Does The Vanilla Planifolia Plant Have Any Health Benefits?

Does The Vanilla Planifolia Plant Have Any Health Benefits?

By: Chelsea Smith

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ORIGIN AND DISCOVERYORIGIN AND DISCOVERY

Vanilla is an orchid in the family Orchidaceae

Originally from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Madagascar is the largest producer of vanilla worldwide, followed by Indonesia.

Vanilla was brought to America in the late 18th century by Thomas Jefferson

VANILLA PLANIFOLIAVANILLA PLANIFOLIA

Vanilla is the only edible fruit of the orchid family

Vanillin, is the major constituent of vanilla beans and the major contributor to vanilla flavor.

There are many ways vanilla is utilized

3 MOST POPULAR WAYS VANILLA IS

UTILIZED

3 MOST POPULAR WAYS VANILLA IS

UTILIZED#1: Flavoring and Cooking

#2: Aromatherapy

#3: Medicinal Uses

PRODUCTION OF VANILLA

PRODUCTION OF VANILLA

Vanilla is the most labor-intensive agricultural product in the world.

It takes 4 years for the vanilla plant to first bear fruit

The beans then go through a curing, drying, and resting process for several months.

Alcohol is the most efficient agent for extracting the flavor from the beans. The alcohol is a carrier for the vanilla flavor.

PROCESSING VANILLAPROCESSING VANILLA The beans must stay on the vine for nine months

before being harvested.

The pods, while green, are harvested by hand just before they burst open

The pods are dipped in boiling water, wrapped in cloths, and laid out to ferment in the sun.

Alcohol and water are circulated over and through the beans to draw out the chemicals that contain the vanilla flavor.

The chemicals extracted from vanilla beans are suspended in a solution of alcohol and water. The typical concentration of alcohol is 35%-40%

VANILLANVANILLAN

Because Vanillin is very time consuming and expensive to harvest from the vanilla pod, alternative methods of producing Vanillin were researched.

VANILLINVANILLIN Vanillin is a catabolic product of ferulic acid degradation Ferulic acid is a preformed phenolic aromatic chemical that is extremely abundant in nature Ferulic acid undergoes biocatalytic conversion and is transformed into other useful aromatic chemicals, such as Vanillin

SUGGESTED BENEFITS:

SUGGESTED BENEFITS:

Source of Aromatherapy Antioxidants Anti-tumor activity Calms the stomach Treats asthma Treats Congestion and coughs

VANILLA AS A SOURCE FOR AROMATHERAPY

VANILLA AS A SOURCE FOR AROMATHERAPY

Sloan Kettering hospital Exposed patients to heliotropin Those exposed to heliotropin

experienced a 63% decrease in anxiety.

This is routinely used in their hospital now.

VANILLA AS AN ANTIOXIDENT

VANILLA AS AN ANTIOXIDENT

Bhabha Atomic Research Center Vanillin and tested for its ability to

counteract the DPPH radical.

These reactions involved an electron transfer from the antioxidant to DPPH.

It was observed that Vanillin contained antioxidants.

VANILLA CONTAINING ANTI-TUMOR

ACTIVITY

VANILLA CONTAINING ANTI-TUMOR

ACTIVITY Center for Medicinal Plants Research They examined the effect of vanillin on the

growth and metastasis of cancer cells in mice. It showed significantly reduced numbers of

cancer cells in comparison to the controls. Vanillin inhibited invasion and migration of

cancer cells and inhibited enzymatic activity of the cancer cells.

Now Vanillin is being used in the development of drugs that stop the transfer of cancer cells throughout the body.

VANILLA AS A STOMACH SOOTHER

VANILLA AS A STOMACH SOOTHER

No experiments to prove this claim However, the smell of vanilla is

proven to relieve stress, so a decrease in stress may lead to a calm stomach

VANILLA RELIEVES THE SYMPTOMS OF

ASTHMA

VANILLA RELIEVES THE SYMPTOMS OF

ASTHMA Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine An aromatic diffuser

A steam treatment

VANILLA RELIEVES CONGESTION AND

COUGHS

VANILLA RELIEVES CONGESTION AND

COUGHS In South Africa, Honey bush is blended with vanilla and

bourbon to help sooth a cough or respiratory problems. Diluted oils from the vanilla plant can be used as a

throat spray to help with sore throats. You can combine water and essential oils in a spray bottle and spray directly on the throat.

PROVEN TO BE TRUE OR NOT

PROVEN TO BE TRUE OR NOT

Antioxidants Anti-tumor activityX Calms the stomach Treats asthma symptomsX Treats Congestion and coughs Source of aromatherapy

SOURCESSOURCES http://www.raysahelian.com/vanillin.html

http://parts.mit.edu/igem07/index.php/Edinburgh/Yoghurt/Applications

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B75KC4KBWVND7&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=5c2ea40ee21ad2cf454a58ddb6cf623d

http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-faq.html

http://www.gelatine.org/en/health/specials/154_937.htm#Vanilla

http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2007/55/i19/abs/jf071349+.html

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=1939