Green-lipped mussel (Perna Canaliculus) is a superfood when it comes to its impact on joint health for humans and pets alike. But what makes the green-lipped mussel in AntinolⓇ different, and what should you look for when choosing a green-lipped mussel supplement for your dog or cat?
What is Green-Lipped Mussel (GLM)?
The green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is a large bivalve mollusc native to the coastal waters of New Zealand. It has been eaten and used by the indigenous Māori people for centuries — its apparent impact on their health kicked off the scientific interest in it during the 1970s, and it has been studied in detail ever since.
From a nutritional perspective, it really is a superfood, with an incredibly complex nutritional profile. Rather than being harvested for any individual component, it’s the complexity that makes it so powerful as a nutritional supplement and one of the most studied marine ingredients in both human and veterinary nutrition.
Omega-3 fatty acids and why they’re important for your pet
One of the key elements to the meteoric rise of the GLM in pet and human nutrition is due to its omega-3 fatty acid content.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a family of polyunsaturated fats that form an essential part of your pet’s diet. They are considered “essential” because, just like in us, cats and dogs can’t make enough of them on their own, so they have to take them in via their diet.
Three of the key omega-3s that are important to your pets are:
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) — a long-chain omega-3 found in marine sources, involved in a wide range of normal physiological processes.
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) — a long-chain omega-3 particularly concentrated in brain and retinal tissue, supporting normal neurological and visual development and function.
ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid) — a short-chain omega-3 that cats, in particular, struggle to convert into EPA and DHA.
Why are they important to your pet’s health?
Omega-3 fatty acids are structural components of cell membranes throughout the body and are involved in most systems and pathways.
EPA and DHA are involved in the body's normal physiological responses, including the regulation of natural inflammatory processes that occur as part of everyday activity.
A balanced omega-3 intake will support your pet's normal:
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Skin and coat health
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Joint health and mobility
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Cognitive function and brain health (particularly important during early life and training)
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Eye health and vision
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Urinary tract health.
So what is AntinolⓇ Joint Care Pro?
AntinolⓇ Joint Care Pro is a Green-lipped mussel supplement with a difference. Each softgel capsule contains PCSO-524. No, that’s not some scary chemical name; it's our highly concentrated green-lipped mussel oil.
We use a patented fluid extraction technique that results in a highly concentrated oil, retaining all the goodness of each mussel. It’s super potent, containing over 90 essential fatty acids, which include Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, OTA, and many others.
Our Green-lipped mussels are harvested and enter our world-class processing facility within two hours. They're stabilised and freeze-dried before undergoing our unique proprietary supercritical fluid extraction technique. The process is completely heat-free, meaning the active ingredients are protected, and it ensures only the highest-quality oils are packed into AntinolⓇ.
Powdered Green-lipped Mussel Vs Green-lipped Mussel Oil
The majority of green-lipped mussel supplements on the market are made from powdered mussels. The mussels are either heat-treated or freeze-dried, then powdered before being pressed into tablet form.
Our process is different.
Each tiny capsule contains the concentrated oil of between 15 and 18 mussels! Our extraction process ensures that the fatty acids within our soft gel capsules are incredibly potent—containing 20 times more fatty acids than freeze-dried mussel powder.
It’s also extremely pure—lipid degradation during AntinolⓇ’s production is minimal in comparison with other processes, and powders are much more prone to oxidation during storage, reducing their effectiveness.
AntinolⓇ’s fatty acid profile
Most discussions around the fatty acid, or omega-3 content of supplements are centred around EPA and DHA—they’re the most well-known forms of omega-3 and are fantastic at supporting your pet’s health. But to give your pet the best support, it’s important to look for a supplement with a broad spectrum of fatty acids, rather than those in isolation.
AntinolⓇ contains over 90 different fatty acids, including vital Omega-3s like ETA, OTA and furan fatty acids, which are hard to find in many supplements. It’s also highly bioavailable and rapidly absorbed, meaning that your pet can get all the goodness from it, fast.
Sustainable supplements
Our mussels are sustainably grown and harvested at a perfect time in the pure, pristine waters of the Marlborough Sounds Marine Park in New Zealand. It provides the perfect conditions for these special molluscs to grow.
Mussel farming is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of aquaculture, producing 35 times less greenhouse gas emissions than cattle farming and actually removing toxins from the water.
Harvesting mussels from the wild causes devastation to the natural ecosystems—dredging kicks up the seabed and destroys wildlife.
All of the green-lipped mussels that go into AntinolⓇ are farmed, never wild-caught. Wild populations are left unharmed, where they should be.
Our mussels are grown on long ropes suspended in the water column. They don't require dredging, they don't impact wildlife or migration routes, and actually provide shelter to marine life, increasing local biodiversity.
The waste products from our production process are recycled and used for other things, such as in other green-lipped mussel products and even road building.
Learn more about our sustainability practices here.
How to choose your pet’s supplement
It can feel like a minefield out there when you are considering what to feed your pet. There is so much choice, it can be overwhelming. So, here is a quick checklist of questions that you can ask when you’re choosing your pet’s supplement. If you can’t find the answers while doing your research on a brand, most brands should be able to give you the answer if you ask.
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Does it contain the full spectrum of omega-3s?
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What form do you feed it in—powered or oil?
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Is it highly bioavailable—can my pet get all of the goodness from it?
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Can it be rapidly absorbed by my pet?
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Does it get easily oxidised during storage?
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How many mussels are concentrated into each feeding amount?
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Is it sustainable?
Hopefully, you now know how to answer all of these questions for AntinolⓇ Joint Care Pro, but our team are always available to help if you think of any more.
Green-lipped mussel for your pet?
Are you ready to start giving your pet green-lipped mussel and think AntinolⓇ is right for you? Perfect! You can try Antinol risk-free for 60 days with our starter kits.
Pure. Happiness.
