Welcome to our frequently asked questions doc on all things sofi.health.
Use the links below to navigate, and let us know if there are any questions not yet answered below that you think we should add! To view the full list of related FAQ topics, click here.
on sofi - general questions
1. what is sofi?
sofi uses modern science to personalise traditional plant-based remedies for our individual wellbeing. For the first time in history, we can understand our unique response to plants at the individual level, helping us to achieve better sleep, improved energy, and more calm along the way.
All elements of sofi work together in a connected ecosystem to help eliminate the guesswork. We are a physical product, an app, a community and a service, relying on multiple touch points to improve how we feel. This includes:
Our core values at sofi are intimately bound to the principles that helped create sofi thus far:
Purity of plants: Plants are our oldest technology in human health, and the basis of much of modern medicine. Their essence shall remain our core focus.
Power of people: We know that our individual response to plants is entirely unique, yet only together we can contribute towards a shared greater scope of understanding of the complex interaction between people and plants.
Preservation of planet: None of the above makes sense in a declining planet. Our actions shall be inspired by ongoing sustainability, ecological awareness, and impact in the widest sense and extent possible.
With sofi, we created the first system designed to track and deliver optimal plant-based treatments for our community.
Instead of relying on randomised trials to tell us what might work for the average person, we look at measuring personal experience with each plant, helping users make new discoveries about what works best for them, from the comfort of their own home!
Typically, when a product in human health is created, it is made for the herd. Say 100 people are put in a study group and another 100 in a control group. One group is given the product, and the other placebo to see what happens, and the goal is to find a product that works for some people, most of the time.
What sofi does differently is that we break that single study of 100 people into 100 studies of a single person. Our sample size is at the “N-of-1” level – making the most crucial element of sofi: you!
There are 3 key qualities that separate our formulations at sofi from those you might find on the shelves of your favourite health food store. Select from any of the topics below to learn more.
Yes, sofi is suitable for both vegans and vegetarians (official certification coming soon!), and none of our flavours, extracts, or materials include the use of – or have been tested on – animals.
*Disclaimer: sofi is a food supplement and should never be used as a replacement for proper treatment or medical care. If you have a health condition, or are currently pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or taking any prescription medication, speak to a healthcare professional before using sofi.
We wish we had a pound for every time someone asked us for the herbal equivalent of paracetamol - but unfortunately, straight swaps are not usually possible in herbal medicine!
Because pain is so complicated and unique to every individual - hot, burning, aching, sharp, dull, tearing etc., it can take a lot of time to figure out exactly where pain is located and match an appropriate herb to that pain position and quality.
While plant remedies can offer relief indirectly, such as reducing inflammation overall, improving circulation, or supporting the nervous system, pharmaceutical medicine will always be stronger for pain relief, particularly in acute situations where onset is fast and pain levels are high.
For this reason, we don’t include pain as one of the specific states that sofi targets, but that isn’t to say that there aren’t benefits for pain that can arise from less stress, happier mood, and better sleep.
The definition of addictive can be complex - technically speaking, is it possible to develop an addiction to anything. With that being said, plant remedies are known historically for their ability to impact how we feel with less tolerance, dependence and addiction.
For this reason, each of the formulations that we activate on the sofi system, including plan extracts such as valerian, passiflora, and chamomile, have been specifically selected for being non-habit forming within the body, and won’t result in a chemical withdrawal.
*Disclaimer: sofi is a food supplement and should never be used as a replacement for proper treatment or medical care. If you have a health condition, or are currently pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or taking any prescription medication, speak to a healthcare professional before using sofi.
You can find all relevant information on ingredients, drug-nutrient interactions, as well as additional info to discuss with your healthcare provider, by visiting the links below:
*Disclaimer: If you have a health condition, or are currently pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or taking any prescription medication, speak to a healthcare professional before using sofi.
Big question! You would think that we could give you a really straightforward answer, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.
If you are pregnant right now (congratulations, by the way!) you have probably noticed that just about every natural health product you come across has a warning not to take it while pregnant or breastfeeding. In many cases, the real issue is that because every pregnancy is so incredibly unique, it can be impossible to provide a clear yes/no answer. What happens therefore as a precaution, is that companies will always state that it is not suitable.
Since our focus is all about safety and transparency at sofi, we wanted to be very open about the reason why we must say that we simply do not know whether sofi is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Even if research studies involving plants and pregnant women could be done ethically, we already know that what works - or doesn’t work - for one person, can’t necessarily be applied to all.
While we only ever use plants that have an excellent safety record, this is one situation where the data simply doesn’t exist and of course if something were to go wrong along the line, you would never want to have any nagging doubt in your mind that you had done anything that could have resulted in that problem.
Many people don’t understand all the levels of judgement that it takes to come to a decision about whether or not to use a herbal product or take a medicine, when another life is so dependent on your actions. At sofi we do; that’s why it’s most important to speak to a trusted healthcare professional before using any of our formulations.
*Disclaimer: If you have a health condition, or are currently pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, or taking any prescription medication, speak to a healthcare professional before using sofi.
sofi is kosher, halal, and vegan, as well as suitable for those who follow keto and gluten-free diets (official certifications coming soon)!
The base of our ingestible formulations is an ethanol/glycerol/water mix, and though the level of alcohol is negligible, it may be relevant to some.
Click here to view the full list of ingredients for each of our active formulations.
Both our plant and fragrances capsules are free of all significant allergens, including the following:
all our sofi labs are allergen-safe, however, we can not guarantee or claim to be 100% allergen-free, in the unlikely event that cross contamination does occur during handling, distribution, etc.
All Pioneers currently subscribing to sofi get the chance to register for free plant and fragrance Pioneer Studies as they launch. Participation in each Study is based on a randomised lottery system. If selected for a Study, you’ll get your hands on our new formulation capsules before anyone else and trial our latest plant, completely free!
Having sucessfully completed free Pioneer Studies with our first three plants, valerian, passiflora, and ashwagandha, our plan is to continue to activate additional plants every 2-3 months.
For each new plant, our experts craft 3 uniquely flavoured formulation using natural extracts. (We make sure to only use extracts that won’t impact the strength or active properties of each formulation, so regardless of the flavour, the effectiveness of each capsule remains the same).
Not only do our Pioneer Studies enable us to understand which plants target particular pathways in the brain, but they also provide us with incredible feedback from our Pioneers’ individual experiences (like how passiflora gave so many of us incredible, vivid dreams!)
As a community, we also decide on which flavour wins, so that it can become available for shipment on a subscription basis, moving forward.
Using sophisticated statistics and predictive technology, sofi’s “brain” learns to provide feedback on how you feel and sleep based on your unique experience with a plant over time.
In other words, instead of relying on randomised controlled trials to tell us what might work for the average person (which may not be representative of you), we look specifically at you — and the data points we collect via our app — relying on a methodology referred to as “N-of-1.”
This way, we can make the ultimate expert of improving your mental and physical wellbeing with plants, you.
“N-of-1”, or single subject analysis, considers an individual as the sole unit of observation in a study, rather than averaging over a group of people. The ultimate goal of an N-of-1 trial is to determine the optimal or best intervention for a specific individual using the experience of that specific individual.
Typically, when a product in human health is created, it is made for the herd. It’s not specifically for any one of us. One hundred people are put in a study group and another hundred in a control group. One group is given the product, and the other placebo to see what happens. The goal is to find a product that works for some people, most of the time. What sofi does differently is that we break that single study of 100 people into 100 studies of a single person. Our sample size is at the “N-of-1” level – making the most crucial element of sofi: you!
You can find a full-length interview with our in-house health psychologist and N-of-1 expert here to learn more about the benefits of N-of-1.
Our referral rewards program is the perfect opportunity to share the value of pioneering with sofi with those you feel may benefit from making new, unique discoveries with plants the most!
Simply copy the referral link from your account settings (web) or the homepage of your sofi app, and share it with the people you would like to invite (feel free to include your own message)!
Your unique link can also be added to any social media page or “bio” for others to click on and sign up for sofi. This way you’ll both get rewarded with seasonal discounts and/or sofi seeds each time you help to spread the word and grow our community.
All of your earned seeds will be saved to your sofi seed bank, daily, and can later be exchanged for exclusive merchandise in the sofi store. You can track how your referrals are progressing at any time via your sofi app.
We look forward to welcoming all your friends, family and neighbours!
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Following the launch of our initial subscription plans, which will take place exclusively for Pioneers within the US and UK, our aim will be to continue to expand in order to support distribution internationally.
This includes but is not limited to: Canada, USA, France, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and more!
Unfortunately, due to government regulations, we have not yet been able to successfully ship our formulations to Spain.