The Sweet and Savory World of Vanilla Beans: Uses and Benefits

Vanilla is a popular ingredient added to baked goods. It produces a delicious and sweet scent that is unmistakable for most people. Vanilla flavor comes from the vanilla plant which bears fruits called vanilla beans. Powder, extract, vanilla sugar, and whole pods are the common forms of vanilla that are available in the market. Aside from the distinctive scent, vanilla has wide uses and health benefits.

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Vanilla beans use

Vanilla beans are highly versatile ingredients in the kitchen. You can add it to smoothies, bread, cookies, cakes, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, and even coffee or tea. This ingredient is an important addition to some recipes due to its scent and flavor. Aside from cooking and baking, vanilla also makes a good addition to perfumes and aromatherapy. The sweet scent produces a nice aroma that goes well with lots of essential oil.

Vanilla beans benefits

For a long time, vanilla has been used in the culinary and perfume as well as cosmetics industry. However, the ingredient is not getting any popularity without its health benefits. Vanilla beans are believed to have amazing health benefits as the following.

Healing properties

Vanilla is naturally rich in antioxidants which is helpful to prevent tissue and cell damage. According to a study, vanilla contains vanillin and vanillic acid that help protect against cell damage such as brain and liver damage. In addition, vanilla also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduces some health concerns including chronic diseases.

Reduce sugar intake

There is a solid reason why vanilla is mostly used in food and beverages. This is because vanilla has a naturally sweet taste. Adding vanilla to coffee, yogurt, smoothies, and other food may help reduce the sugar intake. Vanilla also helps in weight loss because it has appetite-suppressing properties. It has fewer carbohydrates and calories which makes it good for the diet.

Calming effects

Vanilla beans not only taste great but also smell nice. It has been used in perfume and aromatherapy for a long time. Vanilla has wonderful calming effects as it helps evoke emotions and feelings. The scent is somehow connected to a specific feeling that some people find calming. For example, the smell of freshly baked bread or cookies reminds some people of their hometown. This is how vanilla scent works in the olfactory sense.

Reduce toothache

Never in your life think that vanilla help reduce toothache. Well, vanilla may contain alcohol at some point that numbs toothache pain. In addition, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are also in charge of this benefit. You can pour drops of vanilla extract into a cotton ball and put it in the affected area. This should be an alternative remedy when you have an emergency toothache.

Whole vanilla beans have lots of benefits, you need to make sure to get the natural ones. Imitation or synthetic vanilla may offer a similar scent but it surely has different benefits. In addition, vanilla in the market may contain sugar so you need to check the ingredients of the products.