Formulation Review Report | Project B Good Night
Product Studied: Project B Good Night
Introduction
We at Project B emphasize on being bare and transparent of our product ingredient and formulation. We have an extensive product development stage, carefully engineer every product to ensure they work. As a part of our groundwork, we reach out to a number of independent professionals for a blind test to compare the nutritional information and ingredients of our formula with the available brands in the market.
Under this review, we reached out to independent general practitioner to compare the nutritional information and ingredients of sleep aid products from two other brands: 21st Century, Swisse and Project B, to see if there was any way to improve it. This was a blind test, that 21st Century's, Swisse's and Project B's names are never disclosed during the creation of the reviews. The general practitioner was not paid or given anything to endorse any of these products.
This product has been studied and fine-tuned for over 36 months before the formulation is confirmed. We took another 6 months to test its efficacy profile on over 48 individuals before it is being delivered to you. This part of the report reviews the product formulation, where we have another part of the report displays the results of the efficacy profile.
Who are the formulators
This is an interest and work of Dr Perry and his team of researchers possessing strong data and information in the area of adaptogenics and nootropics. He has also published over 72 articles and journals throughout his professional career. This collaboration work focuses on having a solution for better and calm mental state with the ultimate goal to promote rest & sleep using safer alternatives and natural approaches.
Here, we took over 36 months to finalize the product formula, where each ingredients at their optimum effective dose, can work synergistically for better product efficacy profile.
Who have we approached
We wanted to carry out a fair review of our product, so we have invited Dr. Divyansh, an independent general practitioner with over 13 years of experience serving the community in the clinic setting. We believe Dr. Divyansh has the capability in sounding a credible opinion in view of his profession. We look forward to gaining some insights from the review generated.
What is General Practitioner
In the medical profession, a general practitioner (GP) is a medical doctor who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients of all ages. A general practitioner manages types of illness that present in an undifferentiated way at an early stage of development, which may require urgent intervention. Their duties are not confined to specific organs of the body, and they have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues. They are trained to treat patients of any age and sex to levels of complexity that vary between countries.
What have been evaluated
The nutritional information and ingredients of sleep aid products from three brands: 21st Century, Swisse and Project B are compared and evaluated.
The information we provided for review
Below, you can see the images the general practitioner was provided:
It was a totally blind test. The general practitioner was paid for his time producing the reviews, but not to endorse or write to favour. The reviews below aren't perfect, and we are the first to admit such. However, Dr. Divyansh is expert in his field, highly professional and have provided some great insights.
The results in brief
Rank 1: Project B Good Night
Rank 2: Swisse Ultiboost Sleep
Rank 3: 21st Century Melatonin
The results
The following review produced have not been edited or altered in any sense, it is the original piece that the independent general practitioner has provided.
General Practitioner: Divyansh (Dr.)
I operate a clinic in the urban and it is not uncommon that patients enter the setting with complaints raised from day to day stress and the inability to sleep. I often get asked for a recommendation to help rest and relax; personally and professionaly, I would always opt for non-pharmacological methods to start off with, change in lifestyle, habits and get to the root of cause. From there, if sleeping aid is needed, encourage to start with non-habit forming options, one that will not cause dependency over long term use or a rebound insomnia, to use for short term (less than 4 weeks) or when required only. Through my professional practice, I have also learnt that some patients with lower financial capibility would opt for widely accessible sedating cough syrup from pharmacies, that is typically cheaper for its antihistamine content that can cause drowsiness and use for its sedating element. These off label use can be dangerous and detrimental to health.
Melatonin (Product B) is the most common ingredient, widely accessible and can be found in almost all sleep supplements, go through the supplement fact labels, 8 or 9 out of 10 sleep promoting supplements contain melatonin in different concentrations: 2mg / 3mg / 5mg / 10mg (maximum). Melatonin supplement is usually affordable, and not to mention highly effective - patients get results almost instantly. Melatonin is a hormone that our brain produces in response to darkness, it acts like a messenger, an internal clock that tells your brain when to sleep and when to wake up (sleep-wake cycle); a rise in melatonin levels indicate the time to sleep, decrease in melatonin levels indicate time to wake, this set of action ultimately times the individual's circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock). In simpler term, consuming melatonin will instantly sends the message to your brain to tell that it is time to sleep, our brain responds and puts user into a state of calmness, and eventually sleep. While melatonin is particularly effective, supplement usually presents melatonin at doses higher than what the body normally produces, reports cited safe for short term use. However, taking too much melatonin supplements can decrease the body’s natural production and make it rely on getting melatonin from the supplements instead of making its own.
Product A and Product C both offer full herbal options. For herbal products, the question heavily lies to the respective grading, origin & purity of these herbal extracts (?). While I prefer to take into account of each of the ingredients' quality, as the alternative comparison, we will be taking a view from the concentration perspective. Product A offers 9 herbs in 3g per serving, there is no concentration listed per ingredient which is displeasing, based on what we have provided with, we can only know from the table that Product A has 3,000mg full of active ingredients; Product C offers 7 herbs with each of their concentration listed, Product C has 787.90mg as the total active present. Comparing head to head, mg to mg, Product A: Product C at 3000 : 788. Dissecting their individual ingredient profile, Product C has valerian extract as the only ingredient that meets the minimum dose required, the rests are around 50mg or less, presenting this product to rely very much on valerian extract to work; Product A offers Chamomile, Ashwagandha, Pegaga as its top 3 ingredients, with Saffron to notably end the ingredient profile, Product A offers a better competitive edge with a diversified ingredient profile, with a particular note on saffron as a highly appreciate source and the most expensive spice in the world. These ingredients selected for use in both Product A and Product C have their respective established efficacy in research articles to help sleep and relaxation, some have stronger data some less, but the combination placement are all fairly good choices.
Briefly touching on the prices, herbal origins are generally more expensive than chemically derived taking into account the plantation, labour, waste and the complex derivation processes involved. Overall, these products are fairly priced having their ingredient of choice and total concentration reviewed, Product A offers the most expensive price per serving at RM6 (highest concentration and most number of herbs); Product C as second RM2.10; Product A as the cheapest option RM0.50 (single ingredient, synthetically derived).
To end the review with a note as a healthcare professional, I always believe in step up approach: applying the minimum pharmacological force necessary to achieve therapeutic solution, and increase the intervention as we go. For better sleep, first start with a change in lifestyle, habits & sleep hygiene. If that doesn't solve, raise to step 2 for safe supplements as sleeping aid. Only if required, pharmacological intervention (medicated prescription of sleeping pill) as last step. There is no best or worst product, instead, focus on which is more suitable for you. Putting together these input, I recommend to start with herbal / natural options like those offered in Product A or Product C. If required, may consider to step up to melatonin supplement like Product A, but use for short term only, and to return to herbal options for maintenance.
Rank 1: Product A
Rank 2: Product C
Rank 3: Product B
Author's Note: We had no contact with Dr. Divyansh before the test was conducted, and he had never heard of Project B until after the results were gathered. These results were entirely independent and blind on his behalf.