What the ingredient label may tell us about Mosh bars before you take your first bite.
Every once in a while, a product seems to appear everywhere at once. One minute you’ve never heard of it, and the next, it’s all over your social media feed and popping up in ads. That’s exactly what happened with Mosh.
My mom texted me, since I’m a health and lifestyle coach, asking what I thought after seeing members of the Kennedy family promoting the brand. Soon after, I started seeing Mosh everywhere. Instagram really knows how to get my attention.
I figured it was time to take a closer look.
On their website, Mosh highlights ingredients that may support brain function,including Cognizin, vitamins B12 and D3, lion’s mane, ashwagandha, and omega-3s. They also share their mission of supporting Alzheimer’s research and explain that the company was inspired by a loved one’s experience with Alzheimer’s disease.
I love a company with a meaningful mission. At the same time, I always want to look past the marketing and see whether the ingredients support the claims.
One ingredient that caught my attention was Cognizin, a patented form of citicoline. According to Mosh, research suggests citicoline may support healthy mitochondria, the brain’s energy production, ATP levels, focus, concentration, and mental performance. Many of the studies I found used about 500 mg of citicoline daily. Naturally, my next question was simple. How much Cognizin is in this bar?
To compare the marketing with the label, I picked the Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch flavor because it’s probably the one I’d reach for first.
The front of the package highlights 13 grams of protein, 3 grams of sugar, and brain-supporting ingredients. Mosh also describes the bar as fuel for your brain and body that can work as a snack, breakfast replacement, or post-workout option. That raised a question for me because each of those occasions has different nutrition needs. We’ll keep that in mind as we look at the label.
The nutrition facts list 170 calories, 9 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, including 7 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, 3 grams of sugar alcohols, and 13 grams of protein.
That gives you roughly the protein found in about two ounces of meat, along with a solid amount of fiber. The fat is a little higher than I’d usually look for in a single packaged food, so the ingredient list becomes even more important. To me, this works best as a snack. It may also fit before a workout, depending on your needs. I wouldn’t choose it as a breakfast replacement or post-workout meal.
The ingredients include peanuts, a protein blend made of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and grass-fed milk protein isolate, tapioca fiber, organic agave, natural flavor, vegetable glycerin, unsweetened chocolate, erythritol, cocoa butter, a brain blend containing flaxseed, organic lion’s mane, and Cognizin, plus vitamin B12, vitamin D3, KSM-66 ashwagandha, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, stevia, monk fruit, tapioca starch, and calcium carbonate.
I was happy to see peanuts listed first. The protein sources are solid choices as well. I would have preferred to see agave appear a little lower on the ingredient list, though it isn’t a deal breaker for me. The sugar alcohols and natural flavors are worth noting since everyone responds to those ingredients differently.
My biggest question is still the brain blend. I appreciate that Mosh tells us what is included. What I wish they shared is how much of each ingredient is in the blend.
Looking at the vitamins, the bar provides 3 micrograms of vitamin D (that’s not a lot compared to the recommended daily amount) and 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12. The label doesn’t identify the sources of either vitamin, which makes them harder to evaluate. The omega-3s mentioned by the brand are likely coming from the flaxseed, though the amount isn’t listed either.
Overall, the ingredients are appealing, and several have research exploring their potential role in brain function and mental wellness. Without knowing the specific amounts of Cognizin, lion’s mane, flaxseed, and the rest of the brain blend, it’s difficult to know whether the bar provides amounts similar to those used in research on mental performance.
That doesn’t mean Mosh isn’t worth trying. If you enjoy the taste, it fits your routine, and the ingredients work well for you, it may be a convenient snack with a solid protein boost. When it comes to the brain health messaging, though, the label doesn’t give us enough information to connect the research with what’s inside the bar. For now, that’s something you’ll have to judge based on your own experience.