Vanilla Extract Benefits

Vanilla extract is taken from the vanilla bean in Central America. The production of this extract began in Mexico in its early centuries. This was done by the Totonacas, and has been used for medical purposes through time including today. It has been used for different medical conditions ranging from breathing issues and reproductive conditions to emotional conditions such as anxiety.

History

Vanilla was first cultivated by individuals in Mexico on the Gulf Coast. They were known as the Totonacas, and their history traces back to the first through eight centures A.D. In the fifteenth century they started to export the vanilla product, which they had produced in Mexico.

Totonaca Uses of Vanilla Extract

The Totonaca civilization used vanilla extract mainly for medical purposes. These purposes included healing victims of snake bites by poisonous snakes. The Totonacans used the extract to help with respiratory illnesses and stomach illnesses, and even believed that it could be used to cure syphilis.

Stress Relief

In 1991, a study conducted by doctors William Redd and Sharon Menne, working in the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, revealed a scent released from vanilla extract could help with reducing anxiety. This was tested by giving it to individuals that were given MRIs. The results indicated that anxiety was reduced by 63 percent for the patients that received an MRI compared with those who did not receive the scent known as heliotropin.

Stomach Issues

Vanilla extract has been used to help calm patients with queasy stomachs. Either the extract itself or a vanilla bean are placed in water. The individual then drinks the water slowly while inhaling the aroma from the vanilla that is mixed with the water, and it helps to calm the patient's queasy stomach.

Weight Loss

Studies at St. George's Hospital in London have revealed that vanilla extract can actually help patients lose weight. The aroma of vanilla has been applied to patches, and used in an extract form in test tubes with patients sniffing it. These tests along with research in America indicates that while it may not work for everyone, for some it helps with weight loss.