The Health Benefits You Can Get From Vanilla
Learn how vanilla can deliciously improve your overall health to make you drool. Many people’s favourite flavour is vanilla. This remains a popular flavour for many of us, whether it is in ice cream, perfumes, or beauty items. But are you aware of the benefits of vanilla? It can improve your skin, hair, and general wellness. Find out more about the benefits of vanilla here.
In This Article
What Is Vanilla?
Vanilla Essence And Extract
Skin Benefits Of Vanilla Essence Extract
Hair Benefits Of Vanilla
Health Benefits Of Vanilla
Nutritional Value
5 Benefits Of Vanilla For Your Health
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Vanilla?
We salivate at the mere mention of vanilla ice cream, custard, or cake! Throughout the world, people enjoy its vanilla flavour. Only a select few of us are aware of its origin and source. Tell us more about this flavour, which has long been a component of decadent pastries.
The vanilla extract that is made from vanilla beans gives the vanilla ice cream and other desserts that we like eating its flavour. These beans are derived from sun-dried pods of vanilla orchids. It is a well-liked ingredient in sweet beverages and confections due to its extraordinarily smooth and sweet flavour and smell. These beans are produced using a time-consuming procedure.
Vanilla Essence And Extract
The vanilla plant is a herbaceous climbing vine that grows best when supported by a supporting tree or pole. It produces trumpet-shaped flowers that are hand-pollinated or naturally pollinated by hummingbirds and bees. When they reach 5 to 8 inches in length and are ready to be harvested, unripe vanilla pods turn yellow. Following a brief period of sweating and sun drying, they are then blanched in boiling water, becoming dark brown and wrinkled. Finally, from some beans of the highest calibre, the white crystalline essence known as vanillin is extracted. The vanilla flavour is the term used to describe this essence.
The most popular form of vanilla is vanilla extract, which is made by letting chopped vanilla beans steep for about 48 hours in a mixture of ethyl alcohol and water. The combination is held in storage for a while before being purified. There are many different types of vanilla on the market, but Madagascar vanilla is the most popular. 75% of the vanilla produced comes from this rich, sweet species, with the remaining 25% coming from Tahiti and Mexico.
Several sweet dishes and chocolates are flavoured with the small black seeds found in vanilla pods. The flavour of vanilla beans is called vanillin, but by-products from the production of wood pulp are also used to make artificial vanillin on a massive scale. Pure and fake vanilla are frequently combined to create vanilla flavouring. Pure vanilla can be identified by the presence of microscopic black specks in a dish with a vanilla flavour.
Skin Benefits Of Vanilla Essence Extract
This may come as a surprise to you. Your skin can also benefit from vanilla extract or essence. To add aroma, it is a component of many skin care products such as body lotions, lip balms, body butter, and creams.
1. Treatment Of Acne
Vanilla has antimicrobial characteristics that make it useful for treating acne. With its antibacterial properties, vanilla aids in skin cleansing and lessens the likelihood of breakouts like acne and pimples.).
2. Anti-Aging Benefits
Antioxidants found in abundance in vanilla help to prevent and repair skin damage brought on by free radicals. Fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots are some of the indicators of ageing that it helps to delay. Because of its aroma and anti-ageing properties, it is widely used in the cosmetics sector. Together with keeping your skin smooth and supple, applying raw vanilla beans blended with organic oil gives out a wonderful chocolaty smell.
3. Soothes Burns
Burns, wounds, and cuts have traditionally been treated with vanilla as a home cure. On the other hand, freshly burned skin shouldn’t be exposed to intense vanilla extracts or essential oils. Vanilla extract-based topical therapies could be beneficial. Before attempting any of these home treatments for burns, it is advised that you speak with your doctor. Further study is needed in this area, though.
4. Promotes Healthy Skin
Niacin, thiamin, Vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid, which are vital for maintaining healthy skin, are all found in good amounts in vanilla. The antioxidant qualities of vanilla shield your skin from toxins and impurities that can harm it. To revitalise your skin from the inside, you can make a scrub. Just cut up five vanilla beans and scrape the seeds out. To freshly squeezed lemon juice, add these seeds, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2 drops of vanilla essential oil. Apply the resulting mixture to your face. After a brief period of massaging, thoroughly rinse with warm water. After that, squirt some ice water on your face.
Hair Benefits Of Vanilla
If we do not mention vanilla’s role in hair care, the list of vanilla’s benefits is not complete. It is a wonderful source of a variety of nutrients that support maintaining healthy hair.
5. Vanilla For Silky Hair
1. Vanilla can make your hair silky, glossy, and smooth when combined with other ingredients, such as in a hair pack.
To make the hair pack, melt about 4 ounces of shea butter in a boiler.
2. Add 2 teaspoons each of almond, jojoba, and castor oils, along with 5 drops of vanilla essential oil once the shea butter has melted completely.
3. Mix the ingredients until they reach a soft consistency after cooling.
4. Apply the mixture to your hair and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing it off with a gentle shampoo.
5. This hair pack makes your hair manageable and soft without leaving it sticky.
6. You can store the mixture in the refrigerator or at room temperature for future use.
6. Promotes Hair Growth
1. Essential and carrier oils can help promote hair growth.
2. To make a hot oil treatment, mix carrier oil (such as olive, jojoba, almond, or coconut oil) with vanilla and lavender essential oils.
3. Start by untangling your hair with a wide-toothed comb and rinsing it with warm water.
4. Reheat 1/4 cup of carrier oil over high heat for 30 seconds, then mix in 10 drops each of vanilla and lavender essential oils.
5. Apply the oil mixture to your hair, starting from the roots to the tips, and massage your scalp for 2-3 minutes in a circular motion.
6. Make sure to apply the oil to the dry ends of your hair.
7. Put a hair clip in your hair and wrap your head in a warm towel.
8. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rewrap the towel for an additional 15 minutes.
9. Use a gentle shampoo to remove the oil.
Your hair texture will determine how much oil you need. Together with giving out a wonderful aroma, this will make your hair smoother, fuller, and shinier.
Health Benefits Of Vanilla
Vanilla is much more than just a flavour that is sweet and aromatic. The health benefits of pure vanilla extract are numerous, and it has several medicinal qualities.
7. Treatment For Anxiety And Depression
Several neurological investigations have demonstrated the beneficial effects of vanilla extract on people with anxiety and depressive problems. The vanillin in vanilla was discovered to exhibit antidepressant effects in rat experiments. Some people find that drinking vanilla-infused milk or water helps them feel less anxious.
A study conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York demonstrated that vanilla aromatherapy exposure can decrease feelings of claustrophobia and provide benefits to your nervous system.
8. May Aid Weight Loss
According to certain research, vanilla extract can aid with weight loss. Although food and exercise are the main factors in weight reduction, adding vanilla extract to your diet can help you lose weight more quickly and effectively. To support this assertion, additional study is necessary.
9. Relieves Nausea
One of the best benefits of vanilla extract is that it could aid in nausea relief by calming the stomach. Just a few drops of vanilla extract to a glass of water and take a steady sip. The wonderful vanilla smell will help you feel less queasy. Further study is needed in this area, though.
10. Treatment For Cough
Cough syrups often use vanilla extract as a flavour to mask their unpleasant taste. The mild anesthetic properties of vanilla extract may help alleviate symptoms such as sore throat pain or headaches, although additional research is necessary in this regard.
11. Dental Health
Similar to capsaicin in chilli peppers and eugenol in spices like cinnamon, vanilla has vanillin. The central nervous system is positively affected by this substance. While eugenol function as topical anaesthetic, capsaicin is a potent pain reducer. Vanilla is considered to have both of these qualities and may aid in the treatment of infection and toothache. Further study is needed in this area, though.
12. Treatment For Digestive Disorders
Herbal tea with vanilla flavouring can help with stomach issues. Vomiting and upset stomach are common conditions that can be treated with boiling water and vanilla beans. Its powerful scent might be useful for reducing queasy feelings.
13. Aphrodisiac Properties
Since ancient times, vanilla has been utilised as an aphrodisiac. Some people think that vanilla might enhance male testosterone levels, hence increasing male sexual drive. Vanilla consumption may aid in the treatment of impotence. There is, however, little available research in this area.
Nutritional Value
Vanilla’s nutritional value is what gives it so many positive effects on your skin, hair, and health. Essential oils, vitamins, and minerals, as well as simple and complex carbohydrates, can all be found in vanilla extract. The table and explanation below help explain the flavorful spice’s comprehensive nutritional profile.
SEE THE TABLE BELOW FOR AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF NUTRIENTS: VANILLA EXTRACT (VANILLA PLANIFOLIA), NUTRITIONAL VALUE PER 100 G.(SOURCE: USDA NATIONAL NUTRIENT DATABASE) |
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|---|---|---|
| PRINCIPLE | NUTRIENT VALUE | PERCENTAGE OF RDA |
| Energy | 288 Kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 12.65 g | 10% |
| Protein | 0.06 g | <1% |
| Total Fat | 0.06 g | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.0 g | 0% |
VITAMINS |
||
| Folates | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Niacin | 0.425 mg | 3% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.035 mg | 0.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.026 mg | 2% |
| Riboflavin | 0.095 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin A | 0 IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0% |
ELECTROLYTES |
||
| Sodium | 9 mg | 0.5% |
| Potassium | 148 mg | 3% |
MINERALS |
||
| Calcium | 11 mg | 1% |
| Copper | 0.072 mg | 8% |
| Iron | 0.12 mg | 1.5% |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.230 mg | 10% |
| Phosphorus | 6 mg | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.0 mcg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.11 mg | 1% |
Vanillin: The main ingredient in vanilla beans is vanillin. Also, they have minute amounts of additional ingredients such as eugenol, caproic acid, phenols, phenol ether, alcohols, acids, aliphatic and aromatic carbohydrates, lactones, esters, and carbonyl compounds.
Vitamins: Niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, and thiamine are among the B-complex vitamins found in modest concentrations in vanilla extract. These vitamins support the production of enzymes, healthy nervous system operation, and control of body metabolism.
Minerals: Vanilla extract also has traces of iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
You may keep flavouring your delicacies with vanilla extract. On some skin types, topical treatment could, however, result in dermatitis. Using essential oils on skin that is prone to acne may make it worse. Moreover, applying lemon juice and vanilla to the skin could result in burns. So, it is best to use vanilla on your skin and hair after visiting a dermatologist. Nonetheless, vanilla might be an effective treatment for anxiety problems. Moreover, it has strong anti-inflammatory qualities and could help with weight loss.
5 Benefits Of Vanilla For Your Health
Vanilla is more than just a mouthwatering fragrance. It is a fantastic substance that accelerates recovery, lessens acne and inflammation, and encourages hair development. The infographic below includes a list of the top 5 benefits of incorporating vanilla into your skin and hair care regimen. To find out more, scroll down!
Helps Treat Acne
Its antibacterial properties aid in skin cleansing and reduce possible acne breakouts.
Has Anti-Aging Benefits Its rich antioxidant content may prevent skin damage and slow down the ageing process.
Soothes Burns
It is traditionally used to treat burns, wounds, and cuts. However, avoid applying vanilla extract or essential oils to freshly burned skin.
Promotes Healthy Skin It contains niacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid that help maintain healthy skin, while its antioxidant properties help shield the skin from toxins and pollutants.
Promotes Hair Growth A combination of vanilla and castor or almond oil can boost hair growth and make your tresses soft and silky.
Along with being a popular taste in pastries, cakes, and ice cream, vanilla also benefits your skin, hair, and general health. Vanilla beans have anti-ageing properties and can be used to treat burns and acne. When used with shea butter, castor, almond, or jojoba oil, vanilla beans aid in creating silky, supple hair. Vanilla has benefits for your skin and hair in addition to reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, it works well to treat stomach issues, nausea, and coughing. It should only be used as a remedy after consulting a doctor, though, as some people may experience skin sensitivities and irritations as a result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is vanilla bad for you?
Vanilla is regarded as secure when consumed orally. Some individuals, though, are allergic to it. Moreover, the use of vanilla extract is handled the same way as drinking too much alcohol.
Is vanilla extract a sleep aid?
Yes. Vanilla has calming effects, and it is used to treat sleep issues.
Is vanilla a hormone disruptor?
Vanilla bean extract’s scent has mood-lifting and anxiety-relieving effects. Your brain may be able to manufacture feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin as a result.
