Wellness blog

History of Greenshell™ Mussel

Does the New Zealand green lipped mussel help arthritis, asthma, and musle soreness? The simple answer is 'Yes!'. Find out the New Zealand green lipped mussel health benefits and how green lipped mussel capsules, tablets, and powders have become a safe natural alternative to over-the-counter medications.

green lipped mussel australia

WHAT IS the

Green-lipped Mussel?

The New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), also known as the New Zealand mussel, the greenshell mussel, kuku, or kutai, is a shellfish commonly found off the coasts of New Zealand. Being economically important to the country, it is cultivated for consumption as food as well as medicine because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

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How did it start to be used as Medicine?

For centuries, the green-lipped mussel has been the staple food of the indigenous Māori people living in New Zealand’s coastal areas. In the early 1970s, research showed that these coastal Māori had a lower number of people with arthritis than those living inland.This sparked the interest in the green-lipped mussel’s medicinal potential.Through meticulous research, it was found that these mussels contained relatively high levels of anti- inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, more specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (ETA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which have been studied to be effective in reducing inflammation in joints.Moreover, scientists have also found other fatty acids in these mussels that inhibit enzymes and proteins that cause inflammation and pain, thus having anti-inflammatory properties that may deliver tangible benefits. Since then, the green-lipped mussel has been used for arthritis, exercise-induced muscle soreness, and asthma.

green lipped mussel australia

Is Green-lipped Mussel for You?

The New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), also known as the New Zealand mussel, the greenshell mussel, kuku, or kutai, is a shellfish commonly found off the coasts of New Zealand. Being economically important to the country, it is cultivated for consumption as food as well as medicine because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

References:
1 James, MJ and Cleland, LG (1997) Dietary n-3 fatty acids and therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. SeminArthritis Rheum, 27, 85-97.
2 Whitehouse MW, Macrides TA, Kalafatis N, Betts WH, Haynes DR, Broadbent J. Anti-inflammatory actiovity of a lipid fraction (Lyprinol) from the NZ Green-Lipped mussel. Inflammopharmacology5,237-246,1997. 
3 Gibson SLM and Gibson GG. The treatment of arthritis with a lipid extract of Perna canaliculus: a randomised trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 6,122-126,1998.