Perform any search for a joint supplement and you’re bound to find Joint Food and Omega XL as standout brands. However, various reviews and my experience may contradict their popularity.
Want to know which one is better? I’ve got it wrapped up for you below.
Quick Verdict
Both products were ineffective during my tests, and the low dosages of ingredients hidden behind proprietary blends also make doubt many people could experience noticeable benefits from them.
If you have to choose between the two, Joint Food is better because it’s a bit cheaper. Perhaps doubling the dosage would make it a lot more effective, but the Omega XL would be the more affordable alternative.
But if you want a genuinely comprehensive joint health supplement, I suggest checking out FlexAgain.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Draw |
| Dosage | Draw |
| Joint Relief Effectiveness | Draw |
| Third-Party Testing | Draw |
| Clinical Research | Joint Food |
| Side Effects | Draw |
| User Reviews | Omega XL |
| Price | Joint Food |
Quick Verdict
Neither Joint Food or Omega XL is an effective joint supplement based on my testing and formulation breakdown. FlexAgain is a more potent joint supplement with an effective formulation for joint pain relief and support.
What Is Omega XL?
Omega XL is a joint pain supplement and the main product of Great HealthWorks, which manufactures a variety of dietary supplements, including immune stimulants and vitamins.
Omega XL seeks to go beyond traditional omega-3 supplements by blending several oils, including green-lipped mussel oil. Clinical evidence supports the ingredient’s effectiveness in relieving joint pain and discomfort.
The formulation attempts to use better absorbable free fatty acids than fish oil and provide a non-fishy taste in a product that supports joint health and mobility.
You can read my in-depth Omega XL review for my formula breakdown and experiences.
What Is Joint Food?
Joint Food is a comprehensive joint supplement, which, as the name suggests, aims to deliver nutrients to the body critical for proper functioning.
As with all other supplements in the segment, Joint Food targets people over 40 who want to remain active and participate in sports and recreational activities even as they age.
With all-natural ingredients and a 60-day money-back guarantee, the product is safe to try financially and in terms of health considerations.
You can read my in-depth Joint Food review for my formula breakdown and experiences.
Joint Food vs. Omega XL Main Differences
Benefits
Both supplements are intended to reduce joint discomfort and restore normal joint function.
Unlike prescription drugs, which can have dangerous side effects and address symptoms rather than the cause, nutritional supplements such as Joint Food and Omega XL use natural ingredients to reduce inflammation and discomfort in the joints and muscles, allowing the body to heal itself.
The fact that Omega XL contains more than just EPA and DHA distinguishes it from ordinary omega supplements. Omega XL’s oil is derived from green-lipped mussels, offering two key benefits over fish oil.
The first is that it lacks the fishy taste typical for many omega products, and the second is that it includes a potent combination of beneficial fatty acids and lipid mediators.
Joint Food presents a comprehensive nutritional solution for joints, aiming to provide lasting pain relief and more flexible joints.
Ingredients
The two products’ ingredient lists are very different despite having the same purpose. Unfortunately, what is similar between the two is the use of proprietary blends, which hide the exact dosages of each individual ingredient, making it impossible to compare them to doses proven effective in clinical trials.
However, in my extensive experience with supplements, I’ve found that a proprietary blend almost always means underdosed components, and this is again proven in both Omega XL and Joint Food.
Relief Factor has a transparent list of ingredients, which allows us to gauge the formulation’s effectiveness better. I will start with its ingredients and how they affect joint pain.
Omega XL contains several useful ingredients, likely made ineffective by the low dosage of the proprietary blend they are mixed in.
The New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel Extract can improve joint health, flexibility, and mobility, prevent or reduce inflammation, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), cartilage degradation, arthritis pain and symptoms, asthma, and ADHD, and even provide several overall health benefits [1].
However, the results have been demonstrated with 375 mg or more of Green Lipped Mussel Extract, while the entire Omega XL blend has 300 mg.
Oil Extract PCSO-524 contains omega-3 fatty acids, virgin olive oil, pure olive oil, and vitamin E. As we’ve seen, omega-3 fatty acids are essential for joint health and pain relief.
Extra virgin olive oil and vitamin E are other useful additions to the recipe, but the 300 mg proprietary blend they share is insufficient to produce any significant results.
Joint Food has well-supported ingredients, but the issue again is the low dosages.
The one thing with a proper dose is Vitamin C, which is crucial for maintaining joint health [2].
The Tamalsteem blend in Joint Food shows solid promise. It contains Tamarind seed extract, Mangosteen, and turmeric extract.
Both tamarind and Mangosteen have limited studies on humans, but what’s available shows significant promise for alleviating joint pain and improving joint function [3][4].
Turmeric extract is one of the most well-known anti-inflammatory agents and has been extensively studied. However, the effective dose is 500 mg of Turmeric extract, while Joint Food contains the compound as part of a 300 mg proprietary blend.
The other proprietary blend, which weighs 367 mg, contains multiple potent joint-health ingredients, including MSM, Bromelain, Hyaluronic Acid, Boswellia, and collagen type 2.
Again, the math doesn’t add up, and there is no way to have enough of each.
Effectiveness
It’s hard to judge which of the two products is more effective since neither did anything for me. Perhaps it is the low dosages, perhaps I need something more potent for my pains, but I haven’t felt any effect from either.
There are more than enough people reporting pain relief, but I was not one of them, so I can’t call them effective.
Clinical Research
Omega XL contains well-studied ingredients that are proven effective in improving different aspects of joint health. The product has not undergone a complete formulation study.
Joint Food’s website lists the results of a clinical trial of 300 mg of Tamasteen, which is precisely how much the supplement contains.
The study shows Tamasteen had an impressive effect on various aspects of joint function over 8 weeks in men and women between 40 and 70 years old.
The graphs presented at Joint Food and Tamasteen’s websites are remarkable for their 64% improvement in pain at the end of the period, but I haven’t found the study itself, so it’s unknown who conducted it and how it was peer-reviewed.
I’ve learned to be highly skeptical of such claims unless the study is published in a trustworthy publication.
Side Effects
The reported negative effects of Joint Food and Omega Xl are mild at worst, and most people do not experience them, but enough do to deserve mention.
One of the most common adverse effects of these supplements is stomach discomfort, which can include bloating, gas, or nausea.
More than a few people have complained about these concerns in user reviews, so it is definitely a possibility for anyone taking the pills, especially if you raise the dose, to see faster results.
The two products did not deliver any positive effects for me, but at least there were no adverse ones either.
User Reviews
Omega XL has around 43,000 customer reviews at the time of writing this article, with a score of 4.2, which I find too high given my experience with it. Opinions on the product’s effectiveness are nearly 50/50, with a minor bias toward negative ones.
However, most people say Omega XL is pricey for what it offers, and I agree entirely with them.
Joint Food is a relatively new product with only around 500 Amazon reviews and a score of 3.6. Most people share my experience and do not find meaningful respite from their pain with Joint Food.
However, positive reviews praise the supplement’s positive effect on joint stiffness. Almost everyone agrees that the product is overpriced, though.
Price
| Joint Supplement | 1 Bottle (One Time Purchase) | 3 / 1 Bottle (Subscription) | 6 Bottles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Food | $33.99 ($1.13 per serving) | $61.99 ($1.03 per serving) | $87.99 ($0.97 per serving) |
| Omega XL | $94.99 / 30 servings ($1.58/serving) | $85.49 ($1.42/serving) |
My Experience With Joint Food And Omega XL
My experience with both products has been underwhelming, to say the least.
Before my Joint Food test, I was on another supplement that helped me with my chronic knee pain. But once I started taking Joint Food, the pain gradually returned.
After the 30-day period when I stopped Joint Food, there was no change in my condition at all, which means the product did not have any effect on me, positive or negative.
To be honest, there isn’t much to say about my experience with Omega XL. Initially, I took four soft gels per day as directed by the manufacturer, but I noticed no improvement in my joint pain or stiffness.
The low dose clearly explains this. Perhaps doubling or tripling the amount would produce a more noticeable effect, but Omega XL is expensive even in the recommended dose, let alone if you take more.
Should You Choose Joint Food Or Omega XL?
When neither helped even a bit, I can’t recommend them to anyone with a clear conscience. Reading through many negative user reviews and comparing the dosages inside the product with the clinically established ones leads me to believe few people truly experience pain relief and better joint mobility from Joint Food or Omega XL.
There are many much better and more effective joint supplements on the market, and I can recommend a few of them depending on personal needs, but the best and most comprehensive, in my opinion, is FlexAgain.
FlexAgain
FlexAgain
A powerful, clinically dosed joint supplement to alleviate joint pain and improve joint health.
CHECK CURRENT DEALS
References
- 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.
- 1. Carr, A. C., & McCall, C. (2017). The role of vitamin C in the treatment of pain: new insights. Journal of translational medicine, 15(1), 77.
- 3. Rao, P. S., Ramanjaneyulu, Y. S., Prisk, V. R., & Schurgers, L. J. (2019). A combination of tamarindus indica seeds and curcuma longa rhizome extracts improves knee joint function and alleviates pain in non-arthritic adults following physical activity. International Journal of Medical Sciences, 16(6), 845.
- 4. Chiu, Y. S., Wu, J. L., Yeh, C. T., Yadav, V. K., Huang, H. S., & Wang, L. S. (2020). ?-Mangostin isolated from Garcinia mangostana L. suppresses inflammation and alleviates symptoms of osteoarthritis via modulating miR-124-3p/IL-6/NF-?B signaling. Aging (Albany NY), 12(8), 6630.
Affiliate Disclosure:
The links provided may earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase the recommended product. This support allows our research and editorial team to continue providing high-quality recommendations. As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising initiative, we are able to earn advertising fees through providing links to products on Amazon.com. Please rest assured that we only recommend high-quality products.
