Functionals vs CBD: Beneficial Ingredients 101

If you’re looking to use functional wellness ingredients to address various aspects of your health, the options can be overwhelming! These beneficial ingredients include CBD, adaptogens, nootropics, and mushrooms (to name a few). While most of Equilibria’s products are “CBD forward” – meaning they lean most heavily on CBD to deliver wellness benefits – our newest products venture beyond CBD and lean into myriad other functional ingredients. Why? Because, at its core, EQ exists to ensure our customers have more and better ways to feel better. Our new “functional forward” products complement EQ’s current CBD offering, allowing us to get even more specific about the tools we offer to help address your daily wellness needs.

 

Here, we’ve put together a guide to help you understand the differences between CBD and other functional ingredients, so you’re best equipped to build the perfect routine for your body and your needs.   

 

How is CBD different from other functional ingredients?

Quick note: CBD is a functional ingredient (and always has been!), but, given its ability to support so many wellness needs, we’re singling it out to appropriately sing its praises. 😍

 

Both CBD and other functionals are beneficial ingredients that can be used to address various facets of your health including sleep, stress, balance, discomfort, focus, and more.* But each also has its own properties and benefits that set it apart.

 

CBD is a plant-based ingredient derived specifically from hemp. EQ’s CBD is what’s known as full-spectrum, which means that you get a wide variety of cannabinoids and terpenes, which are compounds found in the hemp plant that contribute different benefits and effects. EQ’s CBD contains more than 100 of these compounds, including THC at less than 0.3%. CBD specifically interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for maintaining balance in various systems throughout the body (which explains why its benefits are so wide-reaching). EQ’s CBD products include Daily Drops, Daily Softgels, and Daily Gummies

 

“Other” Functionals can be derived from plants, minerals, herbs, enzymes or amino acids. Functional ingredients can be categorized in a variety of ways including as “adaptogens” or “nootropics.” Adaptogens are therapeutic compounds derived from botanical sources, offering benefits such as improved immune function, stress relief, and mood-boosting effects.* Nootropics can be naturally derived or synthetic, and have been found to increase mental functions such as cognition, memory, creativity, motivation, and attention.* EQ’s functional products include our new Stress Gummies and Energy Capsules.

 

How do I know what’s right for me?

Addressing your wellness goals means finding the right EQ products, containing the right beneficial ingredients, to suit your needs. Different products (CBD-forward and functional-forward) deliver different benefits,  and there are no hard-and-fast rules about which will be best for you. And, as your body changes and evolves, the right product mix is likely to change with it. But, if you’re just starting out on your wellness journey, here are a few ways to discern  which product mix (CBD-only, functionals-only, or a combination of both!) might be right for you.

CBD might be the right fit if you:

  • Generally struggle to feel grounded each day
  • Would describe your current state as “off-balance”
  • Are looking to address a variety of wellness goals with the same products
  • Are excited about starting a consistent daily routine in order to work toward your wellness goals 

 

Functionals might be the right fit if you:

  • Are looking to address a specific health goal with a product targeted toward that facet of wellness
  • Are unable to take CBD or other cannabinoid-based products due to potential drug testing
  • Are looking to finetune or optimize your current CBD routine to target more specific wellness goals 

 

The great thing about our EQ’s products is that you don’t have to choose one or the other! Many of our members can benefit from both CBD and functionals in order to achieve their wellness goals. Our products are designed to work in harmony together, so that you can customize your routine to work best for you, your life, and your needs. 

 

If you’re considering a combination of CBD and functional products, a great way to start is with CBD for consistent daily use and functional products for an as-needed add-on. Daily CBD use can maintain a variety of health and wellness aspects, while functionals can give your routine a boost during times when you need additional support for specific goals. 

 

Not sure where to start? Schedule your complimentary 1:1 consultation with your Certified Wellness Coach to get answers to all of your questions and personalized recommendations on how best to fine-tune your routine.