Who does not love vanilla-flavored pastries such as cakes, cupcakes, and so on? On November 10th, it is Vanilla Cupcake Day, which is the day to celebrate by treating yourself to one. Vanilla cupcakes are delicious, so let’s consider why vanilla is sacred. Vanilla goes beyond flavoring sweets as it has so many medicinal properties.
For example, it is a natural antacid with other helpful uses, such as an enhancer or an emulsifier. Don’t forget about the calming effects of vanilla; it is also good for your mental, emotional, and physical health in many ways. Let’s review the magical properties of vanilla because once you learn about them, you will want to have it on hand!
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Why Vanilla Is Special
Vanilla is a spice from Mesoamerican orchids, but it can grow in tropical climates worldwide, as it has many wonderful properties and is known to be the love herb. In witchcraft, many witches use vanilla in recipes for various reasons. Because it is a love herb, it can help stimulate comfort, inner peace, and self-love, as well as feeling love for others. It is a feminine spice, associated with Venus and the water element. Using vanilla incense can help do those things, too, and it can also improve mental focus when you need to work or study. Let’s discuss vanilla’s folklore and history before discussing its magical properties.
Vanilla Folklore and History
Legend states that at one time, vanilla did not exist. In the village of Papantla, Tenitzli and his wife birthed a gorgeous daughter, who became a princess, and only wanted to marry her to a worthy man. The couple dedicated their daughter to the Goddess of crops, Tonoacayohua, and to serving the temple. She would grab flowers to give to the Goddess to make an offering, and a young prince saw her do it.
The prince, Zkatan-Oxga, saw her and fell in love, and wanted to take her with him. The day after, he hid in the bushes, and when he saw her, he jumped out, declared his love for her, and convinced her to come with him. She agreed, but sadly, priests of another god found them and sacrificed their bodies. The grass died in the area where that happened, and then a lush bush replaced it, featuring a green vine. The vine was twining around the bush and ended up growing gorgeous flowers. The flowers developed slim pods which had a sweet fragrance. That was vanilla.
At the time, vanilla was native to the land and could not get the pollination required. However, in 1841, a 12-year-old enslaved person on the French Reunion Island found a way to pollinate the vanilla physically, and that was the start of the worldwide production of the spice sold to customers. A French botanist attempted to take credit for the discovery, but the world saw the boy as the one who discovered how to pollinate vanilla.
Over time, vanilla became the perfect spice for baking and perfumes as it has comforting flavors and scents, and it is not surprising that magical properties have been discovered with it. Now, let’s discuss vanilla’s magical properties that can benefit your overall health profoundly.
Weight Management
Studies have found that vanilla can suppress your appetite and help keep your cholesterol and healthy levels, which has the added benefit of improving your cardiovascular health. Additionally, it can help with metabolism regulation. Those delicious vanilla cupcakes do not count, but the spice can help you curve your appetite, and you can manage your weight quickly and feel as good as you do. Studies have also shown that vanilla can reduce sugar cravings, which is good for your health, as consuming too much sugar is not suitable for you. Therefore, naturally sweetened vanilla cupcakes can be an excellent treat for Vanilla Cupcake Day.
Vanilla Has Antioxidant Properties
The vanilla bean contains antioxidant properties, which can protect your cells. In 2020, scientists found that a component in vanilla saved the brain from oxidative stress, contributing to keeping your brain healthy. Studies in 2021 found that vanilla protects the liver from oxidative stress, which means vanilla can help keep your liver healthy from any injury it can encounter. There needs to be more studies to show how much other oxidative protection vanilla can offer. However, recent studies show that they provide some, and it likely offers more.
Vanilla Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Inflammation is a normal response from your immune system to keep any injury you encounter, which is why if you, for example, sprain your ankle, it swells up to keep the injured area around it protected from further damage. However, some illnesses are linked to chronic inflammation. Foods and drinks with anti-inflammatory properties can help protect your health from chronic inflammation and are good for your overall health. Studies in 2017 and 2018 discovered that vanilla protects against chronic inflammation, but more needs to be conducted to determine more conclusive results. Vanilla can help you feel generally suitable for this reason.
Vanilla Might Be Good For Your Brain
More evidence needs to be found, but studies have shown that some vanilla compounds can support brain health as they may have neuroprotective properties. That also means that vanilla can be good for your nervous system. In 2021, scientists discovered that vanilla can help protect your nerves and reduce Alzheimer’s disease markers, in addition to helping you maintain your memory. As mentioned, more studies must be conducted to make more conclusive evidence, but so far, what scientists have found indicates that vanilla has the potential to be great for your mind.
Vanilla Is Good For Your Hair And Skin
Many beauty products contain vanilla, and the reason for that is that the spice is nourishing for your skin and hair. Vanilla has compounds that can help strengthen your hair, which also allows your hair to grow. What you can always do is add vanilla extract with coconut oil, and you can use it on your hair as a conditioner. It is also excellent for your skin as it has antibacterial properties to help keep acne at bay and may even soften the scars.
Vanilla Is Good For Your Digestive Tract
If you have an upset stomach or heartburn, vanilla extract can help soothe your digestive tract if there is any upset, which has been helpful throughout history. You already know it is a natural antacid. The scent can help settle your stomach, and vanilla tea can do the same for you. So, if you feel queasy or have indigestion, you can always make some vanilla tea. Not to mention, it is quite calming.
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Vanilla Can Work Wonders For Anxiety
Aromatherapy can help with anxiety, and vanilla is a calming scent. Not only does vanilla help keep you calm, but it is also a good mood booster. If you are working in a high-strung environment that makes you anxious and stressed, then you can wear some vanilla perfume, and you can also use a diffuser and put vanilla with water in it if you work from home. If you use vanilla to help keep your moods even and calmer, it will work, and you will become more chill.
Vanilla Can Help Soothe Colds
If you have a cold, you can always use vanilla as a home remedy to help you feel better. Take a squirt or two of vanilla extract and mix it with warm water, or you can always drink some vanilla tea. Remember that vanilla contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which will help you much better while your cold is healing. You won’t feel so draggy from having sore sinuses as well.
Vanilla may have more magical properties than what researchers know so far, as studies are always on their way. But other than drinking vanilla tea and mixing vanilla extract in warm water for colds or with coconut or carrier oils for your skin, you may not know how else to use vanilla. The excellent news is vanilla is highly versatile.
How You Can Use Vanilla
There are many ways you can use vanilla products that will allow you to reap the benefits of this magical spice. You don’t only have to use vanilla extract as you can use vanilla bean powder, and you can always add a little bit of it to your smoothies or other drinks to reap the benefits of the properties of the spice. You can also add some extract or powder to your coffee to naturally sweeten it without the calories, and you reap the benefits, too. That is a win-win. It is essential always to use authentic vanilla extract, bean powder, paste, and so on because synthetic ones do not provide the benefits of vanilla as they have too much sugar and other preservatives.
Vanilla is an essential component of witchcraft as many witches use vanilla in happiness and health rituals, as they can use it in joy, glamour, money, healing, passion, and love magic, as vanilla has powers of wealth and love. Therefore, you will find that many kitchen witches will have vanilla in their kitchen for apparent reasons.
Vanilla Cupcake Day is on November 10th, and that is the day to not only enjoy the tasty treat (mane a healthy version of it to reap the benefits of vanilla) but to honor vanilla and its magical properties. It is a feminine spice associated with Venus and the water element, and its powers are love and wealth. It has so many magical and healthy properties that you will want to use the spice for natural healing. Researchers need to conduct more studies to see how much vanilla can help you, but their findings show it is worth keeping in your kitchen!
