[Effects of Green-lipped Mussel] 3 Benefits of Green-lipped Mussels, Maori’s Secret to Joint Health

Hello, I am Jinny, a pharmacist.

Have you ever had a hard time because of the pain you feel in your wrist, shoulder, or knee joints? Today, for those who are concerned about their joint health, I would like to introduce ‘green lipped mussel’, a famous joint health ingredient.

Green-lipped mussels, which grow in coastal waters of New Zealand, have green-colored shells, unlike common mussels. It began to receive widespread attention as it became known as the secret to joint health among the Maori people, indigenous to the coast of New Zealand. The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also recognized the functionality of ‘Liprinol-Green-Lipped Mussel Extract Oil’, an oil raw material extracted from green-lipped mussels, as ‘can help with joint health.’ Now, let’s look at how green-lipped mussels can protect joint health through research reported in academia.

Green lipped mussels reduce the production of iNOS and COX-2, enzymes that induce inflammatory responses, and also reduce cartilage damage by suppressing the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, enzymes that decompose cartilage. Therefore, consuming green-lipped mussels can protect joints and cartilage by reducing inflammatory reactions and cartilage destruction.

In this regard, a paper published in Progress in Nutrition in 2004 reported that joint pain was reduced when subjects suffering from osteoarthritis were supplemented with green-lipped mussel extract.

There are two main types of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. First, osteoarthritis is a disease in which inflammation occurs due to damage to the cartilage that protects the joints or damage to the bones and ligaments that make up the joints due to degenerative changes. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the synovial membrane surrounding the joints, causing joint destruction or deformation. Although the causes of the disease are different, both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis cause joint pain and significantly reduce joint function.

In relation to this, in 1998, a paper was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine showing that joint function was improved when green-lipped mussels were consumed in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Morning stiffness refers to a phenomenon in which joints become stiff and difficult to move when you wake up in the morning or when you are in one position for a long time, but it gets better after you move your body to a certain extent. In osteoarthritis, these symptoms last less than 30 minutes, but in rheumatoid arthritis, they last more than an hour.

This phenomenon occurs as a result of increased secretion of IL-6, a cytokine that causes inflammation, during sleep, resulting in an increased concentration of IL-6 in the body. Green-lipped mussels are known to inhibit the secretion of IL-6. In the paper introduced earlier, it was reported that morning stiffness was also improved in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients when green-lipped mussels were consumed.

Today, we learned about the various benefits you can get from consuming green-lipped mussels. Green-lipped mussels are helpful for joint health, but since they are derived from mussels, you should be careful when consuming them if you are allergic to shellfish. Additionally, those with liver disease or taking blood clot-busting medication are recommended to consume green-lipped mussels after consulting with a specialist.

I hope you have a healthy day both physically and mentally. This was Jinny.