Our Clinicals

The Research Behind the Formulas

Every ingredient in Confidence and Clarity is backed by human clinical research. Randomised controlled trials, published in peer-reviewed journals, run on real people. We publish the evidence here so you can read it, question it, and follow it back to the source.

Red container with 'Confidence' text on a light blue background

Confidence on Staje

Designed for metabolic support and weight management. Five clinically studied ingredients, each with a specific mechanism of action.

CQR-300™: Cissus Quadrangularis Leaf Extract

A standardised extract of Cissus quadrangularis, a succulent vine used in traditional medicine and now studied for its role in weight and metabolic management.

The Study	The use of a Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss. Oben et al., Lipids in Health and Disease, 2008
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 72 overweight and obese adults (ages 21–44) Duration: 10 weeks Method: Three groups; placebo, CQR-300 only, and CQR-300 + IGOB131 combination. Capsules taken twice daily before meals. No dietary changes or exercise requirements.
Key Results	Change in Body Weight (kg): ↓12% Change in Body Fat (%): ↓20% Change in Waste Circumference (cm): ↓21% Statistically significant improvements were also recorded in total plasma cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose across all six measured variables by week 10.
The Takeaway	CQR-300 alone produced meaningful results. Combined with IGOB131, the reductions were larger across every measure, suggesting a synergistic effect between the two ingredients.
Link to Complete Study	Lipids in Health & Disease

IGOB131®: African Mango Seed Extract (Irvingia Gabonensis)

A patented seed extract of the West African Irvingia gabonensis plant. Studied for its influence on adipogenesis (the process by which the body forms and stores fat) through pathways including leptin, adiponectin, and PPARy.

The Study	IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans Ngondi et al., Lipids in Health and Disease, 2009
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 102 healthy overweight and obese adults (BMI > 25) Duration: 10 weeks Method: 150mg IGOB131 or placebo, taken twice daily 30–60 minutes before lunch and dinner.
Key Results	Body weight: ↓ Significant reduction Body fat: ↓ Significant reduction Waist circumference: ↓ Significant reduction LDL cholesterol: ↓ Significant reduction Fasting blood glucose: ↓ Significant reduction C-reactive protein (inflammation): ↓ Significant reduction Leptin (hunger hormone): ↓ Significant reduction from week 1 Adiponectin (metabolic hormone): ↑ Significant increase Leptin levels, which regulate satiety, showed measurable reduction from week 1, continuing to decline through week 4. Adiponectin, which supports healthy fat metabolism, increased significantly.
The Takeaway	IGOB131 works at a hormonal level, affecting the signals that drive hunger and fat storage. The 10-week trial showed consistent improvements across 10 metabolic parameters.
Link to Complete Study	Lipids in Health & Disease

Forslean™: Coleus Forskohlii Root Extract

A standardised extract of Coleus forskohlii root, standardised for 10% diterpene forskolin. Forskolin activates adenylate cyclase, which raises cyclic AMP levels, a signalling molecule that promotes the release of fatty acids from fat tissue, supporting thermogenesis and lean body mass.

The Study	Diterpene forskolin (Coleus forskohlii): A possible new compound for reduction of body weight by increasing lean body mass Henderson et al., Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2002
Study Design	Type: Open-label study supervised by a physician specialising in bariatric medicine Participants: 6 overweight women Duration: 8 weeks Method: 250mg Coleus forskohlii extract (10% forskolin = 25mg per capsule), taken twice daily before meals. No dietary changes or exercise requirements.
Key Results	Body Weight Loss: Baseline: N/A Week 8: ↓9.17lbs mean Body Fat %: Baseline: 33.63% Week 8: 25.88% Lean Body Mass % Baseline: 67.07% Week 8: 74.13% No adverse effects on blood pressure or pulse rate were recorded. A trend toward lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed.
The Takeaway	The distinctive feature of this study is the shift in body composition: fat down, lean mass up simultaneously. Preserving and building muscle tissue increases resting metabolic rate, compounding the thermogenic effect over time.
Link to Complete Study	Note on study design: This was an open-label pilot study with 6 participants. The authors concluded the findings warranted a larger double-blind controlled trial. We include it here for transparency, alongside the broader body of Coleus forskohlii research. Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Chromium Picolinate

A highly bioavailable form of chromium, an essential trace mineral studied for its role in insulin signalling and carbohydrate metabolism. Chromium picolinate is the most researched form used in clinical trials, and is the form included in Confidence.

The Study #1	Chromium picolinate and insulin resistance Talab et al., Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2020
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 52 adults with type 2 diabetes Duration: 8 weeks Method: 400μg/day chromium picolinate or placebo. Measured insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose, and lipid markers.
Key Results (vs Placebo)	HOMA-IR (insulin resistance): ↑ Significant improvement Lipid markers: ↑ Significant improvement in several measures Fasting blood glucose: - No significant change
The Study #2	Chromium picolinate and appetite/carbohydrate craving Davidson et al., Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2003
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 15 adults with atypical depression Duration: 8 weeks Dose: 600μg/day chromium picolinate or placebo
Key Results (vs Placebo)	Carbohydrate craving: ↑ Significant improvement Tolerability: Good, no significant adverse events A follow-up exploratory study (Docherty et al., 2005) found the most consistent effects on appetite and carbohydrate craving, with stronger outcomes in participants who reported high craving at baseline.
The Takeaway	Chromium picolinate's most consistent evidence sits in metabolic territory: insulin sensitivity, glucose regulation, and appetite signalling. The appetite and craving data is preliminary but directly relevant to Confidence's positioning. Staje uses 500μg/day, within the range studied across both metabolic and mood trials.

Excluded from Confidence

Epicatechin 90% Cocoa Extract: The human evidence for isolated epicatechin on any relevant outcome is limited at 15mg/day. The dose is below what vascular biomarker studies use (~100mg/day) and well below the threshold at which cognitive signals have appeared in cocoa flavanol research (>50mg/day, as part of mixtures). Excluded from this page to maintain the integrity of the clinical evidence standard.

Red Clarity product with a blue background

Clarity on Staje

Designed for cognitive performance, reduction in brain fog and improved mental clarity. Five clinically studied ingredients, each targeting a specific aspect of how you think, focus, and recover.

Cognizin® Citicoline

A patented, water-soluble form of citicoline, a naturally occurring compound that supports the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a key structural component of brain cell membranes. Citicoline also supports acetylcholine production, a neurotransmitter involved in attention and memory. It's one of the most clinically-studied ingredients for cognitive health.

The Study	Citicoline improves attentional performance in healthy adult women McGlade et al., Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2012
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 60 healthy adult women aged 40–60 Duration: 28 days Method: Three groups (250mg citicoline, 500mg citicoline, or placebo). Cognitive performance assessed via Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CPT-II), a standardised measure of sustained attention, impulsivity, and response inhibition.
Key Results	Omission Errors (missed targets): 250mg Goup: ↓ Significant Reduction (p=0.04) Commission Errors (incorrect responses): 250mg Goup: ↓ Significant Reduction (p=0.03) Attentional Performance (overall): 250mg Goup: ↑ Significant improvement Both doses produced meaningful improvements in attention. The 250mg dose showed broader gains (reducing both omission and commission errors), suggesting the lower dose is at least as effective for attentional control in this population.
The Takeaway	The CPT-II is a validated neuropsychological tool used in clinical research. Improvements in omission and commission errors reflect real gains in sustained attention and impulse control, not self-reported perception. Staje uses Cognizin® at 250mg, the same dose used in this study.
Link to Complete Study	Food and Nutrition Sciences

L-Theanine

An amino acid found naturally in green tea, studied for its ability to promote calm focus without sedation. L-theanine modulates alpha brain wave activity and supports GABA pathways, producing a relaxed but alert mental state.

The Study	Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults Hidese et al., Nutrients, 2019
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover Participants: 30 healthy adults (9 male / 21 female, mean age 48.3 years) Duration: 4 weeks per condition (crossover design, each participant completed both arms) Method: 200mg L-theanine or placebo taken daily. Assessments covered mood (Self-Rating Depression Scale), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and cognitive performance (verbal fluency and executive function tasks).
Key Results	Depression score (SDS): ↑ Significant improvement (p = 0.019) Anxiety, trait (STAI-T): ↑ Significant improvement (p = 0.006) Sleep quality overall (PSQI): ↑ Significant improvement (p = 0.013) Sleep latency: ↑ Significant improvement Sleep disturbance: ↑ Significant improvement Verbal fluency: ↑ Significant improvement (p = 0.001) Executive function: ↑ Significant improvement (p = 0.031) The crossover design is a methodological strength: each participant serves as their own control, which removes individual variation from the data and produces a cleaner signal.
The Takeaway	L-theanine's effect here spans three distinct domains: mood, sleep, and cognitive output. The verbal fluency result (p = 0.001) is particularly strong. For a 4-week, 200mg daily study, the breadth of improvements across both psychological and cognitive measures is notable.
Link to Complete Study	Nutrients

Bacopa Monnieri

An aquatic herb used in Ayurvedic practice for centuries and now one of the more studied plant-based ingredients in cognitive research. The active compounds, bacosides, are thought to support cholinergic activity and have antioxidant properties relevant to neural tissue.

The Study #1	Multiple randomised controlled trials have examined standardised Bacopa extract at 300mg/day over 12 weeks, consistently showing improvements in specific memory and learning measures in healthy adults. Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory Roodenrys et al., Neuropsychopharmacology, 2002
Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 76 healthy adults aged 40–65 Duration: 12 weeks Method: 300mg/day standardised Bacop
Key Results	Retention of new information: ↑ Significant improvement Rate of forgetting: ↓ Significant reduction Attention and short-term memory: - No significant change
The Study #2	The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monnieri (KeenMind) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects Stough et al., Psychopharmacology, 2001
The Study Design	Type: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Participants: 46 healthy adults Duration: 12 weeks Method: KeenMind® extract 300mg/day or placebo. Measured information processing speed, learning rate, memory consolidation, and anxiety.
Key Results	Information processing speed: ↑ Significant improvement (p < 0.05) Memory consolidation: ↑ Significant improvement State anxiety: ↓ Significant reduction Time to peak effect: Maximal at 12 weeks A 2014 meta-analysis (Kongkeaw et al.) of 9 randomised trials concluded Bacopa may improve speed of attention, while noting heterogeneity across endpoints and a need for larger trials.
The Takeaway	The evidence for Bacopa in memory and attention is among the more consistent in the botanical ingredient category. The time-to-effect pattern is notable: peak results appear at 12 weeks, which aligns with sustained daily use rather than acute dosing. Note on dose: Clinical trials establishing these results used 300mg/day of standardised Bacopa extract. Clarity includes Bacopa at 100mg/day (45% bacosides) as a supporting ingredient within a broader formula. The dose used in Clarity is below the primary clinical research range. We include the evidence here for transparency and to reflect the ingredient's established research profile.

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)

An essential B vitamin that plays a fundamental role in neurological function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis. Methylcobalamin is the bioactive form that crosses the blood-brain barrier directly. B12 deficiency, which is common and often undetected, is associated with fatigue, cognitive slowing, and neurological symptoms.

How Clarity Uses It	Vitamin B12 is included in Clarity at 5μg/day (208% of the daily value) to support baseline neurological function. This is a nutritional-level dose, not a therapeutic one. The evidence for B12 improving cognition in already-sufficient adults at this dose is limited. What is well-established is that B12 deficiency has measurable consequences for brain and nervous system health, and that maintaining adequate status supports normal neurological function.
The Evidence Context	The most relevant large-scale evidence comes from B-vitamin combination research. The VITACOG trial (Smith et al., 2010) — a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 271 adults over 70 with mild cognitive impairment — found that daily B-vitamin supplementation (including B12 at 500μg/day, folic acid, and B6) reduced the rate of brain atrophy by 53% in participants with elevated homocysteine, compared to placebo (0.76%/year vs 1.08%/year, p = 0.001). This is a combination study at a substantially higher B12 dose, and effects were most pronounced in those with elevated homocysteine. It does not establish that 5μg/day B12 alone improves cognition in healthy, non-deficient adults.
The Position	B12's value in Clarity is about nutritional completeness and maintaining the biological conditions that support cognitive function, particularly for people whose B12 status may be suboptimal. Vegetarians, vegans, and people over 50 are at higher risk of insufficient B12 status. For these groups, 208% of the daily value provides a meaningful buffer.

How Clarity Uses It

Vitamin B12 is included in Clarity at 5μg/day (208% of the daily value) to support baseline neurological function. This is a nutritional-level dose, not a therapeutic one. The evidence for B12 improving cognition in already-sufficient adults at this dose is limited. What is well-established is that B12 deficiency has measurable consequences for brain and nervous system health, and that maintaining adequate status supports normal neurological function.

The Evidence Context

The most relevant large-scale evidence comes from B-vitamin combination research. The VITACOG trial (Smith et al., 2010) — a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 271 adults over 70 with mild cognitive impairment — found that daily B-vitamin supplementation (including B12 at 500μg/day, folic acid, and B6) reduced the rate of brain atrophy by 53% in participants with elevated homocysteine, compared to placebo (0.76%/year vs 1.08%/year, p = 0.001).

This is a combination study at a substantially higher B12 dose, and effects were most pronounced in those with elevated homocysteine. It does not establish that 5μg/day B12 alone improves cognition in healthy, non-deficient adults.

The Position

B12's value in Clarity is about nutritional completeness and maintaining the biological conditions that support cognitive function, particularly for people whose B12 status may be suboptimal. Vegetarians, vegans, and people over 50 are at higher risk of insufficient B12 status. For these groups, 208% of the daily value provides a meaningful buffer.

Excluded from Clarity

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT): There are no published randomised controlled trials demonstrating cognitive, mood, or stress benefits from oral NALT at any dose. The available human studies are pharmacokinetic infusion studies, not cognition trials. Excluded from this page to preserve the clinical evidence standard.

Note: NALT is included in the Clarity formula for its theoretical role as a catecholamine precursor. It does not appear on this page because the page is limited to ingredients with direct human clinical evidence.

Three ingredients of Staje products on a light blue background

How We Select Our Ingredients

Every active ingredient in our formulas must clear the same bar: human clinical evidence, a specific mechanism of action, and a dose that matches what was used in the research. We don't include ingredients because they're trending. We include them because the data holds up.

Where possible, we use trademarked, standardised extracts, the same forms used in the published studies. This matters because raw ingredient quality and standardisation varies significantly across suppliers.