Vanilla: A Delicious Benefit for Stress

Jenny Wren stopped by for a quick visit and to refill her empty vanilla bottle. Usually I just refill it; but Organic Gamma has been slacking after all that Christmas baking and all I had in the pantry were organic vanilla beans. 

I didn't even have enough in my bottle (recognize the cork stopper Willie carved for me when I made my very first homemade vanilla extract 2012 in the Keys) to share more than a few teaspoonfuls. 

I thought I would share a quick recap of my homemade vanilla recipe: 

 

Ingredients 

• 1 glass bottle Vodka (750ml-80proof)  
• 12 vanilla beans
• That's it- no strange and unusual ingredients needed to make this wonderful extract.

Directions

1. Remove about 1/2 cup of the vodka from the bottle
2. Place cut vanilla beans in the bottle . Most recipes call for using a knife to open the vanilla pods, I use my kitchen shears and just cut the pods into one inch pieces and then add another little snip up the side. ( I have found this method quicker for me.)
3. Give the bottle a shake -put the lid on tightly  first 
4. Store in a dark place, shaking when you think about it for at least 4 to 6 weeks

Once the extract is finished, you can strain and re-bottle it .

The vanilla beans I strained out;  I put into a cup of raw sugar- once they were dry.  The vanilla left in the used beans was still strong enough to enhance the sugar and 4 weeks later I have vanilla sugar to use in coffee, baked goods, or even whipped cream.

Organic Gamma Info

The benefit of vanilla is not  just flavoring your favorite desserts or coffee; the wonderfully pleasant aroma can calm stress, refresh your mind and reboot your energy.  The smell of vanilla is soothing and calming, so it's not surprising that it can have antidepressant effects. It  helps me with anxiety– the strong aroma of vanilla is known to have a direct impact on the nerves that induce calm and relieve stress, particularly when used as part of an aromatherapy treatment.

Research published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology in March-April 2013 showed that vanillin, in a dose of 100 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (or 45 milligrams per pound), has antidepressant effects comparable to a common antidepressant medication known as fluoxetine. This study was performed on mice, however, not humans.Vanilla extract contains a compound known as vanillin that has antioxidant and antidepressant  effects.

Vanilla is my favorite flavoring , but the extract offers so much more than a delicious taste. The health benefits of vanilla are vast. I just make sure I only use  real homemade vanilla extract rather than cheaper, and  inferior, imitation extract.

 How sweet are Your words to my tastes. 

Psalm 119:103