Surely you know vanilla, which is a spice obtained from orchids of the Vanilla genus, native to Mexico. This spice was already used in America when Christopher Columbus arrived here, and its aroma and flavor conquered the Europeans; thus, it was taken to the Old Continent, along with chocolate, by a conqueror named Hernán Cortes, around 1520. However, all attempts to grow this spice outside its place of origin were unsuccessful. It wasn’t until 1841 that a 12-year-old French-serving slave discovered that the plant could be pollinated by hand, so global cultivation of the plant finally took place. But, to this day, it is one of the most expensive agricultural products in the world.
Despite being better known as a flavoring, vanilla is not just that. Tea can be made from it, which offers many important benefits to our body!
Index
Vanilla Properties
Vanilla has as its main and known properties : aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, antiseptic, flavoring, slightly choleretic, digestive, emmenagogue, stimulant and general tonic.
Benefits of Vanilla Tea
- Few people know that vanilla is rich in vanillin. This substance is an antioxidant and acts to prevent cell aging and the dreaded diseases that affect brain function. Therefore, it prevents everything from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
- It can be used in cases of insomnia and agitation, helping the person to calm down and relax their muscles.
- Vanilla tea can be used to treat illnesses such as anxiety and severe depression.
- It also works as a great digestive.
- It is indicated for uterine and nervous affections, diarrhea, hepatobiliary dyskinesias, hyposecretory dyspepsia, spasms, sterility, to combat lack of energy, adynamic fevers, flatulence , impotence, hysterical melancholia and chronic rheumatism.
Contraindications and side effects
The vanilla tea is contraindicated in cases of: lactation, children under six years, patients with respiratory allergies, gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, liver disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and some neurological diseases, hypersensitivity to vanilla essential oil, cinnamon oil and Peruvian balm oil.
The known side effect is that pure essential oil can be neurotoxic and eventually produce contact dermatitis.
