Green Lipped Mussel Holland

Xtend Life Shellfish Supplements vs. Green Lipped Mussel Holland & Barrett Products

Green lipped mussel Holland and Barrett and Xtend Life products are probably the most popular dietary supplements made from these New Zealand shellfish. The high appreciation they receive is based not only on their price and accessibility (both online and offline) but also on the quality of the ingredients they contain.

Although their main recommendations are pretty similar (arthritis, asthma, digestive ailments), these two products aren't identical as they include different concentrations of active principles and also different extra ingredients added to the GLM powder to enhance its health effects.

So let's take a look at these two dietary supplements and compare their main features in order to decide which one is more recommended.

Main ingredients and their importance

Green lipped mussel Holland and Barrett products contain shellfish powder which is processed and mixed with other ingredients to form capsules. The extra components in these capsules are gelatine (for the capsule shell), silicon dioxide (as anti-caking agent) and brown rice flour.

The powder is, according to producers, obtained from purified mussels and contains all the essential nutrients for a healthy organism. This is what the leaflet of green lipped mussel Holland and Barrett capsules says but unfortunately it doesn't give any detail regarding these nutrients or the process through which the powder is extracted.

On the other hand, Xtend Life mussel extracts contain vitamins (B), minerals (iron, calcium and sodium), lipids, proteins and complex carbohydrates. These are provided by the powder used in the form it comes and not in capsules or tablets. The most important ingredients from this list are fatty acids (lipids), especially Omega-3 and mucopolysaccharides (complex carbs, also known as MPS or glycosaminoglycans).

These substances are involved in the mechanisms that prevent free radicals (toxins and by-products) from accumulating inside the organism and inflammatory processes from occurring. Also, they stimulate the regeneration of cartilages, prevent cellular degeneration and improve the joints mobility and lubrication.

But beside these effects, both these dietary supplements influence the health of the nervous, immune and respiratory systems, strengthen the bones and muscles, improve the skin and hair's appearance and reduce the incidence of digestive ailments. So what makes these products different from each other?

The main difference between green lipped mussel Holland and Barrett and Xtend Life supplements

This difference is given by the technology used in producing the dietary products. For Xtend Life powder we know for sure it is obtained from freshly harvested New Zealand shellfish. But in what concerns the Holland and Barrett products, no information is given on the label regarding the type of mussels used. Are they fresh? Were they frozen before being transported to UK, where the supplements are actually produced?

Now you see which the main problem with these green lipped mussel capsules and powders is: they lack transparency in terms of quality assurance. And this is surely an important aspect as most people are interested in the quality of the dietary supplements they used and in the provenience of the ingredients contained by these products.

Hoping these pieces of information were useful for you.