The science behind silencing food noise: CQR-300® and IGOB131®

The science behind silencing food noise

Most people assume cravings are a willpower problem. They're not. They're a signalling problem.

Food noise, the constant mental pull toward food between meals, the snack you don't need, the thought that won't leave you alone, isn't a character flaw. It's your body running on a broken feedback loop. And two of the ingredients in Confidence are specifically studied for their ability to fix it.

What's actually driving the noise

Two hormones sit at the centre of appetite regulation: leptin and serotonin.

Leptin is produced by fat cells and signals the brain that you've had enough. When leptin signalling is impaired (which it often is in people who are overweight or hormonally disrupted), the brain doesn't register fullness properly. You eat, but the satisfaction signal never quite arrives.

Serotonin plays a parallel role. Low serotonin is associated with increased appetite, emotional eating, and a reduced ability to feel satisfied. It's also one of the key reasons cravings tend to spike with stress.

Blood glucose instability compounds both. When glucose drops after a meal, hunger signals spike quickly, regardless of how much you actually ate. The result is a near-constant background hum of food-focused thinking.

Confidence targets all three pathways.

CQR-300™: Cissus quadrangularis and the serotonin connection

CQR-300™ is a proprietary extract of Cissus quadrangularis, a succulent vine used in Ayurvedic and traditional African medicine for centuries. The extract is standardised to 2.5% ketosteroids, the active compound class believed to drive its metabolic effects.

The clinical data is substantial. Across multiple randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, CQR-300™ consistently reduced body weight, body fat, waist circumference, total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose.

But the finding most relevant to food noise is this: CQR-300™ significantly increases plasma serotonin (5-HT).

In a 2007 study published in Lipids in Health and Disease involving 153 participants, researchers found that CQR-300™ produced significant increases in plasma serotonin alongside meaningful reductions in weight and metabolic markers. The authors concluded that the serotonin increase "hypothesizes a mechanism of controlling appetite" by Cissus quadrangularis, directly supporting the observed weight loss outcomes.

CQR-300™ also inhibits alpha-amylase, glucosidase, and lipase, enzymes involved in carbohydrate and fat digestion. Slowing that breakdown slows glucose absorption, which reduces the sharp post-meal spikes and drops that trigger cravings in the first place.

A 2019 study using DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, considered the gold standard for body composition measurement) found that 300 mg of CQR-300™ taken before meals for 8 weeks reduced body fat by 12.8% and waist circumference by 8.9% compared to placebo. Participants also reported subjective improvements including decreased appetite and a feeling of lightness.

IGOB131™: Mango seed and the leptin reset

IGOB131™ is a patented extract of Irvingia gabonensis, the seed of the African mango. It's backed by 5 peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials involving over 300 subjects.

Its primary mechanism is hormonal. IGOB131™ modulates leptin, adiponectin, and C-reactive protein (a key inflammation marker) to restore the metabolic balance that drives healthy appetite control.

The 2009 flagship study published in Lipids in Health and Disease involved 102 overweight participants over 10 weeks. Participants taking 150 mg of IGOB131™ twice daily before meals saw:

- Average weight loss of 28 lbs
- Waist reduction of 6.7 inches
- Body fat reduction of 18.4%
- Significant improvements in leptin, adiponectin, blood glucose, cholesterol, and C-reactive protein

All compared to placebo. No dietary changes required.

The leptin normalisation is particularly relevant to cravings. Leptin resistance, where the brain stops properly registering the satiety signal, is one of the most common and least discussed drivers of persistent food noise. By restoring leptin sensitivity, IGOB131™ helps the brain receive the message it was already trying to send.

IGOB131™ also acts as a soluble dietary fibre, delaying stomach emptying and slowing glucose absorption. The result is a more gradual, sustained sense of fullness across the day.

What happens when they work together

A 2008 study published in Lipids in Health and Disease tested a Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination directly against a Cissus-only group and placebo across 72 participants over 10 weeks.

The combination outperformed both.

By week 10, the CQ-IG group had reduced body fat by 20% compared to 14.6% in the CQ-only group and 4% in the placebo group. Waist circumference dropped by 21.9 cm in the combination group vs 1 cm in placebo. Fasting blood glucose fell 31.4% in the combination group vs 2.6% in placebo.

The mechanisms reinforce each other. CQR-300™ raises serotonin and slows enzyme-driven glucose spikes. IGOB131™ resets leptin signalling and extends satiety. The net effect is a quieter, more regulated appetite response.

What this means in practice

Food noise isn't solved by eating less. It's solved by fixing the hormonal communication that tells your body when it's had enough.

The research on CQR-300™ and IGOB131™ points to a specific, testable mechanism: raise serotonin, restore leptin sensitivity, stabilise blood glucose. Those three shifts, working together, reduce the background pull toward food that makes consistent eating feel so hard.

Confidence is built around both.

Confidence contains 250mg of CQR-300™ and 250mg of IGOB131™ per daily dose. The individual ingredient studies referenced here used 300mg daily doses. The 2008 combination study used 250mg of the combined CQ-IG formulation twice daily. Confidence's 250mg per ingredient sits within the clinically studied range.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Clinical studies referenced

1. Oben JE et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis formulation in the management of weight loss and metabolic syndrome. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2006.
2. Oben JE et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2008.
3. Oben JE et al. The effect of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) and a Cissus formulation (CORE) on obesity and obesity-induced oxidative stress. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2007.
4. Kuate D et al. The use of Cissus quadrangularis (CQR-300) in the management of components of metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese participants. Natural Product Communications. 2015.
5. Kuate D et al. Cissus quadrangularis and effect on body fat determined by DEXA. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2019.
6. Ngondi JL et al. The effect of Irvingia gabonensis seeds on body weight and blood lipids of obese subjects in Cameroon. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2005.
7. Ngondi JL et al. IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2009.