Vanilla bean pods
Vanilla, scientifically named vanilla planifolia, grows as high climbing vines that produce fragrant flowers and highly prized bean pods. Vanilla's sugary sweet aroma has been known to carry medicinal properties that assist in curing ailments and baked into culinary delights. Indigenous to Mexico, the full cultivation of the vine was made possible through pollination by bees. It was not until the 19th century, with the discovery of hand pollination, that vanilla took root in different regions, including Madagascar, Indonesia and Tahiti.
History
Dating back thousands of years, vanilla's sweet aromas have been discovered to cure stomach ailments, male impotency, calm nerves and prevent morning sickness.
The origin of medicine dates back to the primal derivatives of plants. Plant extracts were pressed from flowers to produce traditional aromatherapy oils that were used to cure ailments. Vanilla is one of the most labor intensive plants to cultivate, which makes it one of the more expensive essential oils on the consumer health market. Vanilla oil is extracted from the plant's interior, processed and bottled as a concentrate. Dried pods are also available.
Health Benefits
Vanilla bean extracts flavor ice creams, coffees, liqueurs, confectionary items and baked goods.
Aromatherapy benefits of vanilla include heightened mental clarity, increased circulation, decreased fever temperatures, clearing respiratory airways and as a weight-loss aid. Medicinal benefits of the vanilla also have been thought to calm stomach pains, reduce hunger pangs and relieve stress. Europeans believed in vanilla's abilities to ease joint pain and aid in digestion. Natives to the South Pacific islands used vanilla to calm the stomachs of pregnant women with severe morning sickness. More modern research has claimed that vanilla can cure male impotency.
Aromatherapy Uses in the Home
Vanilla's aromatic benefits are infused into bath salts, body lotions, body sprays, candles and paint colors.
Vanilla aromatherapy is a warm, familiar fragrance infused into homes through bath salts, body scrubs, candles, and perfumes. Vanilla's sweet scent has been used as an aphrodisiac. Body lotions, salt scrubs and body sprays are scented with this sugary treat. A synthetic essence of vanilla, named vanillin, was produced as a cost effective substitute for the authentic vanilla oil and has allowed vanilla aromatherapy to be sold and enjoyed by the mass market.
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