and lipid mediators that help support joints, muscles, immunity, and respiratory health.
The supplement itself is a soft gel that's easy to swallow, and apparently spares us of that fishy aftertaste you get with standard omega-3 supplements. Personally, I don't mind this temporary taste if it means I get all the health benefits and pain relief; but it's still a bonus, I guess.
OmegaXL is also free from high allergenic levels of shellfish protein, and free from gluten, milk, artificial ingredients, corn and yeast, making it a safe, sound supplement so far.
A Word On The Omega XL Lawsuit
Putting the supplement itself to one side for a moment, it's important I let you in on all there is to know about OmegaXL. It has been involved in a degree of controversy over its business practices, which led to a class action lawsuit in 2017.
Thankfully, it was nothing to do with the supplement itself, but how the business automatically enrolled customers into a monthly subscription model without their explicit consent.
However, this key information is important. Whenever I review a supplement, I do also study the people behind it; and when it comes to health supplements, transparency is crucial. Without it, I see red flags.
The best supplements will have an excellent formula with key information including clinical evidence, but also a crystal clear, honest company behind it. OmegaXL failed on this, quite spectacularly and with purpose, tricking customers into financial commitment.
I'll now divert my attention back to the supplement itself, with the knowledge that this company have financial profit high in their priorities, rather than genuinely aiming to relieve joint pain.
OmegaXL Benefits
As we've already touched on, omega-3 can be highly beneficial to everyone, supplementing our bodies with essential fatty acids that we struggle to achieve through diet alone.
This can be especially beneficial for the elderly, and also as a preventative measure. OmegaXL claims to alleviate joint pain and prevent degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis. This will improve our bodies' ability to function, which makes daily tasks easier, more manageable, and less likely to result in injury, similar to the effects seen with arthritis pain management.
But it's not just a fight against age. OmegaXL aims to help the more active among us, by preventing muscle soreness.
If you find that your workouts and physical activity are often followed with stiffness and fatigue, you'll know this often means a painful and less successful workout next time, or a complete day off to try and recover – neither of which are great for our fitness goals.
Supplementing with a good omega-3 formula could help prevent this, by reducing inflammation and of course preventing injury in the first place with improved joint health.
The other advantage to supplementing with omega-3 is its natural content. OmegaXL hones in on this quite directly, claiming an eco-friendly farming process of its ingredients in 'New Zealand's pristine waters'.
Let's wrap up with a surprising benefit –omega-3 can help with asthma. Those with higher levels of omega-3 had better-controlled asthma with less need for an inhaler. However, this isn’t unique to OmegaXL.
To back this up, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine also published a study that showed prenatal exposure to fish oil (a source of omega-3s) reduced the risk of wheeze and asthma in children.
To conclude, supplementing with omega-3 alone will absolutely be beneficial.
The question is whether OmegaXL delivers anything unique with its formula to justify standing out from the competition, especially compared to standard fish oil.
Omega XL Ingredients
This is where the truth behind a supplement lies. Where there is no room for marketing claims – it's just the ingredients, the dosages, and any clinical backing.
Immediately, there's a problem here: OmegaXL is a proprietary blend, meaning they don't tell us exactly how much of each ingredient is in it. Again, we're back to the transparency issue.
For me as a regular tester of supplements, proprietary blends are a no-no. All we know here is that we have 300mg present in Omega XL in total – but it makes it very difficult for us to look at ingredients and any clinical backing, and calculate how effective their inclusion will be.
This is very frustrating, and quite unnecessary these days. Why hide key information? Most likely to prevent us from doing the math.
Not a great start for OmegaXL, but let's get into what we do know about this Omega XL proprietary blend.
Green-Lipped Mussel
Also known as Perna Canaliclus, the green-lipped mussel is a nutrient powerhouse packed to the brim with omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial minerals like zinc, iron, and selenium. These minerals are all highly beneficial with plentiful clinical backing, and will support us in joint mobility and flexibility, thanks to their collective anti-inflammatory properties.
The problem is, we don't know how much of it we have. It could be absolutely minuscule for all we know.
Be warned, too, that this extract has a blood-thinning effect, making it unsuitable if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, unlike standard fish oil which may have different contraindications.
Oil Extract (PCSO-524)
This oil extract carries a trio of omega fatty acids, namely, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9. Similar to the green-lipped mussel, these fatty acids work to alleviate inflammation and contribute to improved joint health.
Again, the lack of dosage info makes it impossible to know how truly effective this will be to us as users of OmegaXL – but there's only 300 mg in total, so the prediction is poor.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil brings high concentrations of essential fatty acids and vitamin E, the result of a natural extraction process that maintains all the key nutrients, similar to how green-lipped mussel extract retains its beneficial properties. This oil's presence reduces inflammation, much like the green-lipped mussel extract known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
It's helpful, but not something I struggle to add into my diet at all.
Pure Olive Oil
Olive oil supplies even fewer essential nutrients than extra virgin olive oil. It's nothing I couldn't add myself in my diet, either.
Nonetheless, it remains a valuable addition to the mix. It's not a premium ingredient by a long stretch, but it doesn't do any harm.
Vitamin E
Finally, Vitamin E, shown in their formula as D-Alpha Tocopherol, is a natural micro-nutrient consisting of eight fat-soluble compounds. Known for its antioxidant properties, it can help reduce inflammation, prevent brittle bones, combat joint and back pain, and improve immune and heart health, especially in older people.
However, we need at least 15 mg of this for it to be slightly useful, and between 50 mg to 200 mg to have a real impact – Omega XL makes it impossible for us to know how much we're getting, although I'd hazard a good guess that we're not getting enough for optimal results (or else, they'd boast the fact).
Overall, this is a weak formula with nothing to help us customers understand what exactly we are consuming.
Omega XL Price Analysis
So how much are OmegaXL charging for this pretty poor list of ingredients and lack of essential yet basic information?
It is quite the figure. One bottle of 60 soft gel capsules comes in at around $48.99 – approximately 82 cents per soft gel, and you need four of them every day (two, twice daily).
That's a daily serving cost of around $3.28, a steep monthly cost edging $100.
For what exactly? For the relief of arthritis pain, perhaps? Who knows – they don't really tell us. This price point is around what you should expect to pay, for a decent omega-3 formula.
But here, we don't even know what we're getting. The lack of decent nutrients I've seen in other supplements is one thing; the lack of dosage transparency is another.
OmegaXL Personal Experience
I suffer with joint pain myself, mostly through a lot of previous tough exercise regimes and challenges when I was younger – so I’m always keen to find a decent supplement to help with this.
And without looking at the formula, OmegaXL looks exciting, and intriguing. However, after finishing the whole bottle, I noticed absolutely zero change.
No side effects, but no benefits either. None whatsoever. I do think, in all fairness, that supplements like these take time. But with my pretty obvious joint pain, I was hoping for the cost that I would notice at least a little improvement.
It seems most of its customer reviews are only positive based on 'Hopefully it'll work' attitudes. But in reality, it seems that's all OmegaXL offers – one fancy ingredient and buckets of hope.
I wasn't prepared to continue haemorrhaging money into a supplement I'd not had any positive effects from, and ceased trial.
Of course, results vary from one individual to another, but it seems I'm certainly not alone...
OmegaXL Customer Reviews
Overall reviews of OmegaXL are somewhat mixed, though experience tells me the positives are either hopeful individuals with goodwill, or fake. Mostly though, it's negativity that blankets OmegaXL.
Reviews.io give Omega XL an average score of a mere 1.29 out of 5. Alarmingly, only 6% of the 48 reviewers recommend this omega-3 supplement.
Over on Walmart, a customer highlights Omega XL's inability to live up to its promises, rating it with a mere 2 out of 5 stars. This customer perceives it as an ordinary omega supplement, rather than anything extraordinary.
Looking at the feedback on Amazon, it becomes evident that customer reviews are a mixed bag. Some users did not find any relief from joint pain, indicating that Omega XL's effectiveness for relieving discomfort wasn't enough to meet their expectations. Others mentioned their overall dissatisfaction with the product, without specifying the reasons.
So it seems there are a few who have a had a good experience with OmegaXL, providing it with positive reviews. I certainly didn't, and I won't be investing any more of my hard-earned money on giving them the benefit of the doubt, especially when they won't even offer us the transparency we should be entitled to from an expensive supplement.
Side Effects of OmegaXL
Like with most supplements, there are potential side effects you need to consider. Common side effects include minor gastrointestinal issues, such as burping, alterations in taste, stomach upset, pain, and occasional diarrhea.
A few users also mention an unpleasant fishy aftertaste, which to be fair is a fairly common phenomenon among fish oil supplements, but the total opposite to what OmegaXL boasts as a selling point.
A minority of users have experienced chest pain and uneven heartbeats, indicative of serious health concerns that require immediate medical attention. However, an allergic reaction is possible with anything we consume.
Omega XL Alternatives
If you're looking for a decent Omega-3 supplement, OmegaXL isn't looking too strong a contender. My personal favorite is a supplement called FlexAgain. It's one I personally choose to use regularly, and without it I notice a difference.
I only choose to come off it to trial a new supplement, like I did for OmegaXL. And not long after I take it, I feel my joints stiffening up again. My workouts become a real struggle, especially recovering between sessions. I hate coming off it.
FlexAgain have created a potent formula that aims to not only deliver relief from joint pain, but also provide lasting support for joint health.
They're also huge advocates of transparency. They're clear from the off that they can't promise the world, or that it will definitely work for you. They have the perfect, honest attitude any quality supplement manufacturer should have.
And this reflects in their formula too, offering exact dosages for every single ingredient. As a whole, their formula is way more robust:
● Omega 3 - 1100mg
● Vitamin D - 15 mcg
● Vitamin K2 - 70mcg
● Ginger and Blue Galangal Extract - 250mg
● Bromelain - 100mg
● Curcumin extract - 500mg
● Resveratrol - 100mg
● Methylsulfonylmethane - 50mg
● Glucosamine - 400mg
● Chondroitin - 250mg
● Boswellic Acid - 100mg
That's a whole lot more for your money. Top-tier ingredients at potent dosages, and with plenty of honest scientific research underpinning it all.
The downside here is that FlexAgain is more expensive. But if I'm investing in a supplement, I don't mind paying for something that actually works. There is absolutely no point spending money on something that's cheaper and doesn't work at all.
FlexAgain also offer some incredible bundle deals to make it more cost-effective. I use these often as I want to be taking FlexAgain for the long term, and at the best price. For me, the comprehensive formula justifies the price, and makes it a hefty contender in the joint supplement market.
OmegaXL Verdict
Overall, OmegaXL is not a supplement I'd recommend. Firstly, it's a proprietary blend. This will always be a big no-no for me – a completely unnecessary lack of transparency and honesty from the manufacturer, unlike companies that receive positive reviews for their integrity.
The actual ingredients themselves are sub-par too, and while its price tag may seem cheaper at a glance, it's actually quite expensive when you look at the lack of quality in the ingredients at a poor 300mg total.
There's also no ignoring the fact that Great Healthworks have found themselves in very hot water for trying to pull the wool over customers' eyes for the sake of pure financial profit. I do not like it, and it gives me every reason to walk away with my money.
Especially when there are other brilliant products out there, like FlexAgain – who offer heaps of support and advice on their supplement, buckets of clinical research, and a generous formula of quality ingredients and effective dosages.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. For me, OmegaXL is a waste of money. FlexAgain is worth its weight in gold.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019867/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/evidence-points-to-fish-oil-to-fight-asthma
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9810/dietary-reference-intakes-for-vitamin-c-vitamin-e-selenium-and-carotenoids
Disclaimer: The above is a contributor post, the views expressed are those of the contributor and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
