Vanilla: Current, Past, and Now Proven Medicinal Qualities

For over eight centuries, vanilla has been used to treat venomous bites and to sweeten the scent of sacred temples. Even today, the extent of its medicinal benefits remains under investigation. If you have issues with anxiety, sleep, stomach irritation, depression, heart health, inflammation, respiration, muscle pain, or more, keep reading.

History of Vanilla

The Totonac people of Eastern Mexico were among the first civilizations to domesticate vanilla beans as early as the 1180s. The Aztecs from Mesoamerica invaded the Totonac people in 1300, taking the plant with them and calling it the black pod, using it for its sweet taste. The Mayans also used it for its sweet aroma and to treat bites and wounds. There were also myths in Mayan culture surrounding vanilla beans’ properties, linking them to love potions. 

After the Spanish conquest, the plant was introduced to Europe. It was used mainly for flavoring but also for treating hysteria because of its calming effects. In 1841, the discovery of vanilla beans was credited to a slave boy named Edmond Albius, who discovered that vanilla could be hand-pollinated. It reached India, where Ayurveda, a medicinal system primarily used by a reported majority of the South Indian and Nepali populations, still uses vanilla in its practices to this day. Through centuries of trade, vanilla spread across the globe. 

Health Benefits of Vanilla

Different cultures have different medicinal uses for vanilla. Studies have shown that it reduces anxiety, specifically through its regulation of blood pressure. Many have reported improvements in their apnea due to stimulation of the olfactory senses. One Taiwanese study examined the anticlastogenic properties of vanilla, testing the effects of introducing vanillin, a major component of vanilla, on various organs. Another study found that vanilla’s anticlastogenic properties can reduce or even reverse damage caused by UV radiation. 

Vanilla has been used across continents for its anti-inflammatory properties to treat various wounds and illnesses. Vanilla is well known for its stomach-settling properties and anti-nausea effects. Studies have tested its efficacy in skincare, and its anti-inflammatory properties make it a candidate for reducing skin aging. Overall, vanilla has been shown to be a cheap, natural remedy for a wide range of illnesses and conditions due to its array of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticlastogenic, and other healing properties. 

What is Currently Being Studied?

Numerous clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the medicinal properties of vanilla in modern medicine. A study is comparing lavender and vanilla for pain reduction in frenotomy, measuring heart rate before and after application. Many studies are testing whether vanilla oil can improve sleep apnea. Studies are examining whether vanilla can stimulate vasopressin neuromodulation in the lateral septum of autistic males, thereby allowing them to process social cues more effectively. These are just a few examples of the specificity with which science recognizes vanilla as a beneficial therapeutic component. 

While vanilla may have begun as a myth about the blood of star-crossed lover deities, its reach and use have far surpassed that. Science now supports what ancient civilizations have practiced for centuries, from lovemaking to brachycardia prevention. Overall, vanilla is proving far more complex than we give it credit for as both a baking ingredient and a sweet-smelling perfume.

Featured image via sidath vimukthi on Unsplash