Home Ingredients GlycOmega-PLUS® (Green-Lipped Mussel)
Joint Health

GlycOmega-PLUS® (Green-Lipped Mussel)

Perna canaliculus
Evidence Level
Limited
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

GlycOmega-plus® is a green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) powder from New Zealand, a marine source of omega-3 fatty acids and glycosaminoglycans studied for joint health. It is a proprietary blend of cold-opened, freeze-dried greenshell mussel meat with a botanical antioxidant blended in. Two small trials of this specific powder at 3,000 mg/day reported less knee pain and stiffness in people with knee osteoarthritis, but neither trial used a placebo group, so how much of that change came from the powder itself is not known.

Studied Dose 3,000 mg/day of the powder in both GlycOmega-PLUS trials; a separate trial of a different green-lipped mussel powder used 1,000 mg/day.
Active Compound Freeze-dried whole green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) meat, a shellfish, supplying EPA and DHA and glycosaminoglycans. The PLUS version adds a botanical antioxidant, identified as rosemary extract.

Benefits

Joint comfort

In two small trials of this specific powder at 3,000 mg/day, people with knee osteoarthritis reported less pain and stiffness. The 8-week study in 21 people had no control group at all, and the 12-week study in 38 people compared the powder against glucosamine with no placebo and no blinding, and both groups improved about equally. A 2021 systematic review pooling five trials of green-lipped mussel as a class found a moderate reduction in visual analogue scale pain (effect size -0.46, 95 percent CI -0.82 to -0.10), while stating that the evidence is limited by the number and quality of the studies.

Supported by Trial 1

Marine omega-3s: a mechanism, not a measured anti-inflammatory result

Green-lipped mussel supplies long-chain marine omega-3 fatty acids, and the anti-inflammatory case for the ingredient rests on that composition. Measured inflammation has not followed. A 100-person placebo-controlled trial of green-lipped mussel powder found no difference from placebo in C-reactive protein or ESR, and a 55-person placebo-controlled trial found no effect on plasma cytokines.

Supported by Trial 1

Glycosaminoglycans: a composition claim, not a measured cartilage outcome

The mussel contains glycosaminoglycans, the same class of molecule found in joint cartilage and synovial fluid. No trial of green-lipped mussel has shown that swallowing them rebuilds cartilage. In the one trial that measured cartilage turnover markers, urinary CTX-II showed no overall difference from placebo and serum COMP did not change, with a difference in CTX-II appearing only in the women who already had symptomatic knees.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Marine omega-3 action

Laboratory work, mostly on green-lipped mussel lipid extracts rather than whole powder, shows mussel fatty acids inhibiting inflammatory pathways, including the lipoxygenase pathway that produces leukotrienes. That is cell-level evidence. In the human trials that measured systemic inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein, ESR and plasma cytokines did not change relative to placebo.

2

Glycosaminoglycan support

Glycosaminoglycans from the mussel are proposed to reach and support joint cartilage and synovial fluid. This step has not been demonstrated in people.

Clinical trials

1
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW, NOT A TRIAL: pooled green-lipped mussel studies in osteoarthritis (class evidence, not GlycOmega-PLUS alone)
PubMed

Systematic review and meta-analysis, not a clinical trial: nine trials of green-lipped mussel were identified and five were pooled. It covers green-lipped mussel lipid extracts and whole powders as a class, not GlycOmega-PLUS on its own. (Abshirini et al. 2021, Inflammopharmacology 29(4):925-938.) One co-author is employed by Sanford Ltd, a New Zealand fishery that produces and sells competing greenshell mussel material.

Adults with osteoarthritis, pooled across five of the nine trials, which used different green-lipped mussel products, formats and doses.

Pooling five trials gave a moderate reduction in visual analogue scale pain (effect size -0.46, 95 percent CI -0.82 to -0.10, p = 0.01). The authors state that the evidence is limited by the number and quality of the available studies, and that larger, higher quality trials are needed to confirm the effect and to identify the best mussel format.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Generally well tolerated in the trials, where digestive symptoms were the most common complaint. One case report describes acute hepatitis in a 76-year-old woman taking Lyprinol, a green-lipped mussel lipid extract rather than a whole powder, and a published response argued the case did not establish cause because a concomitant medication and gallstones were not ruled out. Stop and see a doctor if you develop abdominal pain, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Mild stomach upset is occasionally reported.
Avoid if you have a shellfish allergy.

Important Drug interactions

Anticoagulants — marine omega-3s may have a mild additive effect; monitor.
Tell your doctor if you have a shellfish allergy or take blood thinners.
Consult a doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding.

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Frequently asked questions about GlycOmega-PLUS® (Green-Lipped Mussel)

What is GlycOmega-PLUS?

GlycOmega-plus® is a green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) powder from New Zealand, a marine source of omega-3 fatty acids and glycosaminoglycans studied for joint health. It is a proprietary blend of cold-opened, freeze-dried greenshell mussel meat with a botanical antioxidant blended in.

What is GlycOmega-PLUS used for?

GlycOmega-PLUS is researched primarily for Joint Health. In two small trials of this specific powder at 3,000 mg/day, people with knee osteoarthritis reported less pain and stiffness.

What is the recommended dosage of GlycOmega-PLUS?

The clinically studied dose is 3,000 mg/day of the powder in both GlycOmega-PLUS trials; a separate trial of a different green-lipped mussel powder used 1,000 mg/day. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is GlycOmega-PLUS safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, GlycOmega-PLUS is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Generally well tolerated in the trials, where digestive symptoms were the most common complaint. One case report describes acute hepatitis in a 76-year-old woman taking Lyprinol, a green-lipped mussel lipid extract rather than a whole powder, and a published response argued the c… It may also interact with some medications. GlycOmega-PLUS is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does GlycOmega-PLUS interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Anticoagulants — marine omega-3s may have a mild additive effect; monitor. Tell your doctor if you have a shellfish allergy or take blood thinners. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for GlycOmega-PLUS?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for GlycOmega-PLUS as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 6 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(6 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Abshirini M, Coad J, Wolber FM, et al. Green-lipped (greenshell) mussel (Perna canaliculus) extract supplementation in treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Inflammopharmacology. 2021;29(4):925-938..PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review of nine trials of green-lipped mussel in osteoarthritis, five of them pooled: a moderate reduction in visual analogue scale pain (effect size -0.46, 95 percent CI -0.82 to -0.10, p = 0.01). It covers green-lipped mussel lipid extracts and whole powders as a class rather than GlycOmega-PLUS on its own, the authors describe the evidence as limited by the number and quality of the studies, and one co-author is employed by a New Zealand fishery that produces and sells competing greenshell mussel material.
  2. Coulson S, Vecchio P, Gramotnev H, Vitetta L. Green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) extract efficacy in knee osteoarthritis and improvement in gastrointestinal dysfunction: a pilot study. Inflammopharmacology. 2012;20(2):71-76..PubMedUsed to support: Open-label, single-group pilot study: 21 adults with knee osteoarthritis took 3,000 mg/day of this green-lipped mussel powder for 8 weeks and improved from baseline on the WOMAC index, the Lequesne algofunctional index and a gastrointestinal symptom scale. There was no placebo arm and no comparison group, so the improvement cannot be separated from natural symptom fluctuation and expectation.
  3. Coulson S, Butt H, Vecchio P, Gramotnev H, Vitetta L. Green-lipped mussel extract (Perna canaliculus) and glucosamine sulphate in patients with knee osteoarthritis: therapeutic efficacy and effects on gastrointestinal microbiota profiles. Inflammopharmacology. 2013;21(1):79-90..PubMedUsed to support: Non-blinded randomized trial: 38 adults with knee osteoarthritis took either 3,000 mg/day of this green-lipped mussel powder or 3,000 mg/day of glucosamine sulphate for 12 weeks. Both groups improved from baseline on the WOMAC index, the Lequesne index and a gastrointestinal symptom scale, and the paper reports no advantage for one supplement over the other. There was no placebo group and no blinding, so the trial cannot show how much of the improvement came from the supplements themselves. Changes in gut bacteria were not statistically significant.
  4. Kim HT, Shin BJ, Lee YW, Park HJ, Park SY, Hwang EH, Hwang MS, Lee DJ, Shin BC, Heo I. Efficacy and safety of green-lipped mussel powder supplementation in adults with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2026;26(1):236..PubMedUsed to support: Placebo-controlled trial in 100 adults aged 40 to 75 with symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis, taking 1,000 mg/day of an unbranded green-lipped mussel powder for 12 weeks. The primary outcome, WOMAC total score, favoured the mussel powder in the per-protocol analysis (between-group difference -3.66, 95 percent CI -6.87 to -0.45, p = 0.032) but missed significance in the intention-to-treat analysis (p = 0.061). Visual analogue scale pain improved in both analyses. C-reactive protein and ESR did not differ from placebo. This was a different product at a third of the GlycOmega-PLUS dose.
  5. Abshirini M, Coad J, Wolber FM, von Hurst P, Miller MR, Tian HS, Kruger MC. Effects of Greenshell™ mussel intervention on biomarkers of cartilage metabolism, inflammatory markers and joint symptoms in overweight/obese postmenopausal women: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. Frontiers in Medicine (Lausanne). 2022;9:1063336..PubMedUsed to support: Placebo-controlled trial in 55 overweight or obese postmenopausal women with joint discomfort taking 3 g/day of whole greenshell mussel powder for 12 weeks. Visual analogue scale pain fell more than with placebo (-13.2 versus -2.9 mm, p = 0.04), but the cartilage turnover marker urinary CTX-II showed no overall difference between groups, serum COMP and plasma cytokines were unchanged, and no KOOS domain differed from placebo. The powder used was not GlycOmega-PLUS, and one co-author is employed by Sanford Ltd, a competing New Zealand greenshell mussel producer.
  6. Abdulazim A, Hädrich M, Montani M, Semmo N. Acute Hepatitis Induced by Lyprinol, the Lipid Extract of the Green-Lipped Mussel (Perna canaliculus), in a Patient with Polyarthrosis. Case Reports in Hepatology. 2012;2012:135146..PubMedUsed to support: Single case report: a 76-year-old woman developed worsening abdominal pain and sharply raised liver transaminases while taking Lyprinol, a green-lipped mussel lipid extract, for joint pain. A single case cannot establish cause, the product involved was a lipid extract rather than a whole mussel powder, and a published response (Myers and Oliver, Case Reports in Hepatology 2014;2014:692043) disputed the attribution to the supplement.