VANILLA: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews (2024)

FAQs

VANILLA: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews? ›

Vanilla is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in amounts commonly found in foods. However, there are some side effects. Skin contact can cause irritation and swelling (inflammation). It might also cause headache and sleep problems (insomnia), especially for people who manufacture vanilla extract.

Both vanillin and vanillic acid are approved food-flavoring agents. Some traditional medicinal uses of vanilla include treatment for fever, spasms, dysmenorrhea, blood clotting, and gastrointestinal (GI) distress.

While vanilla extract is commonly used in baking and cooking, it contains a high alcohol content that can have adverse effects on your health if consumed in large quantities. Excessive consumption of vanilla extract can lead to alcohol poisoning, causing symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures.

It is used in flavorings, foods, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals. Vanillin is used as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of several important drugs and other products. Human exposure to vanillin is through dermal contact with perfumes and ingestion of food products that include vanillin as a flavor additive.

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)

A major use of vanilla is in flavoring ice cream. Vanilla contains high levels of antioxidants. It has sedative property and hence alleviates anxiety. Vanilla is also used as an aromatherapy remedy being considered a popular scent for conferring aphrodisiac effects (Figure 6).

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Vanilla is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth in amounts commonly found in foods. However, some people are allergic to vanilla. It might also cause headache and sleep problems (insomnia), especially for people who manufacture vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract offers many health benefits. Vanillin is known to have both antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being neuroprotective, antifungal, antibacterial, boost antibiotics, and helpful for wound healing.

It has been reported that vanilla extract contains many volatile compounds such as guaiacol, p-anisaldehyde and methyl cinnamate, and these compounds contributes to the flavor but vanillin is the main flavor content of vanilla (Anuradha et al., 2013).

Vanillin, a main component of vanilla, has been shown to offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects in animal and test-tube research.

(a) Vanilla extract is the solution in aqueous ethyl alcohol of the sapid and odorous principles extractable from vanilla beans. In vanilla extract the content of ethyl alcohol is not less than 35 percent by volume and the content of vanilla constituent, as defined in § 169.3(c), is not less than one unit per gallon.

What are the hazards of vanillin? ›

May cause eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation. May be harmful if swallowed. Light sensitive. Moisture sensitive.

Besides its industrial applications, vanillin possesses several beneficial effects for human health, such as antioxidant activity in addition to anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-metastatic, and anti-depressant properties.

Vanillin is generally regarded as safe for use in food and cosmetics. However, this does not suggest it is safe when inhaled from smoking cigarettes. Vanillin is known to release several substances when burnt.

A safety assessment of different types of vanilla by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review board revealed that while Vanilla planifolia was non-irritating and non-sensitizing, another form known as Vanilla tahitensis triggered irritation and sensitization when tested on human skin at a relatively low level (0.8%).

While vanilla's history is steeped in culinary traditions, its lesser know uses as an aphrodisiac and a medical botanical stretch back to its discovery in Mesoamerica by ancient cultures who cultivated and honored the sweet orchid.

Most vanilla used in the food industry is in dairy products, followed by beverages, baked goods and confections. However, vanilla is often used as a background note or flavor enhancer to round out the flavor profiles of many food products.

It's good for your heart – research has shown that vanilla can reduce cholesterol levels. This is very important for those who are at high risk of heart attacks and strokes, with lower cholesterol helping to prevent inflammation of the arteries and blood clots.

Besides its industrial applications, vanillin possesses several beneficial effects for human health, such as antioxidant activity in addition to anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-metastatic, and anti-depressant properties.

The Maya used vanilla in a beverage made with cacao and other spices. After conquering the Totonacan empire, the Aztecs followed suit, adding vanilla to a beverage consumed by nobility and known as chocolatl. The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in 1519 brought the fragrant flower—and its companion, cacao—to Europe.

So the answer is yes, you should absolutely add some vanilla extract to your coffee. It's a great way to flavor and sweeten your coffee, and it helps you out in more ways than one. But that raises the question: how should you enjoy your vanilla and your coffee? Well, here are some great coffee recipes for you to try.