We usually feel more confident promoting products from established companies with a wide variety of supplements, and this one is no exception. Professional Botanicals has been run by three generations of a Utah-based family since 1980, so it has had over 40 years to perfect and expand their brand. Their catalog has over 95 products, with ingredients that are sold globally as well as in the USA.
Professional Botanicals is designed and formulated by doctors, for doctors. Alongside selling to the customer through the more traditional avenues such as online and in stores, they have special pricing and educational materials for professionals who work in the field of natural medicine, thus expanding their reach.
We were happy to see that this product is manufactured at a facility in Ogden, Utah which is FDA-inspected and cGMP-certified, but it’s ultimately the formula that gets you the results, so does this product have what it takes?
Is Professional Botanicals Eq-Balance Effective?
In order to discern whether or not a supplement is effective, we first look at the ingredients found in each daily serving. In the case of Professional Botanicals Ed-Balance, a daily serving size of 2 capsules is said to supply the body with the nutrients it needs to provide relief from vertigo, motion sickness and nausea.
The formula contains a 1070mg proprietary blend. As mentioned, we do not appreciate formulas that are comprised of these blends because although we can see what ingredients they contain, we are unable to see the quantity of each item. We have no way of knowing if the formula contains effective doses of each ingredient. This could be for a legitimate reason, such as the manufacturers’ desire to keep their formula a secret from their competitors. However, the more likely reason is that it provides a convenient, legal way to hide the fact that the quantity included is minimal and less than the clinically proven dose recommended to be effective. We will never know, but it doesn’t inspire confidence and prevents consumers from being fully informed.
The first three ingredients of the proprietary blend are Pinellia root, Hoelen root and Ginger root. Out of the three, Ginger root is the one that interests us most as it has long been used to alleviate upset stomach caused by vertigo and motion sickness. Moreover, it is a scientifically-proven ingredient. Pinellia root is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, sometimes used to settle the stomach and stop vomiting, so it could possibly be beneficial for vertigo relief. Hoelen is a fungus, also used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, but it doesn’t have obvious, proven benefits for those who suffer from vertigo. Whilst these ingredients may not necessarily cause negative side effects, they are not as well-known for treating vertigo, nor do they have solid scientific evidence to support their inclusion in a supplement. And even though Ginger root is included in this formula, we do not know if the dose is anything close to the optimal amount that would actively work to reduce symptoms of vertigo.
Aside from those three targeted ingredients, the formula also contains two ‘tonic’ ingredients that are included in every Professional Botanicals product. AdPT is an herbal blend that helps the body to adapt, and supports its natural ability to cope with internal and external stressors. EDS, their Enzyme Delivery System, helps you get the most out of each supplement by increasing the body’s response to the formula. It includes a mix of powerful digestive enzymes that work to break down a capsule the moment it hits the stomach, for faster absorption. This may not be as effective as the bioavailability enhancer we found in our #1 pick, but by registering these blends and including them in their supplements, Professional Botanicals seems to be a company that takes its research seriously and strives to ensure that its products are high quality.
In addition to analyzing the active ingredients, it’s always important to look at the inactive ingredients. The longer the list of inactive ingredients, the more likely it is that it includes harmful substances. Thankfully, Eq-Balance is made without any fillers, artificial colors or GMO ingredients.
One of the best indicators of how well a product will work is the feedback from people who have used it, so we turned to actual customer testimonials to see what people really thought about Eq-Balance and whether they would recommend it or not. Unfortunately, we could not find many reviews, and some of the ones we did find seemed to be referring to a different product, called InVert, which was confusing. (Perhaps this is a previous name for the same product.) Amongst the ones we found on the manufacturer’s website as well as on third-party websites such as Amazon, we saw mainly positive comments from customers who liked Eq-Balance and claimed that it worked well to relieve their symptoms.
Another indicator of the efficacy of a product is if it comes with a money-back guarantee. At first glance, the 100% no-hassle guarantee seemed very impressive. However, when reading the fine print we noted that if you receive the wrong item or a defective product, you only have 30 days from the date of purchase to return it . This is a shorter time period than other companies offer and is something for consumers to be aware of. Additionally, this company has a ‘subscribe and save’ option where consumers will automatically purchase this product each month unless they cancel by a certain day. These autoship programs are notoriously difficult to cancel and we advise consumers to be cautious about signing up for them.
Is Professional Botanicals Eq-Balance Safe?
In general, this product is marketed as natural and safe, using only the finest raw ingredients. Eq-Balance is manufactured at a facility which is FDA-inspected and meets, or exceeds, GMP standards, ensuring that strict quality control is maintained for all of their products. Their supplements go through extensive testing for content, purity and strength, and are certified contamination-free by independent laboratories, which is excellent. In fact, Professional Botanicals claims that their own employees and their families use their products on a daily basis to convince us that they are truly confident in the safety of their supplements.
As a general rule, it is always recommended to speak to your doctor before taking any new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have any health conditions or are taking other medications.
Summary
Professional Botanicals has the right idea by formulating Eq-Balance with 100% pure and natural ingredients to help tackle the common symptoms of vertigo. The company has good safety and quality controls in place, with formulas created by a team of researchers, herbalists, nutritionists and practicing physicians to distribute to doctors across the USA. However, to improve this product, we would have added more of the key ingredients from our must-have list, such as Ginkgo Biloba and Vitamin D. We would also have been far happier to see labeling with the relevant details clearly stated, with no attempts at disguising quantities by using a proprietary blend. This would have elevated this product even higher in the rankings.
Finally, this product can be purchased at a decent price and comes with a return policy that is short and simple: “Love It or Return It”. With its gluten-free, non-GMO formula and mainly good reviews, we are confident you’ll agree that this supplement is a reasonably good one for treating vertigo. We didn’t feel that it was close to our #1 pick, but it did deserve its place as our second choice.
