How To Avoid Green Lipped Mussel Extract Side Effects?

Green lipped mussel extract side effects usually appear in people with shellfish allergies, but may also manifest in individuals with certain digestive ailments and in arthritis sufferers with weakened immune systems.

Although these side effects are generally mild and temporary, they may represent a reason for people to give up taking green lipped mussel supplements. So let's see why these adverse reactions appear and how they can be efficiently avoided.

What triggers green lipped mussel extract side effects?

The allergic reaction to shellfish is caused by an immune system problem. In a healthy body, the immune system fights against internal or external pathogens in order to keep the organism's equilibrium. But when someone has a food allergy, his or her immune system sees certain substances in that food as potential pathogens.

In other words, the sufferer's body is not able to identify all the substances contained by that food correctly and perceives some of them - usually proteins - as harmful. These substances, improperly considered threatening, are called allergens.

Once their presence is identified, the body starts producing so called antibodies, which cause the specific allergy reactions each time they come in contact with the allergens. So this type of green lipped mussel extract side effects isn't related to the quality of the dietary supplement or raw shellfish.

Crabs, lobsters and other types of shellfish can also cause allergic reactions in people dealing with this health problem, simply because their organisms can't tolerate a certain protein in seafood. As eliminating that protein from mussels isn't very simple and it's definitely not a priority for dietary supplements producers, the best solution for preventing these adverse reactions is avoiding green lipped mussel products.

But this is only valid for people with shellfish allergies, as the other side effects appearing after taking New Zealand mussel extracts can be eliminated through simple methods.

Green lipped mussel extract side effects which can be avoided

In this category are included the gastrointestinal, arthritic and liver related side effects. A small number of individuals taking green lipped mussel supplements develop digestive problems such as stomach discomfort, gas, constipation or diarrhea.

These effects usually appear when the dose is higher than needed, although not necessary higher than recommended on the product's leaflet. Thus, for avoiding these adverse reactions, it's enough to adjust the dose according to your physician's advice and to take the supplements with meals, as mentioned on the label of most products.

Then, the green lipped mussel extract side effects appearing in arthritic people - a temporary worsening of joint swelling and pain, resembling gout - develop as a reaction to the detoxifying effect of these supplements. Lasting from one day to several weeks, these reactions can also be avoided by starting with a lower dose and increasing the quantity of green lipped mussel extracts only after these symptoms disappear.

Last, liver toxicity is listed as potential side effect of GLM although there was just one case of hepatitis reported by scientific papers. Apparently, the patient who developed this problem was already taking medicines for a liver illness and she recovered soon after stopping the intake of both drugs and supplements.

As you can see, excepting the allergic reactions all other green lipped mussel extract side effects can be avoided so it's really not worth giving up on this natural supplement. It's scientifically argued that New Zealand mussels can provide great health benefits so if you're ready to take advantage of them, take a look at the products from reliable brands.