The Impact of Qualia Vitamin C+ on Individuals With Suboptimal and Adequate Vitamin C Levels

June 10, 2026 updated by: Qualia Life Sciences
This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, study evaluating the effect of a Qualia Vitamin C+ formulation on Whole Blood Vitamin C levels in the blood of healthy adults aged 25 years or older that have suboptimal vitamin C blood levels (i.e., 0.4 - 0.9 mg/dL) and those with adequate vitamin C blood levels (≥0.9 mg/dL). Approximately 152 (76 in the suboptimal stratum and 76 in the adequate stratum) participants will be randomized to one of two study arms: Qualia Vitamin C+ or placebo. Each participant will take two capsules of their assigned product once daily in the morning, with or without food, over a 28-day period. The primary outcome is the change in blood vitamin C levels in the suboptimal stratum, assessed via lab blood collection at baseline and study completion. Secondary endpoints include the change in blood vitamin C levels, assessed via lab blood collection at baseline and study completion in the entire group, questionnaires measuring health-related Quality of Life and fatigue (RAND-36 and the FACIT-Fatigue Scale), the Single-item Assessment of Immune Fitness, evaluation of safety and tolerability, and an Overall Experience Questionnaire. Further, a sub-group analysis of fatigued participants meeting at least mild to moderate fatigue as measured by the FACIT-Fatigue will be a secondary objective. The NCI Fruits and Vegetable Screener - All-Day Screener will also be used to assess intake at baseline and study completion. All assessments, including electronic questionnaires, are completed remotely without in-person visits.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Design: Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Parallel 4-Armed Trial (4 arms) with 1:1:1:1 allocation, stratified by gender, age, and baseline vitamin C levels. Arms: (1) Suboptimal Qualia Vitamin C+, (2) Suboptimal Placebo, (3) Adequate Qualia Vitamin C+, and (4) Adequate Placebo. Participants will be stratified by gender and age at screening before being randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to one of the two study arms per stratum. Each participant will take two capsules of their assigned product daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 consecutive days. Participants will receive a 28-day supply (56 capsules) of their assigned intervention. The active product Qualia Vitamin C+ delivers 500 mg total vitamin C per daily serving (2 capsules) and contains a blend of Vitamin C (from liposomal vitamin C, mineral ascorbates, and fruit extracts), bioflavonoids, and ferulic acid. The placebo contains inert rice powder in a vegetable/cellulose capsule. Blood vitamin C levels will be measured via blood draws through Ulta Labs, which uses licensed blood draw centers operated by Quest Diagnostics. To maintain double-blinding, a designated Qualia Life Sciences staff member independent of the research team will assign and label all study products as A or B. Both participants and study personnel will remain blinded to group assignments until study completion. The primary analysis will be ANCOVA on Day 28 serum vitamin C in the suboptimal stratum, with baseline serum vitamin C, age, and sex as covariates and treatment arm as the factor of interest. Total enrollment: 152.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
152

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Carlsbad, California, United States, 92008
        • Qualia Life Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Provide voluntary, written, informed consent to participate in the study.
  • Agree to provide a valid cell phone number and are willing to receive communications through text.
  • Can read and write English.
  • Willing to complete questionnaires, records, and diaries associated with the study.
  • Healthy male and female participants aged 25 to 75 years old.
  • Willing to go to an Ulta Labs Patient Service Center location for a Blood Vitamin C Test (baseline and Day 29) and located within a convenient distance of participating locations. The services offered by Ulta Lab Tests are available only in the United States and not to residents of the states of New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
  • Willing to avoid starting new or stopping any existing dietary supplements throughout the study.
  • Willing to maintain a consistent diet throughout the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant or start breastfeeding during the trial.
  • Known food intolerances/allergy to any ingredients in the product.
  • Having any of the following conditions: Psychiatric conditions, neurologic disorders, endocrine disorders, cancer.
  • Having had a significant cardiovascular event in the past 6 months.
  • Taking MAO inhibitors, SSRIs, or any other psychiatric or neurological medicines.
  • On immunosuppressive therapy.
  • Adults lacking capacity to consent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Suboptimal Qualia Vitamin C+
Participants with suboptimal vitamin C blood levels (0.4 - 0.9 mg/dL) taking two capsules of Qualia Vitamin C+ once daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 days. 38 participants.
Dietary supplement: Qualia Vitamin C+
A novel multi-ingredient formulation delivering 500 mg total vitamin C per daily serving (2 capsules). It contains a blend of Vitamin C (from liposomal vitamin C, mineral ascorbates, and fruit extracts), bioflavonoids, and ferulic acid. Participants take two capsules daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 consecutive days.
Placebo Comparator: Suboptimal Placebo
Participants with suboptimal vitamin C blood levels (0.4 - 0.9 mg/dL) taking two capsules of placebo (inert rice powder in a vegetable/cellulose capsule) once daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 days. 38 participants.
Other: Placebo
Contains inert rice powder in a vegetable/cellulose capsule. Participants take two capsules daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 consecutive days.
Experimental: Adequate Qualia Vitamin C+
Participants with adequate vitamin C blood levels (≥0.9 mg/dL) taking two capsules of Qualia Vitamin C+ once daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 days. 38 participants.
Dietary supplement: Qualia Vitamin C+
A novel multi-ingredient formulation delivering 500 mg total vitamin C per daily serving (2 capsules). It contains a blend of Vitamin C (from liposomal vitamin C, mineral ascorbates, and fruit extracts), bioflavonoids, and ferulic acid. Participants take two capsules daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 consecutive days.
Placebo Comparator: Adequate Placebo
Participants with adequate vitamin C blood levels (≥0.9 mg/dL) taking two capsules of placebo (inert rice powder in a vegetable/cellulose capsule) once daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 days. 38 participants.
Other: Placebo
Contains inert rice powder in a vegetable/cellulose capsule. Participants take two capsules daily in the morning, with or without food, for 28 consecutive days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in blood Vitamin C levels in the suboptimal stratum
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess between-group differences in the change in blood Vitamin C levels in the suboptimal stratum from baseline to Day 28 following supplementation with Qualia Vitamin C+ versus placebo. Assessed via Ulta Labs Vitamin C Test (lab blood collection).
Baseline to Day 28

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in blood Vitamin C levels in the entire cohort
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess between-group differences in the change in blood Vitamin C levels in the entire cohort from baseline to Day 28 following supplementation with Qualia Vitamin C+ versus placebo.
Baseline to Day 28
FACIT-Fatigue Scale
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess within-group and between-group differences in the FACIT-Fatigue Scale in both the sub-optimal vitamin C stratum and the entire cohort. Final score ranges from 0 to 52, where higher scores indicate less fatigue and better quality of life.
Baseline to Day 28
RAND-36
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess within-group and between-group differences in the RAND-36 (primary attention to the Vitality, General Health Perceptions, and Physical Functioning subscales) in both the sub-optimal vitamin C stratum and the entire cohort. Each domain is scored on a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health.
Baseline to Day 28
Single-item Assessment of Immune Fitness
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess within-group and between-group differences in the Single-item Assessment of Immune Fitness in both the sub-optimal vitamin C stratum and the entire cohort. A single numerical score between 0 and 10 is produced, with higher scores indicating better self-rated immune fitness.
Baseline to Day 28
Within-group change in blood Vitamin C levels
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 28
To assess within-group differences in the change in blood Vitamin C levels in both the suboptimal stratum and entire cohort.
Baseline to Day 28
Proportion of suboptimal group achieving status normalization
Time Frame: Week 4
To estimate the proportion of the suboptimal group participants achieving plasma vitamin C (≥0.9 mg/dL; i.e., 'status normalization') at Week 4.
Week 4
Safety and Tolerability survey
Time Frame: Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, and Day 28
To evaluate side effect profiles using a custom Safety and Tolerability survey.
Baseline, Day 7, Day 14, Day 21, and Day 28

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Overall Experience Questionnaire
Time Frame: 5-7 days after final dose (Day 34-36)
Captures information that may be used for product evaluation and marketing, asked 5-7 days after the final dose of the test product.
5-7 days after final dose (Day 34-36)
NCI Fruits and Vegetable Screener - All-Day Screener
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 28
Used to assess fruit and vegetable intake at baseline and study completion, for statistical control purposes only.
Baseline and Day 28

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Qualia Life Sciences

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: William Scuba, Qualia Life Sciences
  • Principal Investigator: Colin Gardner, PhD, Qualia Life Sciences
  • Principal Investigator: Sarah Blomquist, PhD, Qualia Life Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 10, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 10, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • QLS-023

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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