Vanilla

Scientific Name(s): Vanilla planifolia Andr. (synonymous with V. fragrans Ames and V. tahitensis J.W. Moore). Family: Orchidaceae

Common Name(s): Vanilla , Bourbon vanilla , Mexican vanilla , Tahiti vanilla .

Clinical Overview

Uses of Vanilla

Vanilla has been used widely as a food, flavoring, and in perfume components.

Vanilla Dosing

There is no recent clinical evidence to support a specific dosage of vanilla, though its use as a condiment is widespread.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Generally recognized as safe or used as food. Avoid dosages above those found in food because safety and efficacy are unproven.

Vanilla Interactions

None well documented.

Vanilla Adverse Reactions

Some allergenic properties have been associated with vanilla.

Toxicology

Research reveals little or no information regarding toxicology with the use of this product.

Botany

The vanilla plant is a perennial herbaceous vine that grows to heights of 25 m in the wild and can produce fruit for 30 to 40 years. 1 It is native to tropical America and grows abundantly in Mexico. It is now cultivated throughout the tropics, including Reunion (Bourbon); 1 Madagascar produces approximately 80% of the world's supply. 2 The fully-grown unripe fruit (called the bean or pod) is collected and subjected to a complicated and labor-intensive fermentation process; together with the drying stage, this curing process requires from 5 to 6 months to complete. 3 During this time, vanillin is produced by the enzymatic conversion of glucovanillin 1 within the bean and vanillin may accumulate as white crystal on the bean surface giving it a frosted appearance.

History

Vanilla has a long history of use as a food flavoring and fragrance. Westerners were likely introduced to vanilla by the Aztec emperor Montezuma II, who prepared a vanilla-flavored chocolate drink for Hernando Cortez in the early 1500s. 2 Although vanillin is often used in bulk food preparation, it cannot be readily substituted for the natural extract where the delicate fragrance of the pure extractive is desired. Traditional uses of vanilla have included its use as an aphrodisiac, carminative, antipyretic, and stimulant. It has been added to foods to reduce the amount of sugar needed for sweetening and has been said to curb the development of dental caries. 4

Chemistry

The quality of the vanilla bean is not dependent on the vanillin content even though vanillin is associated with the characteristic fragrance of the plant. Numerous other constituents characterize the flavor and quality of vanilla and its extracts. 3

Vanilla extracts are prepared by percolating ground vanilla bean with an alcohol/water mixture. Vanilla has been reported to contain up to approximately 3% vanillin, the major flavoring component. However, more than 150 other minor components contribute to the full-bodied fragrance of natural vanilla. The vanillin content differs with the variety of the bean, with Bourbon beans containing generally higher amounts than Mexican and Tahiti beans. 3

Because synthetically-produced vanillin can be obtained inexpensively, it is often used as a substitute or adulterant for natural vanilla extract. Extracts of Mexican origin have been adulterated with coumarin, presumably arising from the use of tonka beans. 1 These products do not meet FDA food safety standards. The FDA has prohibited use of coumarin in food since 1954, due to its potential hazards. Unfortunately, there is no simple method to distinguish if a vanilla extract is authentic, although more sophisticated chromatographic methods can assist in defining the quality of an extract. 1 Only about 6% of the market for vanilla flavoring is held by pure vanilla extract. 2 Vanilla extract produced by biotechnological methods of plant culturing have yielded good grades of natural vanilla. 2

Vanilla Uses and Pharmacology

The anti-caries effects of vanilla have not been well documented but are believed to be related to the catechin content of the plant. 4

Meals flavored with vanilla have been shown in controlled studies to provide a greater degree of satiety relative to nutritionally-identical unflavored meals. 5

Research reveals no animal or clinical data regarding the use of vanilla for any condition.

Dosage

There is no recent clinical evidence to support a specific dosage of vanilla, though its use as a condiment is widespread.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Generally recognized as safe or used as food. Avoid dosages above those found in food because safety and efficacy are unproven.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Although allergenic properties have been associated with vanilla, they do not appear to be related to the vanillin component of the plant. 3 Rather, the dermatitis may be caused by calcium oxalate crystals in the plant. 4 Workers preparing vanilla have reported headache, dermatitis, and insomnia, which together have been characterized as a syndrome known as “vanillism.” 4

In a recent survey of ingredients of prescription and OTC health care products, vanilla was the second most common flavoring, superseded only by cherry, suggesting that persons with a known hypersensitivity to vanilla extract should be vigilant to the widespread use of this flavoring in pharmaceuticals. 6

Toxicology

Research reveals little or no information regarding toxicology with the use of this product.

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