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Congratulations to Sourse for completing their clinical trial with Citruslabs
Sourse's Hype Bites Improve Subjective and Biological Outcomes Over Eight Weeks
Vitamin B12 is a critical vitamin for multiple health outcomes. Individuals who consume a vegan or vegetarian diet are likely not getting enough vitamin B12 because it is traditionally found in animal proteins. To fill that void, Sourse has created Hype Bites, a once-a-day chocolate supplement containing vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin, a more digestible form of vitamin B12.
To understand the effectiveness of Hype Bites, Sourse decided to run a clinical trial with Citruslabs.
About Sourse
Vitamins that treat you right – a delicious daily ritual
Sourse's philosophy is that the optimal source of nutrients is real, unadulterated food. To this end, Sourse created vitamin-enriched dark chocolate bites using only wholesome, plant-based ingredients. Self-care should be a pleasurable experience.
Chocolate was a natural choice because it's a whole food that possesses inherent properties that make it an ideal vehicle for delivering vitamins.
The product
Hype Bites contain:
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B12 to improve energy, mood, and brain function at a consistent level throughout the day
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Premium dark chocolate--a potent source of antioxidants, fighting inflammatory free radicals and improving cognitive function and mood
What sets this product apart:
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An active form of B12 (methylcobalamin) in dark chocolate bites
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Chewing as opposed to swallowing a capsule, allows the nutrient to be absorbed through the mouth vs the stomach. There's evidence that sublingual B12 has a higher absorption rate and is more effective because it enters the bloodstream directly
Sourse's Hype Bites
Study design
This trial was a prospective cohort design (single group), with all participants using Hype Bites daily at the same time in the morning for an eight-week trial. The participants completed surveys at the baseline, end of week four, and end of week eight. They responded to questions about their ability to focus, mood states, brain fog, forgetfulness, concentration, and energy levels, among other variables. Participants also submitted blood samples at baseline and at the end of week eight.
The participants
The study consisted of 30 participants between the ages of 24 and 65 who self-reported being on a consistent dietary regimen and were on a vegan or vegetarian diet. On the screening document, participants also self-reported feeling tired often, experiencing brain fog, or experiencing consistent negative mood states. Participants were not allowed to participate if they were currently breastfeeding or pregnant, currently taking vitamin B12, or had severe chronic conditions.
Results
Hype Bites significantly improve psychological outcomes related to vitamin B12 consumption
One critical outcome of this trial is improvements in energy levels, mental clarity, brain fog, and focus
Results: At three times throughout the study, participants were asked questions about their ability to focus, mood states, brain fog, forgetfulness, concentration, and energy levels, among other variables. Some questions focused on the frequency of the symptom while other questions focused on the severity experienced.
These outcomes were specifically measured because Hype Bites are designed to help individuals deficient in Vitamin B12. A lack of vitamin B12 has been related to all of the outcomes measured for this outcome in the trial. Because each outcome was measured three times, repeated measures (RM) ANOVAs were used to examine if participants improved on these outcome measures while using the Hype Bites.
Each outcome of interest improved over time, on average. However, there were significant differences across time that indicated participants felt less brain fog, less severe brain fog, had fewer issues with concentration severity, and fewer issues with being able to focus. Participants also reported improved mental clarity, felt like they had more energy, and felt that their lack of energy (severity) improved.
Participants were also asked about their overall perception of their mental health, physical health, emotional health, and ability to deal with stress. Participants were asked these questions on a one to ten scale.
After using Hype Bites for eight weeks, participants saw significant improvements in how they felt mentally and their ability to cope and deal with stress. On average, participants improved emotional outcomes, but that outcome did not reach statistical significance.
Participants were also asked about their perception of how the test product impacted their well-being. Participants were largely positive about their experience with the test product, especially after using it for eight weeks.
Brief Cognitive Tests
Two different cognitive recall tasks were employed to understand the cognitive benefits of Hype Bites. First, participants were shown a list of eight random words and were told to read through the list twice and try to remember as many words as possible. Then participants were presented with a story and told to remember as many facts as possible from the story.
There was a significant improvement in the number of words that participants recalled as the study continued, with the most words being recalled after using Hype Bites for eight weeks.
Blood Draws
Participants completed blood draws to measure the amount of vitamin B12 in the blood. Participants saw a significant increase in the amount of measurable vitamin B12 in the blood at week eight compared to baseline.
Discussion
This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Sourse's Hype Bites in significantly improving psychological outcomes
The overarching aim of this trial was to examine the effect of Hype Bites on subjective outcomes and changes in vitamin B12 in the blood. Participants used Hype Bites as directed over an eight-week trial period.
93% would recommend Hype Bites to a friend
83% of participants were more positive since taking Hype Bites
87% of participants would like to continue using Hype Bites
73% of participants were better able to concentrate
Conclusion
Overall, participants experience a significant improvement in most of the outcomes associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Participants seemed to have improved cognitive functioning and enjoyed using the test product. Hype Bites were also effective at promoting positive changes to vitamin B12 in the blood, hopefully mitigating some adverse outcomes that could come with a vitamin B12 deficiency.
About Citruslabs
Clinical trials for consumer brands
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