List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $51.00
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
Now I've seen some slimey companies try to sell some cheap low-grade fish oil before but this product is just a straight old scam... plain and simple. If you go to the website of this product, omegaxl.com, they make it look all official and even include testimonials and a video from a doctor, BUT nowhere on the entire website does it show exactly how much omega 3 DHA & EPA are in the product. Omega 3 DHA & EPA are the two fatty acids in fish oil that has made fish oil such a big deal and has numerous benefits to your health. There are also other Omega fatty acids such as omega 6 & 9 but we get enough of those in our "western diet." Infact too much omega 6 has been linked to serious health problems because it CAUSES inflammation instead of preventing it like omega EPA does. That is why so many people on a "western diet" have serious inflammation related diseases in later years because most of our foods are just soaking in omega 6.
So now back to the Omega XL snake oil scam. If you look at the actual nutrion facts label it states that 2 pills contains 100mg of omega fatty acids. WAIT... WHAT!?!? 2 Pills only contain 100mgs?!?! that is only 50mgs per pill and it only says "omega fatty acids" not omega 3. Directly below that it states that the 100mgs of omega fatty acids includes the omega 3 EPA and DHA. That means that it could possibly be 90% omega 6 (the bad stuff) and only 10% omega 3. Who knows? That vital fact is not revealed. Now several studies have come to the conclusion that a person must take a MINIMUM of 500mgs day of omega 3 DHA & EPA to receive any health benefits at all. For a real theraputic dose a person would need to take from 1000-3000mgs a day. That means that you would need to take anywhere from 20-60 Omega XL pills a day to get that theraputic dose, and that's only if all 100mgs of the omega fatty acids were actually omega 3. Now imagine if there were actually a lot less and that is what I'm betting or else why would they hide the exact amount of omega 3 DHA and EPA? Even the standard run-of-the-mill fish oil at GNC has atleast 300mgs of omega 3 in each pill and their nutrition labels are detailed for all to see. There are also some ultra-refined fish oils that contain up to 1200mgs in ONE PILL and they cost the exact same amount as one pill of this snake oil. Please everybody do your research. A lot of these scammers have pretty looking websites and claims but tend to hide the specifics and they do that for a reason. Can you guess what that is? So If you don't mind paying a small fortune on 60 pills a day for this product then go ahead.
I have been taking fish oil supplements for a few years and have always been interested in learning about new and better delivery methods for omega 3 DHA and EPA. After reading about this Omega XL I almost fell out of my chair and had to post something. I am currently using Omega Via and it is great!! it costs only $25-$30 for a bottle of 60 pills and each pill contains 1200mgs of omega 3 DHA and EPA. If you are wondering.... no it is not a horse pill. It is only slightly larger then your average fish oil pill. They just refine it so pure that it is around 90% omega 3 EPA & DHA and the rest is other useless fats(standard fish oil pills are only about 30% omega 3 and 70% other fats). Just google this snake oil they call Omega XL and you will see just about every other link is about either people who have been scammed by them or by ex and current employees who are trying to blow the lid off this scam from the inside. There some very wicked people out there.
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*This is a side-by-side comparison of six omega-3 fish oil supplements: Omega XL, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, and Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil.
There are three major components of omega-3 in these products: EPA (which is good for your heart, circulatory system, lowering triglycerides, depression and mood orientation, and is a powerful anti-inflammatory for soothing joint pains), DHA (which is good for your mental acuity, or if you are pregnant, nursing an infant, or for children), and "other." Other omega-3s, like DPA and SDA, are types of fatty acids which are easily converted to EPA in the body. In most fish oils, the amount of these other fatty acids is low, but in highly concentrated oils, it can be a significant amount. The important components are EPA and DHA.
SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 OIL FOUND IN OMEGA XL: Omega XL is produced by the Great Health Works Company of Coral Springs, Florida. Unlike the omega-3 found in fish oil products, which is derived from cold water fish such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, pollock, and whiting, the omega-3 and other fatty acids found in Omega XL are derived from the green-lipped mussel found in New Zealand.
LARRY KING INFOMERCIAL: I became aware of Omega XL while watching the Larry King infomercial about this product and decided to look into some of the claims. My first reaction was: what does Larry King know about fatty acid supplements?; why is the company using him as a spokesperson?; how much are they paying him?; and what effect has his engagement as spokesperson had on the exorbitant price of this product? Suffice it to say that Mr. King's opinion of Omega XL and my opinion of Omega XL are very different!
BREAKDOWN: Here is a breakdown of these supplements.
Omega XL (See, Omega 3's Anti-Inflammatory 60ct Bottle, Arthritis Pain Relief, Most Concentrated Omega 3's Essential Fatty Acids)
Triglycerides form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$51.00 for 60 150 mg gel caps on Amazon
$58.90 for 60 150 mg gel caps from Omega XL
Recommended Serving: two to four gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.85 (using Amazon's cost)
One 150 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 11 mgs
DHA = 6 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 2 to 1
Other fatty acids = 133 mgs
Total fatty acids = 150 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 11%
Contains soy
No GMOs
Cholesterol free
Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology
No Mercury
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = Not rated
Phone Number: (800) 488-8082
Manufactured in New Zealand and encapsulated in the U.S.A.
OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil (See, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, 1300 mg Enteric Burp-Free Capsule (1105 mg Omega-3/pill) 60 Capsules)
Ethyl Esters form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$28.89 for 60 1300 mg gel caps on Amazon
$34.69 for 60 1300 mg gel caps from OmegaVia
Recommended Serving: 1-4 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.48 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1300 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 780 mgs
DHA = 260 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 65 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1105 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 85%
Contains Vitamin E from GMO-soy
Cholesterol free
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 270-4010
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade fish oil from sustainably sourced pollock and whiting from Alaska, Kosher gelatin, glycerin, plant-derived natural food glaze (enteric coated to improve absorption and prevent burps), and mixed natural tocopherols
Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold (See, Nutrigold Triple Strength Omega-3 Gold (1,060 mg Omega-3s per softgel), 1250 mg, 180 softgels)
Ethyl Esters form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$34.95 for 180 1250 mg gel caps on Amazon
$34.95 for 180 1250 mg gel caps from Nutrigold
Recommended Serving: 1 gel cap
Cost per gel cap = $.20 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1250 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 750 mgs
DHA = 250 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 60 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1060 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 85%
Soy allergen free
No GMOs
Cholesterol free
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 476-3542
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade purified fish oil, softgel capsule (bovine gelatin, vegetable glycerin, purified water), and natural mixed tocopherols
Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula (See, Garden of Life Minami MorEPA Platinum, Plus Vitamin D3 Supercritical Omega 3 Fish Oil, Orange, 30 softgels)
Ethyl Esters form
Not Certified Kosher
Certified Halal
$17.05 for 30 1218 mg gel caps on Amazon
Recommended Serving: 1 gel cap
Cost per gel cap = $.57 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1218 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 756 mgs
DHA = 228 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 3 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 96 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 1080 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 89%
Contains soy
No GMOs
Cholesterol free
Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not Vegetarian
Vitamin D3 = 300 I.U.
IFOS Rating = Not rated
Phone Number: (866) 465-0051
Manufactured and Encapsulated in Belgium
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade supercritical deep-sea fish oil (anchovy, sardine, mackerel, herring), gelatin, glycerin, purified water, natural orange flavor, soy lecithin, mixed tocopherols
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (See, Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega, 1,000 mg Fish Oil, 180 Soft Gels)
Triglycerides form
Not certified Kosher or Halal
$50.00 for 180 1000 mg gel caps on Amazon
$69.95 for 180 1000 mg gel caps from Nordic Naturals
Recommended Serving: 2 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.28 (using Amazon's cost)
One 1000 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 325 mgs
DHA = 225 mgs
EPA/DHA ratio = 1.5 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 90 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 640 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 64%
No soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (800) 662-2544
Encapsulated in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade purified deep sea fish oil (from anchovies and sardines), softgel capsule (gelatin, glycerin, water, natural lemon flavor), d-alpha tocopherol, and rosemary extract (a natural preservative)
Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (See, OMAPURE Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (1 Bottle; 120 softgels))
Ethyl esters form
Certified Kosher
$29.95 for 120 900 mg gel caps on Amazon
$29.95 for 120 900 mg gel caps from Omapure
Recommended Serving: 2-4 gel caps
Cost per gel cap = $.25 (using Omapure's cost)
One 900 mg gel cap contains a total of:
EPA = 425 mgs per gel cap
DHA = 173 mgs per gel cap
EPA/DHA ratio = 2.5 to 1
Other Omega-3 = 52 mgs
Total Omega-3 = 650 mgs
Percentage Omega-3 per gel cap = 72%
No soy
No GMOs
Contains cholesterol
Molecularly distilled
Mercury free
Not enteric coated
Not vegetarian
IFOS Rating = ***** (five stars, top rating)
Phone Number: (877) 662-9872
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Ingredients: pharmaceutical grade fish oil (sardine and anchovy fished in South American waters), gelatin, glycerin, water, beeswax, natural lemon oil, caramel, and mixed natural tocopherols
IFOS: The International Fish Oil Standards Program ("IFOS") (Google "IFOS consumer reports") is an independent third party omega-3 testing organization that provides batch-specific summaries of a product's IFOS testing results. The reports include a 5-star rating for each product containing greater than 60% concentration of EPA and DHA per gram of fish oil, allowing consumers to compare fish oil products based on their safety, purity and quality. Most of the highly rated omega-3 fish oil products are listed. Omega XL is not listed or rated because it is not a fish oil. However, even if it qualified as a "fish oil," Omega XL would not be rated by IFOS because it does not meet the 60% threshold. So, we don't have an independent third-party testing organization's evaluation of the product.
SUPERCRITICAL DUAL-PROCESS CO2 TECHNOLOGY: Omega XL is not molecularly distilled. It uses a proprietary Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology which concentrates omega-3s, yielding unique selectivity of one of the most biologically active omega-3 fatty acids EPA. Using less heat, less repeat processing, and natural carbon dioxide as a solvent, allows these products to reach peak concentrations approximating 100% EPA, omitting superfluous fats and fillers. 400% less heat than molecular distillation is used during the entire process, with no oxygen exposure. Natural CO2 is used as an alternative to organic solvents and protects the final product from oxidation. In my opinion, Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology is superior to molecular distillation.
LABEL DESCRIPTION: The label on the Omega XL product is one of the most poorly constructed I have seen on the bottle of any supplement. It omits most important information about the product; it fails to list all the ingredients; it fails to break down its fatty acid content in terms of EPA, DHA, and other omega-3; it fails to list the size of the gel cap; and it fails to list the overall content of each gel cap. None of the important information about the product is centralized and set forth in one place. You have to ferret it out, to the extent you can. This is not the kind of transparency one would expect from a reputable neutraceutical company.
FATTY ACID CONTENT: Omega XL distinguishes itself from omega-3 fish oil products by claiming that it contains thirty different fatty acids to only two or three contained in omega-3 fish oils, and it is more bio-available than omega-3 fish oil. This claim is false and misleading. It claims that each capsule contains 150 mgs of "fatty acids," 11 mgs of which are EPA and 6 mgs of which are DHA. The thirty fatty acids contained in each capsule are: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA), Palmitic acid, Palmitoleic acid, Stearic acid, Vaccenic acid, Linoleic acid (an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid), Linoelaidic acid (an omega-6 trans fatty acid), Oleic acid (an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid), Nervonic acid (an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid), Arachidonic acid (AA), Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), Heptadecanoic acid, Eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), Arachidic acid, Elaidic acid, Linolenic acid (GLA), Gadoleic acid, Eicosadienoic acid (EDA), Behenic acid, Tricosanoic acid, Butyric acid, Caprylic acid, Capric acid, Undecanoic acid, Lauric acid, Pentadecanoic acid, and Myristic acid.
There is nothing novel or unique about Omega XL's claim of thirty fatty acids. A low potency omega-3 fish oil product contains a similar amount of fatty acids. What is significant is that only some of those fatty acids are helpful, while others are either neutral or not beneficial. Omega XL does not clearly identify which are which. In fact, OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, which is a high potency omega-3 fish oil, contains about twenty fatty acids. Some of those fatty acids are present as trace elements. Bottom line, more fatty acids are not necessarily better! This is a deceptive and misleading sales pitch by Omega XL ... nothing more. It lacks transparency!
Other than EPA and DHA, the precise amounts of the thirty or so fatty acids contained in Omega XL are not disclosed, nor are they proven to have any real benefits. Some, like omega-6 and omega-9, which appear to be present in Omega XL in abundance, are clearly not beneficial. In fact, some appear to be trans fats. Palmitic acid is a potential heart problem. It is found as a "contaminant" in Seabuckthorn Omega-7 oils. Arachidonic acid is highly inflammatory and is the by-product of Omega-6 metabolism.
OMEGA-3 POTENCY: Omega XL has by far the lowest omega-3 potency of the supplements in this comparison (11%); followed by Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (64%); followed by Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (72%); followed by OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil (85%) and Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold (85%); and followed by Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, which has the highest omega-3 potency of the supplements in this comparison (89%). Omega XL has the lowest omega-3 potency of any omega-3 product I have reviewed.
PRICE: Omega XL is by far the most expensive per gel cap of the supplements in this comparison ($.85 per gel cap); followed by Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula ($.57 per gel cap); followed by OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil and Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ($.48 per gel cap); followed by Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ($.28 per gel cap); followed by Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil ($.25 per gel cap); and followed by Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, which is the least expensive per gel cap of the supplements in this comparison ($.20 per gel cap).
Omega XL is almost twice the price of the next most expensive product listed. There is no justification for that kind of price! If price is a major consideration, Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold is a very good value at roughly one-fourth the price of Omega XL, and you need to take only one pill a day, as opposed to two to four for Omega XL. The money the company is paying Larry King is no doubt responsible, at least in part, for its outrageous price!
PILL SIZE: OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil is the largest gel cap of the supplements in this comparison (1300 mgs); followed by Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold (1250 mgs); followed by Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula (1218 mgs); followed by Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega (1000 mgs); followed by Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil (900 mgs); and followed by Omega XL, which is the smallest gel cap of the supplements in this comparison (150 mgs). In terms of size, all of these gel caps are manageable for most folks.
PRESSURE TACTICS: There appear to be a number of complaints about the company because of pressure tactics used in connection with the purchase of the product from the company. The complaint appears with sufficient frequency to lend credence to the claim.
PRODUCT SPECIALISTS: The company prides itself in announcing that it recently hired 150 product specialists to handle the volume of calls about the product. I did not find the company's product specialists knowledgeable, since they could not answer certain basic questions they should have been familiar with.
MEALS: These fatty acids based omega-3 products are best taken with a meal containing some fat, as they are more efficiently absorbed when taken with food.
OPINION: I would approach Omega XL with extreme caution. While it does not contain GMOs, cholesterol, or mercury, and uses a proprietary Supercritical Dual-Process CO2 Technology, it is not IFOS certified; the precise makeup of the product is not clearly set forth or is completely omitted; its omega-3, EPA, and DHA content is abysmally small (11%); it is outrageously expensive ($.85 per gel cap), particularly considering a starting dosage of four gel caps; it contains soy; and the product information provided about it lacks transparency.
I have some real problems with this company and with this product!
RATING:
I rated Omega XL one star.
I rated OmegaVia Pharma-Grade Fish Oil, Nutrigold Triple Strength Fish Oil Omega-3 Gold, Garden of Life Minami Nutrition Platinum Omega 3 Plus D3 Formula, and Omapure Pharmaceutical Grade Omega-3 Fish Oil five stars.
I rated Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega four stars because of its relatively low potency (64%).
I have separately reviewed all of these products.
Prices current as of 10/12/2013.This product was recommended to me by a friend for the discomfort in my knees ( possibly arthritis). The product brought no relief or improvement after 30 days. I called several times to report my dissatisfaction and asked that they not send any more and refund my money. They explained that I should complete the second bottle to give the product time to work. If after 60 days I saw no improvement, mail the empty bottles back and my money would be refunded. Before I could mail the bottles back, a third bottle arrived and was charged to my credit card. When I called to complain, they offered the new bottle for the reduced cost of $24.99 and that my original $55.00 would be refunded. That was 3 weeks ago. No money has been refunded to my account and I was again offered another bottle at a reduced cost. To stop this madness, I guess I will have to cancel my credit card because I don't think they will ever stop.This product is heavily touted as an "anti-inflammatory". The OmegaXL representative I spoke to explicitly told me that it is effective as a headache preventative. In fact, she claimed to use it herself for that purpose. She was so sure that if only I had faith in her product and gave it a serious try, it would work for me too. I was willing to try anything at that point. So I did.
I have been suffering tension headaches for years. Since the manufacturer offers a "money-back guarantee", I figured that it couldn't hurt to try OmegaXL.
I used OmegaXL for the full trial period (90 days), to no avail. It had no impact on my headaches whatsoever.
To be honest, I would not have been motivated to write this review had the company followed through with its promise to refund my money "within 30 days" (after the failed trial). It didn't. I had to take the trouble to check with my bank. Then I had to go through the hassle of insisting that OmegaXL follow through with its promised guarantee or I would dispute the credit card charge with Visa. I have no doubt that if I had forgotten to check with my bank, I would have been out the full $184.80 it cost me to evaluate this product.
After all that, I finally received a refund, minus "shipping and handling". This company (with high volume bulk shipping discounts no doubt) charged me $15 to ship something that I could have shipped myself for $10. I suspect that the extra $5 (plus?) pays the actual cost of the fish oil they are selling.
I couldn't help but be reminded of the snake oil pitchmen of yesteryear.
If you have headaches, do yourself a favor and see your doctor. Mine recently prescribed a headache preventive (generic "Depakote") that seems to be working for me (so far).
A little faith is OK when the outcome is unclear. But if you want real measurable results, science makes a lot more sense.Mom has suffered from chronic back pain, mostly due to osteo-arthritis and some disk problems, for years. At 85, surgery is not an option. Tried OMEGA XL for the recommended 30 days and not a thing changed. The company agreed to give me another 30 days at the "discounted price", saying that sometimes in older people it takes a little longer to kick in. Well, nothing changed and we canceled mom's subscription without blinking an eye.
