However, human research is needed.Īlthough inflammation is an essential part of a normal immune response, chronic inflammation has been linked to several health concerns, including increased chronic disease risk.Įating a diet high in foods and drinks that are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds may reduce inflammatory markers in your body and improve overall health ( 19). Vanilla contains compounds like vanillin and vanillic acid, which have been shown to have antioxidant effects. While it’s clear that vanilla extract and vanilla beans contain substances that may offer antioxidant protection, it’s still unknown whether consuming normal amounts of vanilla would offer any antioxidant benefits to humans. Of the two, vanillin was found to be more powerful ( 17).įurthermore, a 2021 study in aging rats observed that vanillin protected against liver damage and age-associated oxidative damage ( 18).Īnother 2011 study in rats showed that pretreatment with vanillin protected against induced liver injury ( 10). Some of the compounds found in vanilla extract and beans have antioxidant effects, meaning they help protect against cell damage.įor example, two of vanilla’s phenolic plant components, vanillin and vanillic acid, have been researched for their antioxidant potential.Ī 2020 test-tube study found that both vanillin and vanillic acid protected brain cells against oxidative stress. Vanillin, a main component of vanilla, has been shown to offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects in animal and test-tube research. For this reason, synthetic vanilla likely has different health effects than natural vanilla products like natural vanilla extract and vanilla bean ( 16). While natural vanilla extract is composed of hundreds of compounds, including vanillin, synthetic vanilla only contains vanillin. Thus, the shortage of natural vanilla and the growing demand for this product has sparked the need for alternatives to vanilla from orchids ( 4, 15). Vanilla production from orchids is labor-intensive and typically involves hand pollination on small orchid farms. In comparison, synthetic vanillin costs just $15 per kilogram ( 1). In fact, natural vanilla can cost as much as $4,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds).

This has made the price of vanilla grow astronomically. It should be noted that the demand for natural vanilla has skyrocketed amid decreasing vanilla orchid production. So, although vanillin likely offers some health benefits, it’s unclear whether it would deliver any significant benefits when consumed in typical amounts ( 1, 14). Plus, studies investigating these potential health benefits have used concentrated doses of vanillin that exceed the amount you’d consumed when using normal amounts of vanilla extract or bean.įor reference, the vanillin concentration in cured vanilla beans is 1–2%, while vanilla extract’s concentration is 0.1–0.2%.

While these findings are promising, it’s unclear how vanillin affects human health.

According to some rodent studies, vanillin may benefit brain health and protect against neurodegenerative diseases ( 12, 13). Vanillin has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in animal and test-tube studies ( 3, 10, 11). Some evidence suggests that vanillin may have anticancer properties, though research is limited to cell and animal studies ( 8, 9). Vanillin is known to have powerful antioxidant properties, though these effects have only been studied in test tubes and animals ( 6, 7). Research shows that vanillin has several benefits properties, including: Vanillin can also be derived from other foods like rice bran oil and clove oil ( 5). Synthetic vanillin is also produced in labs in China, France, and the United States ( 3, 4). It’s the most researched component of vanilla. Vanillin is a phenolic plant compound found in vanilla extract and beans.

Madagascar vs mexican vanilla