Most supplements take the long way round.
A swallowed pill has to get through your stomach, gut and liver before it reaches your bloodstream. A strip starts on your tongue. Here's what the research says.
Two routes to your bloodstream.
| Feature | FYLMiES | Pills | Gummies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts in | Your mouth | Your stomach | Your stomach |
| Water needed | No | Yes | No |
| Typical dissolve time | 10–60 seconds | Minutes | Chew first |
| Can skip the liver's first pass | Partly† | No | No |
Peel. Dissolve. Absorb.
Peel
Take one strip out of the tin with dry fingers.
Dissolve
Place it on your tongue. Thin films like ours typically melt within a minute. No water, no chewing.
Absorb
Let it sit until fully dissolved before swallowing, to give your mouth the longest head start.
The numbers, with sources.
Every figure below comes from published research.
No water, no chewing, no waiting for a capsule to break down.
Current Drug Delivery 2019, review of orodispersible film testingCaffeine absorbed through the mouth (gum) peaked at 44–80 min vs 84–120 min for swallowed capsules.
Kamimori et al., Int J Pharm 2002The rest is lost along the way, mostly in the liver. Strips start in the mouth, where part of each dose can skip this first pass.†
DeMuro et al., J Clin Pharmacol 2000; Andersen et al., BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2016; Harpsøe et al., Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2015A whole FYLMiES strip weighs 210–290 mg. A typical melatonin gummy carries about 2 g of carbohydrate alone.
FYLMiES supplement facts; typical gummy labelBacked by research.
Peak Power
Caffeine (50 mg): absorbed through the mouth, caffeine reached peak blood levels up to 40 minutes sooner than swallowed capsules (Kamimori 2002). Caffeine + L-theanine (50 mg + 30 mg): improved speed and accuracy on attention tasks within an hour (Owen 2008). Vitamin B12 (1,000 mcg): contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.*
Zen Mode
L-theanine (50 mg): in a 4-week trial it reduced stress-related symptoms and improved sleep quality in healthy adults (Hidese 2019). GABA (25 mg) and vitamin B6 (6 mg), which contributes to normal nervous-system function.*
Deep Sleep
Melatonin (1 mg): across 19 clinical trials, melatonin helped people fall asleep faster and sleep longer (Ferracioli-Oda 2013). Chamomile: two meta-analyses found improved sleep quality (Hieu 2019; Kazemi 2024). Valerian root: in a meta-analysis of 16 trials, people were more likely to report better sleep (Bent 2006).*
Bounce Back
Turmeric, amla, chicory and Phyllanthus: botanicals used for generations in Ayurvedic tradition.*
Deep Desire
Shilajit (50 mg): in a 90-day study, purified shilajit increased total testosterone by about 20% in healthy men (Pandit 2016). Plus cordyceps militaris and oyster peptide, valued in traditional practice for vitality.*
Sources
- Andersen LPH et al. Pharmacokinetics of oral and intravenous melatonin in healthy volunteers. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2016;17:8.
- Bent S et al. Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2006;119(12):1005–12.
- DeMuro RL et al. The absolute bioavailability of oral melatonin. J Clin Pharmacol. 2000;40(7):781–4.
- Ferracioli-Oda E et al. Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(5):e63773.
- Harpsøe NG et al. Clinical pharmacokinetics of melatonin: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2015;71(8):901–9.
- Hidese S et al. Effects of L-theanine administration on stress-related symptoms and cognitive functions in healthy adults. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):2362.
- Hieu TH et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for anxiety, insomnia and sleep quality. Phytother Res. 2019;33(6):1604–15.
- Kamimori GH et al. Rate of absorption and relative bioavailability of caffeine in chewing gum versus capsules. Int J Pharm. 2002;234(1–2):159–67.
- Kazemi A et al. Effects of chamomile on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2024;84:103071.
- Owen GN et al. The combined effects of L-theanine and caffeine on cognitive performance and mood. Nutr Neurosci. 2008;11(4):193–8.
- Pandit S et al. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. 2016;48(5):570–5.
†Part of each dose may be absorbed through the lining of the mouth; the rest is swallowed and digested as usual. *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. Research summaries describe published studies on individual ingredients, not clinical testing of FYLMiES products.