OmegaXL is a a fish oil supplement sold by a brand called Great HealthWorks. The manufacturer claims that this supplement is 20x more potent than fish oil.
But is there any proof that OmegaXL is 20x more potent than fish oil or is this just a marketing claim? What are the ingredients in OmegaXL and are they shown in medical studies to have health benefits? Are there any unhealthy additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of OmegaXL?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in OmegaXL based on medical studies to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to be effective, and whether it's actually 20x more potent than standard fish oil.
We'll also highlight some third-party test results from ConsumerLab which were very unfavorable for OmegaXL, and feature real, unsponsored customer reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
The OmegaXL Supplement Facts label is shown above. The brand fails to publish this clearly on their website, but we were able to source it from Amazon. Failing to clearly publish ingredient information is a red flag of a low quality brand in our opinion.
All of the active ingredients in OmegaXL are contained in a proprietary (prop) blend with a total dosage of 300 milligrams (mg).
There are three active ingredients in OmegaXL: PCSO-524, extra virgin olive oil, and vitamin E.
PCSO-524 is a patented fish oil derived from green-lipped mussels. A clinical trial published in the Marine Drugs journal on this patented oil found that it was more effective than regular fish oil at relieving arthritis pain. Trial participants taking PCSO-524 reported an 89% decrease in pain.
It's worth noting that the trial was partially funded by the manufacturer of this patented ingredient.
A 2015 clinical trial reported similarly positive results for PCSO-524. The trial tested PCSO-524 supplementation on inflammation after muscle-damaging exercise, but the results were benchmarked against olive oil rather than fish oil.
The daily dose was also 1,200 mg, which is 12x higher than the average active ingredient dose in OmegaXL.
Olive oil was shown in a 2018 medical review to have anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective properties.
Vitamin E was shown in a medical review published in the Advances in Pharmacological Sciences journal to be anti-inflammatory at high doses, but it may be unsafe to take this nutrient for long periods of time because it's fat-soluble, meaning it can accumulate in the body.
Overall we think that OmegaXL has the potential to be effective for pain relief, because all three of its active ingredients appear to have clinical backing. Another good thing about the supplement is that its inactive ingredients are safe and non-toxic.
However, we haven't come across any convincing clinical evidence that this supplement is "20x more potent" than fish oil, or what that even means.
Concerning Third-Party Test Results
ConsumerLab is an independent laboratory that tests dietary supplements and reports the results on their website. OmegaXL was one of the brands tested in their review of fish oil supplements. The results were surprising.
ConsumerLab reported the following: "It is somewhat surprising that a product named Omega XL provides relatively small amounts of omega fatty acids and a chemical profile similar to olive oil."
Notably, omega-3 fatty acids which are the primary health-promoting compounds in fish oil were almost entirely absent. These test results should be concerning to consumers, and suggest that OmegaXL may contain more olive oil than fish oil.
Real, Unsponsored OmegaXL User Reviews
Amazon is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion. OmegaXL has been reviewed over 11,000 times on Amazon at the time of updating this article, with an average review rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from an anonymous Amazon Customer who claims the supplement provided relief from pain:
"I love this product, I hurt my shoulder in April and woke up at night constantly and decided to try this in October. Took about 2 weeks to really notice a difference but by Jan no more pain, can’t really think of anything different I did other than take this product, would highly recommend."
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Litza Vasquez" who suggests it's ineffective and any benefits are caused by a placebo effect:
"For those of you who have tried this product and it, for some odd reason, tricks your brain into thinking it's working... More power to you. First time buyer who of are looking for joint relief from pain, save your money because this is 100% a scam. You can achieve the same results with some cheap fish oil from your local supermarket."
The supplement's manufacturer has a review rating of 1.45 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site with some users like "Janell D" claiming the brand is a scam:
"They are scamming the elderly by getting them to give their CC# and putting them on an auto ship without their knowledge."
To the credit of Great HealthWorks, the manufacturer does respond to nearly all negative reviews attempting to rectify the situation which is a good sign.
A YouTube creator named "raescurlsandbags" shares her experience taking OmegaXL for back pain:
Does OmegaXL Cause Side Effects?
OmegaXL does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so it's impossible to say for certain whether or not the supplement causes side effects. However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
We do not believe that OmegaXL is likely to cause side effects in the average consumer, given that it has a simple, non-toxic formulation and all of its active ingredients are well-studied.
Because fish oil decreases gastric secretion according to clinical research, it may cause indigestion at high doses. However, as we outlined in the ingredient analysis section, OmegaXL contains a relatively low dose of fish oil so we don't consider this a concern.
There is no mention of side effects on the OmegaXL website.
Where to Buy OmegaXL for the Best Price
OmegaXL is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here's the price for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
Walmart: $48.99 (link)
Amazon: $48.99 (link to official Amazon listing)
Brand website: $46.90 (plus two free products, link)
OmegaXL is not only cheaper for a one-time order on the brand's website but even comes with a free sample bottle of OmegaXL, and a free sample product of VitaminXL (a vitamin D3 supplement sold by the brand).
Purchasing from the brand's website offers a much better value than any other channels.
Our Clean Fish Oil Pick
Bulletproof Omega Krill Complex is our top fish oil supplement pick, because it provides 1.21 grams (g) of omega-3 per softgel and is naturally flavored with lemon oil.
The National Institutes of Health recommends a daily omega-3 dose of 1.6 g for adult men and 1.1 g for adult women so this falls right within the effective dosing range (men can take two pills daily if they want to up their dose).
This supplement costs $49.95 and contains 120 softgels, equating to a price-per-day of only $0.42. Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Omega Krill Complex at this link to the product page on the official brand's website.
Performance Lab Omega-3 is our top vegan omega-3 supplement pick, because it provides 1,800 milligrams (mg) of oil from sea algae which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Interested consumers can check out Performance Lab Omega-3 at this link to the product page on the brand's official website.
Pros and Cons of OmegaXL
Here are the pros and cons of OmegaXL as a brand in our opinion:
Pros:
- Main ingredient clinically shown to work
- No harmful additives
- Relatively affordable
- Mostly positive online reviews
- Unlikely to cause side effects
Cons:
- Third-party testing shows low omega-3 content
- Much lower fish oil dose than most supplements
- No proof it's 20x more potent than fish oil
