Instaflex and Omega XL are two of the most popular joint supplements. However, they are also the most expensive. Does this make them effective? And which one is better for relieving joint pain and promoting joint health?
Despite their popularity and availability, Instaflex and Omega XL left me disappointed and did not address my joint pain when I tested both for 30 days. Out of the two, Instaflex has a higher potential to be beneficial, and more people share positive results after a more extended intake.
Omega XL suffers from the same underdosing issue and does not provide meaningful pain relief, at least for me.
Instead, my go-to joint health supplement is FlexAgain, which has more ingredients and higher doses than the combined efforts of Instaflex and Omega XL but still carries an affordable price tag.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Instaflex |
| Dosage | Instaflex |
| Joint Relief Effectiveness | Instaflex |
| Third-Party Testing | Draw |
| Clinical Research | Draw |
| Side Effects | Draw |
| User Reviews | Omega XL |
| Price | Omega XL |
Quick Verdict
Based on my testing and formulation breakdown, neither Omega XL nor Instaflex is as effective as FlexAgain. FlexAgain is a more potent joint supplement with an effective formulation for joint pain relief and support.
What Is Instaflex
Instaflex is created by Adaptive Health, a well-known leader in the health and wellness business. They also make other popular supplements, such as Nugenix.
Instaflex is a natural joint health supplement developed by experts that employs a combination of clinically established and more speculative substances to provide significant pain relief to men and women suffering from joint discomfort.
The product is available on Amazon and other major retailers, which is a significant advantage for a supplement because it makes it convenient to purchase on supermarket visits.
Read my complete Instaflex review to learn more about it.
What Is Omega XL
Omega XL is a joint pain supplement and the flagship product of Great HealthWorks, which produces a wide range of dietary supplements, including immune stimulants and vitamins.
Omega XL aims to go beyond typical omega-3 supplements by combining many oils, including the star of the formulation, green-lipped mussel oil. Clinical research confirms this specific oil’s ability to relieve joint pain and stiffness.
The formulation aims to use more absorbable free fatty acids than fish oil while maintaining a non-fishy taste in a product that promotes joint health and mobility.
Learn more about my 30-day experience in my Omega XL review.
Instaflex vs. Omega XL Main Differences
Benefits
Supplements like Instafllex and Omega XL are designed to naturally reduce joint pain and stiffness and restore natural mobility and range of motion in the joints.
They take the opposite approach of prescription medicine, which always has adverse effects, and use natural ingredients to strengthen the body’s own healing mechanisms.
The fact that Omega XL contains more than simply EPA and DHA sets it apart from other omega supplements. Omega XL’s oil is sourced from green-lipped mussels, which provides two significant advantages over fish oil.
First, it lacks the fishy flavor associated with many omega products, and second, it contains a potent combination of beneficial fatty acids and lipid mediators.
Instaflex works by targeting the root of your discomfort to provide powerful, lasting relief instead of treating only the pain without resolving the cause.
Both Instaflex and Omega XL are widely accessible on Amazon, Walmart, and other major retailers, which is a significant convenience. Many joint supplements can only be bought through their websites, while you can also pick a few bottles of these two when shopping for groceries.
Ingredients
Because both products provide accurate dosages and transparent ingredient lists, it is easy to compare them to current scientific research and establish their overall efficacy for most people.
Instaflex comprises both well-proven substances and some with less solid study outcomes.
The product contains 200 milligrams of curcumin, a biologically active turmeric ingredient.
Clinical studies have shown that curcumin can be as useful as prescription drugs in lowering joint swelling, pain, and stiffness and boosting walking ability in people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of studies have concentrated primarily on knee discomfort [1][2].
Unfortunately, the dose in Instaflex is significantly lower than the prescribed quantity. However, the use of Bioperine helps matters slightly. Bioperine improves the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and most extracts and is frequently combined with curcumin in supplements to increase its potency. [3].
Resveratrol is a common nootropic component, but it has also been demonstrated to increase mobility and reduce joint pain. Resveratrol prevents the onset of arthritis and promotes stronger cartilage via a unique mechanism in the body. [4][5].
Instaflex contains 40 mg of collagen type two, but studies show that taking it as a dietary supplement can be beneficial only in much higher doses [6].
The final ingredient in Instaflex is hyaluronic acid, which has minimal evidence that it may be helpful when taken orally. It is unquestionably efficient in reducing inflammation when injected directly into the joint, but the likelihood of it functioning orally is limited [7][8].
Omega XL has various helpful components, which are most likely rendered useless due to the low dosage of the proprietary blend in which they are incorporated.
New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel Extract can improve joint health, flexibility, and mobility, prevent or minimize inflammation, DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness), cartilage deterioration, arthritic pain and symptoms, asthma, and ADHD, and give various overall health advantages [9].
However, results were shown with 375 mg or more of Green Lipped Mussel Extract, while the complete Omega XL blend is 300 mg.
Oil extract PCSO-524 contains omega-3 fatty acids, virgin olive oil, pure olive oil, and vitamin E. As previously stated, omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for joint health and pain reduction.
Extra virgin olive oil and vitamin E are also beneficial additives to the recipe, but their combined 300 mg custom blend is insufficient to achieve substantial results.
Effectiveness
Neither of the two products helped me with my chronic knee pain nor with my shoulder, which sometimes inflamates, so it’s difficult for me to determine which is more effective.
If I had to judge based on my research on the formulations, clinical data, and user reviews, I would say Instaflex can be more effective in the long run. The components are solid and well-backed, it’s just that the doses are small.
Users report noticeable relief in their condition after prolonged use, and I assume this would also be the case with me if I continued to take Instaflex for two more months after my initial trial.
Clinical Research
The components in Instaflex and Omega XL are well-studied, and I’ve shared some relevant studies in this review’s ingredients section.
The Instaflex website boldly claims that UCII collagen is twice as effective as glucosamine (a popular joint health component), but it fails to mention that oral intake has not been found to be as effective.
All the ingredients have solid scientific backing, but the doses are generally lower than the ones used in the studies, so I remain reserved regarding the effectiveness of the two supplements.
Side Effects
Instalfex and Osteo Bi-Flex have a low risk of causing negative effects, and the supplements are generally considered safe for most people. However, minor issues may occur.
One of the most common negative effects of these supplements is stomach pain, which can include bloating, gas, or nausea.
Thankfully, I have not experienced inconveniences or issues with either product.
User Reviews
Omega XL blows Instaflex out of the water in terms of user reviews, at least in numbers. With 30.000 Amazon reviews and a score of 4.2, one would think the product is amazing.
But when you dive deeper into the reviews, you start to notice that the most important categories of pain relief and performance are mixed, with more people sharing their issues remaining unresolved.
The overwhelming opinion of the price of Omega XL is that it’s highly overpriced, and I completely agree.
Instaflex also has thousands of Amazon reviews, which provide us with a comprehensive summary of the potential outcomes if we commit to using the supplement.
A score of 4.1 suggests a dependable product and overall satisfaction. The positive reviews far exceed the negative ones. However, most users find that pain alleviation takes time, with many reporting they only noticed results after two or three months of treatment.
At least, most users agree the pills of Instaflex and Omega XL are small and easy to swallow.
Price
| Joint Supplement | 14 / 30 Servings | 30 Servings / Subscription | 60 Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instaflex | $29.99 / 14 servings ($2.14/serving) | $57.99 ($1.93/serving) | $116 ($1.93/serving) |
| Omega XL | $94.99 / 30 servings ($1.58/serving) | $85.49 ($1.42/serving) |
My Experience With Instaflex And Omega XL
Neither Instaflex nor Omega XL improved my joint issues much. I have a bad knee and a shoulder that occasionally causes problems, and I felt little relief when testing the products for 30 days.
I’ve used multiple joint health products, and some have been beneficial, while others have not. Unfortunately, these two fall into the second category.
Perhaps it’s the low dosages, or my issues cannot be treated with the substances in Instaflex and Omega XL. There are a lot more proven ingredients that you can use which are missing here.
But if I have to guess, the lack of results, at least from Instaflex, is because of the low dosages.
At least, the pills are not big, and drinking them was not such a chore as is the case with other joint health supplements.
Should You Choose Instaflex Or Omega XL?
Many users report noticeable pain relief with Instaflex, but the process takes two to three months. This time is necessary for the compounds to accumulate in sufficient amounts in the body to provide meaningful results.
Omega XL contains only oils that can be helpful for joint pain, but only in certain conditions. The oils may provide other health benefits, but I am comparing the effectiveness of the products in terms of joint pain relief, and for me and many users, the oils are not enough.
If Instaflex was cheaper, I could’ve recommended it in a double dose. However, the price would be nearly $5 per day, which is a premium price tag for a joint health supplement, and I always look for the best value from the supplements I spend on.
This is why I recommend you avoid Omega XL and Instaflex and try FlexAgain. It contains more ingredients and higher dosages than the two products combined and still costs roughly as much as Instaflex.
FlexAgain
FlexAgain
A powerful, clinically dosed joint supplement to alleviate joint pain and improve joint health.
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References
- Paultre, K., Cade, W., Hernandez, D., Reynolds, J., Greif, D., & Best, T. M. (2021). Therapeutic effects of turmeric or curcumin extract on pain and function for individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 7(1), e000935.
- Razavi, B. M., Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar, M., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2021). A review of therapeutic potentials of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its active constituent, curcumin, on inflammatory disorders, pain, and their related patents. Phytotherapy Research, 35(12), 6489-6513.
- Fernández-Lázaro, D., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Córdova Martínez, A., & Seco-Calvo, J. (2020). Iron and physical activity: Bioavailability enhancers, properties of black pepper (bioperine®) and potential applications. Nutrients, 12(6), 1886.
- Ma, Y., Liu, S., Shu, H., Crawford, J., Xing, Y., & Tao, F. (2020). Resveratrol alleviates temporomandibular joint inflammatory pain by recovering disturbed gut microbiota. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 87, 455-464.
- Marouf, B. H., Hussain, S. A., Ali, Z. S., & Ahmmad, R. S. (2018). Resveratrol supplementation reduces pain and inflammation in knee osteoarthritis patients treated with meloxicam: a randomized placebo-controlled study. Journal of medicinal food, 21(12), 1253-1259.
- Huskisson, E. C., & Donnelly, S. (1999). Hyaluronic acid in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 38(7), 602-607.
- Migliore, A., & Procopio, S. (2015). Effectiveness and utility of hyaluronic acid in osteoarthritis. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism, 12(1), 31.
- Huskisson, E. C., & Donnelly, S. (1999). Hyaluronic acid in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 38(7), 602-607.
- Abshirini, M., Coad, J., Wolber, F. M., von Hurst, P., Miller, M. R., Tian, H. S., & Kruger, M. C. (2021). Green-lipped (greenshell™) mussel (Perna canaliculus) extract supplementation in treatment of osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Inflammopharmacology, 29, 925-938.
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