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A Bio-Mer Tripernol Green Lipped Mussel Supplement Review
Green Lipped Mussel powder and oil extracts have been steadily rising in popularity in the past few years. What was once something of a niche supplement, is now being featured in health magazines and on major network shows, such as Dr. Oz.
The mollusk from New Zealand is known to have a number of health benefits, but the problem is, not every product is the same. The way the extract is produced, and even what it is mixed with, can affect the potency of the final product. When you’re purchasing supplements, you want to make sure that they’re the purest you can find. That is how you will receive all of the benefits of GLM, such as inflammation and arthritis relief, as well as improved skin, immune system, and heart health.
In this Bio-Mer Tripernol green lipped mussel supplement review, we will compare the brand with similar supplements that are available commercially. This will aid you, readers out there, in determining whether the product is the best option among a sea of green lipped mussel (GLM) supplements.
Product Profile
Tripernol Mussel Oil is a dietary supplement made from GLM and manufactured by New Zealand-based Bio-Mer Ltd. It has a suggested retail price of around $41.50 and is marketed as a supplement that can help alleviate inflammatory conditions and aid in maintaining a healthy heart.
Are There Additional Ingredients in This Product?
If you’re putting your trust and your money into a product, you want to make sure that it is as effective and as pure as possible. Purity often means potency, and in the case of green lipped mussel supplements, unaltered and unblended products are the most desirable. Although Tripernol is sourced from one of the most pure mussel growing areas in the world, the product itself contains more than just the extract.
The main ingredient is, of course, the GLM extract itself. Each capsule contains 167mg of oil extract from the Perna canaliculus species. From here however, there are some unfortunate additives.
Sunflower oil has been added to the capsule to increase the substance, and likely for taste as well.
There is 333mg of sunflower oil in every capsule. This oil is pressed out of sunflower seeds, and is a natural product. It is used as a medicine in many cultures, and in many natural health products. It is also used as a salad and cooking oil.
Although the evidence is not 100% conclusive, it is likely that the oil has benefits on skin health, it can help to reduce inflammation, and is in some cases recommended to arthritis sufferers as a treatment.
The problem is that the interactivity between sunflower oil and GLM extract is largely unstudied, and the addition of this oil may reduce the purity of the overall product.
Sorbitol is another ingredient used during the production of the edible capsule. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that is most often produced from corn syrup. Sorbitol is considered to be safe, but again, it reduces the purity of the end product. Because sorbitol acts as a sweetener, it may improve the flavor of the capsule.
What are the Benefits of This Extract?
Being a local company, Bio-Mer gets its mussels from the clean and healthy waters of New Zealand which gives it an advantage in terms of using the freshest core ingredient for its end product. Information on the benefits of the supplement and sufficient warnings are provided in the company’s web site which are always beneficial to consumers.
In our Bio-Mer Tripernol green lipped mussel review, we found that the company provides sufficient warnings to customers. It is important to note that the product is not recommended for pregnant or breast feeding women, or for children who are under two years of age. Those in doubt should consult with their physician before trying any GLM extract. Because the extract is produced from shellfish, those with allergies should avoid the product.
What are the Weaknesses of the Product?
In terms of weaknesses, the fact that the supplement is in oil form is arguably its primary limitation. When deriving New Zealand mussel oil extract, it is always a probability that a big part of the nutritional value of the raw mussel is lost in the process. In various studies, experts estimate that GLM oil extract only retains around 10% of the nutrients contained in the raw shellfish.
The product is also more expensive than some of its competitors, some of which are retailing for less than $30. A 60 capsule bottle of Tripernol retails for a list price of $43.95, while the 120 capsule bottle is $86.95. There are no compelling loyalty or reward programs to add to the value of the product, although if you are purchasing from a large online retailer, they may have their own discount programs that could be applied to the product.
Another potential drawback is that currently, Bio-Mer’s products can only be ordered online and are not available in stores internationally, which could prove to be challenging for people outside of New Zealand. Details of the process used in manufacturing Tripernol is also not yet available on the site, which poses some concerns because this is one of the few places where the product can be purchased.
What Other Options are There for Consumers?
For those who are still less-than convinced about the potency of this product, it would be worth your time to look at other alternatives. The first option that you should consider is a GLM supplement in powder form. Unlike oil extract supplements, powdered mussel extracts are more likely to have retained the nutritional content found in raw green lipped mussels.
Powders can be processed in just 30 minutes, which means that in converting the raw material into the final product, exposure to the outside environment is limited. One example of such a powdered supplement is Xtend-Life Green Lipped Mussel Powder.
This product is manufactured without cooking, freezing or exposing the mussels to extreme heat – all three of which can degrade the nutrients contained in the raw mussels. Details of the processing of Xtend-Life’s supplement are also available on the company’s web site and are offered in such a way that consumers can easily understand what they would be buying.
Purity of the product is one thing, but Xtend-Life has other reasons why it is a smarter choice. The product is more cost effective, but it also provides better value.
When you purchase this GLM extract, you will join a free membership program which offers special discounts. In addition to reducing each of your purchases by up to 10%, Xtend-Life even offers a service that automatically delivers replacement supplements to you.
This company delivers all over the world, and has received praise from customers in North America and Europe who received the order from New Zealand, sometimes in less time than it takes to order supplements locally.
Is Bio-Mer Tripernol a Good Purchase?
Bio-Mer Tripernol Mussel Oil is in the upper tier when it comes to GLM supplements, but it is not the best. It is sourced from and produced in New Zealand, which gives it a definite advantage over other products which are produced in countries that import freeze dried ingredients.
The let-downs for this product are the additional ingredients, the fact that it is an oil instead of a powder, and of course you will need to consider that it costs more than the leading supplement.
Tripernol is likely to provide some relief from arthritis and other inflammation related ailments, but it is likely missing most of the potency that powder tablets can provide. Xtend-Life offers a supplement which is purer, less expensive, and is still manufactured at the source in New Zealand. If we had to choose between them, Tripernol would come in at a close second.
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