Nutrition

Mood bar – perfect balance of flavor and nutrition

A 30 g bar delivers 10 g of protein, 2­­–4 g of fat, and complex carbohydrates in the form of Isomalto-oligosaccharides or resistant dextrins.

If you follow good fitness advice, you must know that it takes 20 g of protein in a meal to activate your muscle protein synthesis, and this activation is most efficient when the protein is combined with complex carbs like the Isomalto-oligosaccharides. Two Mood Bars deliver what you need, AND you get to savor not one but two amazing flavors. Yum!

Mood Protein Bar doesn’t stop at amazing taste, unparalleled freshness, and a clean list of ingredients. It also puts the fun and funk back into FUNkTIONAL nutrition by adding customization options.

If you are on a Low Carb or Keto diet, choose Soluble Tapioca Fiber as the source of carbs. And if you want better control of your portion size, buy for a party, or enjoy playing with your food, choose the Brick version instead of individually wrapped bars and have fun reshaping and cutting it any way you like!

Milk and Whey Protein Isolates

Today’s market offers protein isolates from many different sources – eggs, rice, beef, cricket, hemp, pea, pumpkin, canola, soy, etc. However, no matter how much the industry tries, milk and whey protein isolates are still the best when texture, flavor, and nutritional facts (amino acid composition) are considered. Of course, not all milk and whey protein isolates are equal. That is why we made sure to use only the highest quality products in terms of flavor and texture. It took us years, literally, to screen numerous protein isolates and perfect the blend so that our bars not only have amazing flavor with no off notes but also give you a satisfying first bite along with a pleasant and mouthwatering chewiness without sticking to your teeth. Our bars stay cohesive like fresh pastry and then just melt in your mouth to leave a creamy and smooth feeling – no sticky, gunky mess of regrets.

One other thing you’ll notice is that our bars are not sickly sweet and do not have overbearing aromas to cover up those unpleasant flavors that come with low quality protein isolates.

Of all the dough style protein bars on the market, we can proudly claim best texture AND flavor! 

Nut, Seed, and Other Butters

Nut and seed butters provide great healthy fats, some protein and fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium). They are the most frequent source of fats in Mood Protein Bars. Fats are not only needed to fuel our metabolism. Fats are the ingredient that create the right mouthfeel, complement and enhance the flavor, and in most cases define the color. And since flavor is so important to us and our customers, we do a lot of research and development to find the right fat source for each flavor. That is why we are the only brand that uses more than ten different butters in our recipes!

We use only natural and organic nut, seed and other butters in our bars.

 When it comes to tree nuts, there is more value than just great taste and healthy fats. A recently published systematic review on tree nut consumption benefits made an astounding conclusion: “The available literature suggests that higher nut consumption could be associated with a lower risk of depression, fewer depressive symptoms, and better mood state in the general population.” Sorry, peanuts, we love you too, but you are not as cool.

One last piece of great news about nuts is that not all those calories that come from nuts are bioavailable, meaning that you get about 30% fewer calories than listed on the nut package label. Current research from the USDA demonstrates that this applies to almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and potentially other nuts. What does that mean to you? Mood Protein Bars made with almonds have 5–10 fewer calories than listed on the Nutrition Facts label.

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/03/23/going-nuts-calories

Isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO)

IMO is a multifunctional health molecule made from plant starch by fermentation.

In 2018 study scientists from Texas A&M University studied the effect of a protein bar containing IMO as a source of carbohydrate. They concluded that “using IMO as a carbohydrate source in a protein energy/food bar promoted a significantly lower glycemic response while still stimulating insulin release. The protein/food bar had a low glycemic index (34 [CI 23, 46]) and glycemic load 8.5 [CI 5.6, 11.6] [25] when normalized to the dextrose reference. It also reduced perceptions related to appetite with no effect on hypoglycemia related symptoms. Thus, this protein/food bar may serve as a low glycemic food option for individuals on a low glycemic diet or trying to maintain weight and/or athletes interested in optimizing nutrient availability around exercise.”

Grubic T J, Sowinski R, Dalton R, Collins P B, Reyes A G, Favot C, Rasmussen C, Greenwood M, Murano PS , Earnest C P, Kreider R B (2018) Glycemic and Insulinemic Response to Ingestion of a Novel Food Bar Containing Whey Protein and Isomalto-Oligosaccharides. Austin J Nutri Food Sci 6(1).

In plain English this means that IMO in Mood Protein Bar will curb your hunger cravings for longer and not cause sugar crash (Reactive Hypoglycemia) like after eating a candy all the while enabling your muscle growth. 

In 2019 same group of researchers published results of another study and concluded that Protein/IMO-containing bar “can positively affect glucose homeostasis, help maintain workout performance, and lessen perceptions of muscle soreness.”

Grubic T J, Sowinski R J, Nevares B E, Jenkins V M, Williamson S L, Reyes A G, Rasmussen C, Greenwood M, Murano PS, Earnest C P, Kreider R B. (2019) Comparison of ingesting a food bar containing whey protein and isomalto-oligosaccharides to carbohydrate on performance and recovery from an acute bout of resistance-exercise and sprint conditioning: an open label, randomized, counterbalanced, crossover pilot study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 16(1).

 IMO is perfectly safe for adults and children.

 Soluble Tapioca Fiber

Soluble Tapioca Fiber (STF) is an all-natural plant-based soluble ­fiber sometimes also called resistant dextrin or digestion-resistant dextrin. Just like IMO, it is made from plant starch by fermentation; however, it is a different type of fermentation with a different end product. STF and IMO have different chemical structures and get digested differently. STF behaves like a true vegetable fiber, meaning that it gets digested via fermentation (i.e., much slower) and does not cause a glycemic response.

Technical data sheets below list key properties of a typical STF (left) and a typical IMO (right). Note the differences in calories and fiber content. STF is less sweet and less caloric than IMO. STF is recognized by the USDA as fiber, whereas IMO is not.

There is a lot of confusion in the KETO society about the suitability of STF for Keto diets, and the source of that confusion has been initially incomplete research data and later mislabeling. First, it was mistakenly reported that IMO behaved just like fiber, and that even led to the initial recognition of IMO as fiber by the USDA. When more research data became available, the USDA reclassified IMO as a digestible carbohydrate (non-fiber). However, some not-so-ethical companies still used and reported it as fiber instead of the more expensive STF.

ketogenic.com conducted a thorough investigation and published an excellent report that you may want to read: https://ketogenic.com/soluble-tapioca-fiber/

They arrived at the same conclusion: STF is a fiber, and it is a perfect fit for the keto diet.

The health world has been obsessed with probiotics. A lot of research and investment has gone into developing and testing out different probiotic strains and characterizing the relationships between the microbiome (your gut bacteria) and various aspects of human health. Numerous scientific and clinical studies demonstrate that the microbiome affects not only your digestion but also insulin response, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, immunity, inflammation, aging, sleep, mood, cognition, stress response, and other aspects of your health.

Warman DJ, Jia H, Kato H. The Potential Roles of Probiotics, Resistant Starch, and Resistant Proteins in Ameliorating Inflammation during Aging (Inflammaging). Nutrients. 2022 Feb 10;14(4):747.

Steenbergen L, Sellaro R, van Hemert S, Bosch JA, Colzato LS. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain Behav Immun. 2015 Aug;48:258-64.

Sabico S, Al-Mashharawi A, Al-Daghri NM, Yakout S, Alnaami AM, Alokail MS, McTernan PG. Effects of a multi-strain probiotic supplement for 12 weeks in circulating endotoxin levels and cardiometabolic profiles of medication naïve T2DM patients: a randomized clinical trial. J Transl Med. 2017 Dec 11;15(1):249.

Shafie M, Homayouni Rad A, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Mirghafourvand M. The effect of probiotics on mood and sleep quality in postmenopausal women: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2022 Aug;50:15-23.

Margolis KG, Cryan JF, Mayer EA. The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: From Motility to Mood. Gastroenterology. 2021 Apr;160(5):1486-1501. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.10.066.

You must have heard a lot about the benefits of yogurt and kombucha. To make them work, you need to regularly consume prebiotics; that way, your organism will have a good supply of postbiotics.

Here are all the definitions:

• Probiotics contain live microbes that can populate our gut (e.g., Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in fermented foods).
• Prebiotics are food for microbes (e.g., fibers like resistant dextrin, fructo-oligosaccharides, beta-glucan, etc.).
• Postbiotics are the metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, SCFAs) produced by the microbes.

Now let’s get back to STF (Soluble Tapioca Fiber, a.k.a. resistant dextrin). STF is not just a good filler that improves your feeling of satiation and curbs your appetite. It is not just a great source of slow-release energy. STF is also a great prebiotic that will help increase bacterial population, which produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that further lead to anti-inflammatory activities and abatement of aging-related chronic low-grade inflammation (Warman et al., 2022). Studies also demonstrated that resistant dextrins lead to the reduction of BMI, total body fat, and markers of metabolic disorders (Włodarczyk and Śliżewska, 2021).

Włodarczyk M, Śliżewska K. Efficiency of Resistant Starch and Dextrins as Prebiotics: A Review of the Existing Evidence and Clinical Trials. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 26;13(11):3808.

In a recent clinical study, resistant dextrin was used in type 2 diabetic women to determine its effect on sleep, quality of life (QOL), and inflammation (Saleh-Ghadimi et al., 2022). It was determined that STF “improves sleep and QOL in obese women with type 2 diabetes. Its beneficial effects may be attributed in part to modulation of glycemia, metabolic endotoxemia and subsequently a decrease in biomarkers of inflammation and HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis activity.”

Saleh-Ghadimi S, Dehghan P, Sarmadi B, Maleki P. Improvement of sleep by resistant dextrin prebiotic in type 2 diabetic women coincides with attenuation of metabolic endotoxemia: involvement of gut-brain axis. J Sci Food Agric. 2022 Sep;102(12):5229-5237.

Soluble Tapioca Fiber is also a perfect choice of fiber because it will not cause any intestinal discomfort. Unlike chicory fibernulin—STF it will not cause gas and inflammation. That’s right, the widely promoted inulin not only causes gas (excessive flatulence reported in almost 80% of inulin consumers!) but also, according to the most recent research, may cause type 2 inflammation.

Arifuzzaman M, Won TH, Li TT, Yano H, Digumarthi S, Heras AF, Zhang W, Parkhurst CN, Kashyap S, Jin WB, Putzel GG, Tsou AM, Chu C, Wei Q, Grier A; JRI IBD Live Cell Bank Consortium, Worgall S, Guo CJ, Schroeder FC, Artis D. Inulin fibre promotes microbiota-derived bile acids and type 2 inflammation. Nature. 2022 Nov;611(7936):578-584.

Erythritol

Erythritol is a type of sugar naturally occurring in some fruits and fermented foods. It is 60–70% as sweet as table sugar yet it is almost noncaloric, does not affect blood sugar, and does not cause tooth decay. Because of its unique digestion pathway, erythritol does not cause gastric side effects like other sugar alcohols (e.g., xylitol and maltitol used in many other protein bars cause flatulence and diarrhea). For safe use in children, a scientific panel for the European Food Safety Authority recommended the upper limit content per food or beverage serving was 0.6 grams per kg body weight. So, a 6-year-old child weighing 44 lbs. (20 kg) can safely consume 12 grams of erythritol or up to four Mood Protein Bars in one sitting.

Stevia

Stevia is an herb native to North and South Americas and has been used in some areas for 1,500 years. Stevia glycosides, extracted from plant's leaves, are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, and have become very common with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar sweeteners. Stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose thus recommended to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. Stevia can be safely consumed by children.

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit, also known as ‘Lo Han Guo’ or ‘swingle fruit’, is a small fruit of the gourd family (relative of pumpkins and cucumbers) native to southern China.  Monk fruit sweeteners are no-calorie sweeteners that can be used to lower one’s intake of added sugars, while still providing satisfaction to enjoy the taste of something sweet. Monk fruit mogrosides, extracted from plant’s fruits, are about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Mogroside extract has been used as a low-calorie sweetener for drinks and in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Monk fruit can be safely consumed by children.

Functional Ingredients

Phosphatidylserine 

Phospholipids, a.k.a. lecithin, can be isolated from many plant and animal sources, including vegetable oils, egg yolk, and milk. Phospholipids are an essential component of all cell membranes within the body, especially the brain where lipids make up the majority of the dry weight. Chemically speaking, these are complex lipids, possessing charged groups, represented mostly by phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine. These are the very molecules that help mix oil and water in mayonnaise and other foods.

Scientific and clinical evidence accumulated in the past 20 years demonstrates that dietary intake of products containing phospholipids, and especially phosphatidylserine, has many health benefits, including stress management, improved mood, cognition, and physical performance. Some data also suggest that phospholipids have anti-inflammatory and other protective properties.

Mood, Stress, Focus, Cognition, and Memory

A large number of research and clinical trials demonstrated that consumption of 200–900 mg of phosphatidylserine per day helped fight stress and improved mood, focus, memory, and cognitive functions (Benton et al., 2001; Baumeister et al., 2008; Boyle et al., 2019; Moré et al., 2014; Hellhammer et al., 2010; Parker et al., 2011; Starks et al., 2008). One clinical study demonstrated reduced symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (Schmidt et al., 2018). The responses were potentially mediated through a modulation of endocrine responses, including cortisol availability and increased testosterone/cortisol ratio (Hellhammer et al., 2004, Schubert et al., 2011, Hellhammer et al., 2014, Starks et al., 2008, Contarini & Povolo, 2013).

Several trials have shown the significant benefits of milk phospholipids on cognitive outcomes. These benefits are well established in infants, where dairy ingredients that contain milk phospholipids can be added to infant formulas to match human breast milk more closely. Both animal and human trials have shown benefits for the improvement in cognitive development in infants (Ambrożej et al., 2021; Gurnida et al., 2012; Timby et al., 2014). Some data demonstrate similar effects in adults and the elderly (Gallier et al., 2018, Richter et al., 2013).

Anti-Inflammatory and Cardioprotective

Inflammation underlies many adverse health outcomes, and anti-inflammatory foods and diets have been widely popularized in recent years. Both in vitro and in vivo work indicate that both phospholipid-rich and ganglioside-rich components impact a range of anti-inflammatory pathways (Park et al., 2007; Palmano et al., 2019). Numerous scientific reports support the anti-inflammatory properties of milk phospholipids in humans (Dalbeth et al., 2012; Zanabria et al., 2014; Demmer et al., 2016). One recent animal study demonstrated the cardioprotective effect of phosphatidylserine, with both cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms involved (Schumacher et al., 2021).

Ambrożej D, Dumycz K, Dziechciarz P, Ruszczyński M. (2021) Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation in Children: Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 13(3):714.

Baumeister J, Barthel T, Geiss KR, Weiss M. (2008) Influence of phosphatidylserine on cognitive performance and cortical activity after induced stress. Nutr Neurosci. 11(3):103-10.

Benton D, Donohoe RT, Sillance B, Nabb S. (2001) The influence of phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor. Nutr Neurosci. 4(3):169-78.

Boyle N B, Dye L, Arkbåge K, Thorell L, Frederiksen P, Croden F, Lawton C (2019): Effects of milk-based phospholipids on cognitive performance and subjective responses to psychosocial stress: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in high-perfectionist men. Nutrition, 57, 183-193.

Contarini G, Povolo M (2013): Phospholipids in milk fat: Composition, biological and technological significance, and analytical strategies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 14, 2808-2831.

Dalbeth N, Ames R, Gamble G D, Horne A, Wong S, Kuhn-Sherlock B, MacGibbon A, McQueen F M, Reid I R & Palmano K (2012): Effects of skim milk powder enriched with glycomacropeptide and G600 milk fat extract on frequency of gout flares: a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 71, 929-934.

Demmer E, Van Loan M D, Rivera N, Rogers T S, Gertz E R, Bruce German J, Smilowitz J T, Zivkovic A M, German J B, Smilowitz J T, Zivkovic A M (2016): Addition of a dairy fraction rich in milk fat globule membrane to a high-saturated fat meal reduces the postprandial insulinaemic and inflammatory response in overweight and obese adults. Journal of Nutritional Science, 5, 1-11.

Gallier S, MacGibbon A K, McJarrow P (2018): Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) supplementation and cognition. Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech, 29, 14-16.

Gurnida D A, Rowan A M, Idjradinata P, Muchtadi D, Sekarwana N (2012): Association of complex lipids containing gangliosides with cognitive development of 6-month-old infants. Early Human Development, 88, 595-601.

Hellhammer J, Fries E, Buss C, Engert V, Tuch A, Rutenberg D, Hellhammer D. (2004) Effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) on the endocrine and psychological responses to mental stress. Stress. 7(2):119-26.

Hellhammer J, Waladkhani A R, Hero T & Buss C (2010): Effects of milk phospholipid on memory and psychological stress response. British Food Journal, 112, 1124-1137.

Hellhammer J, Vogt D, Franz N, Freitas U, Rutenberg D. (2014) A soy-based phosphatidylserine/ phosphatidic acid complex (PAS) normalizes the stress reactivity of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis in chronically stressed male subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis. 13:121.

Moré M I, Freitas U, Rutenberg D. (2014) Positive effects of soy lecithin-derived phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidic acid on memory, cognition, daily functioning, and mood in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Advanced Therapeutics, 31(12):1247-62.

Palmano K P, MacGibbon A K H, Gunn C A, Schollum L M. (2020) In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bovine Milkfat Globule (MFGM)-derived Complex Lipid Fractions. Nutrients. 12(7):2089.

Park E J, Suh M, Thomson B, Ma D W L, Ramanujam K, Thomson A B R, Clandinin M T (2007) Dietary ganglioside inhibits acute inflammatory signals in intestinal mucosa and blood induced by systemic inflammation of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. Shock, 28, 112-117.

Parker A G, Gordon J, Thornton A, Byars A, Lubker J, Bartlett M, Byrd M, Oliver J, Simbo S, Rasmussen C, Greenwood M, Kreider R B. (2011) The effects of IQPLUS Focus on cognitive function, mood and endocrine response before and following acute exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 21;8:16.

Richter Y, Herzog Y, Lifshitz Y, Hayun R, Zchut S. (2013) The effect of soybean-derived phosphatidylserine on cognitive performance in elderly with subjective memory complaints: a pilot study. Clin Interv Aging. 8:557-63.

Schmidt K, Weber N, Steiner M, Meyer N, Dubberke A, Rutenberg D, Hellhammer J. (2018) A lecithin phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid complex (PAS) reduces symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome (PMS): Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 24:22-30.

Schubert M, Contreras C, Franz N, Hellhammer J (2011): Milk-based phospholipids increase morning cortisol availability and improve memory in chronically stressed men. Nutrition Research, 31, 413-420.

Schumacher D, Curaj A, Staudt M, Cordes F, Dumitraşcu A R , Rolles B, Beckers C, Soppert J, Rusu M, Simsekyilmaz S, Kneizeh K, Ramachandra C J A, Hausenloy D J, Liehn E A. (2021) Phosphatidylserine Supplementation as a Novel Strategy for Reducing Myocardial Infarct Size and Preventing Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling. Int J Mol Sci. 22(9):4401.

Starks M A, Starks S L, Kingsley M, Purpura M, Jäger R. (2008) The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 28;5:11.

Timby N, Domellöf E, Hernell O, Lönnerdal B, Domellöf M (2014) Neurodevelopment, nutrition, and growth until 12 mo of age in infants fed a low energy, low-protein formula supplemented with bovine milk fat globule membranes: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 99, 860-868.

Zanabria R, Tellez AM, Griffiths M, Sharif S, Corredig M. (2014) Modulation of immune function by milk fat globule membrane isolates. J Dairy Sci. 97(4):2017-26.

L-Theanine

L-Theanine is a compound naturally found in green tea that’s been demonstrated to provide a sense of control, energy, and balance. Green tea has been helping scholars, warriors, and monks to calm their body and clear their mind for centuries.

L-Theanine (or simply Theanine) is the healthy, safe, and effective option to get all the benefits of green tea and help you manage stress, find your inner calm, and enhance your mental sharpness without the negative side effects of typical energy boosters or sleep aids.

Hundreds of scientific and clinical studies have demonstrated that Theanine enhances relaxation without drowsiness, boosts mental sharpness, and can help improve sleep quality.

Theanine works directly in the brain. Its effect is felt within about 20–30 minutes after consumption and results in an increased output of alpha waves in your brain, indicating your brain is in a relaxed yet alert state. At the same time, your beta waves decrease, which correlates with reducing excitability without feeling groggy.

A 200 mg dose is known to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve focus, attention, learning performance, and mental clarity. What has also been observed is that Theanine reduces the negative effects of caffeine consumption, such as jitters, dizziness, or nausea. And while it is easy to get too much caffeine from just one espresso or a can of energy drink, getting enough Theanine will require you to drink five cups of green tea. Makes a lot of sense to get it in your favorite Mod Protein Bar, doesn’t it? Theanine may be used during the day when you need to perform at your best and at night for a restful, high-quality sleep.

Besides all the other medicinal properties, Theanine is also a promising neuroprotector that may help prevent and treat Parkinson’s disease. There is so much research on Theanine that mentioning even a fraction of what’s available will take many pages. Here are just a few references to relevant review papers for those who would like to learn more.

Camfield DA, Stough C, Farrimond J, Scholey AB. Acute effects of tea constituents L-theanine, caffeine, and epigallocatechin gallate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev. 2014 Aug;72(8):507-22.

Lopes Sakamoto F, Metzker Pereira Ribeiro R, Amador Bueno A, Oliveira Santos H. Psychotropic effects of L-theanine and its clinical properties: From the management of anxiety and stress to a potential use in schizophrenia. Pharmacol Res. 2019 Sep;147:104395.

Dietz C, Dekker M. Effect of Green Tea Phytochemicals on Mood and Cognition. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23(19):2876-2905.

Deb S, Dutta A, Phukan BC, Manivasagam T, Justin Thenmozhi A, Bhattacharya P, Paul R, Borah A. Neuroprotective attributes of L-theanine, a bioactive amino acid of tea, and its potential role in Parkinson's disease therapeutics. Neurochem Int. 2019 Oct;129:104478.

*These statements have not been verified by the FDA. This product is not designed to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.