Who doesn’t love vanilla-flavored pastries, such as cakes, cupcakes, and so on? November 10 is Vanilla Cupcake Day, the day to celebrate by treating yourself to one. Vanilla cupcakes are delicious, so let’s take a look at why vanilla is sacred. Vanilla goes beyond flavoring sweets because it has so many medicinal properties.
For example, it is a natural antacid with other useful uses, such as a enhancer or an emulsifier. Don’t forget the calming effects of vanilla; it is also good for your mental, emotional and physical health in many ways. Let’s take a look at the magical properties of vanilla, because once you learn about it, you’ll want to have it on hand!
Why vanilla is special
Vanilla is a spice of Mesoamerican orchids, but can grow in tropical climates around the world as it has many wonderful properties and is known as the love spice. In witchcraft, many witches use vanilla in recipes for various reasons. Because it is a love herb, it can help promote comfort, inner peace and self-love, as well as feeling love for others. It is a feminine herb, associated with Venus and the water element. Using vanilla incense can also help you do these things, and it can also improve mental focus when you have to work or study. Let’s discuss the folklore and history of vanilla before discussing its magical properties.
Vanilla folklore and history
Legend says that vanilla once did not exist. In the village of Papantla, Tenitzli and his wife had a beautiful daughter, who became a princess, and only wanted to marry her off to a worthy man. The couple dedicated their daughter to the goddess of crops, Tonoacayohua, and to serving the temple. She took flowers to give to the Goddess and make an offering, and a young prince saw her do so.
The prince, Zkatan-Oxga, saw her and fell in love, and wanted to take her away. The next day 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 unfortunately priests of another god found them and sacrificed their bodies. The grass died in the area where this happened, and then a lush shrub took its place, with a green vine. The vine wound around the bush and eventually grew beautiful flowers. The flowers developed slender pods that had a sweet scent. That was vanilla.
At the time, vanilla was native to the country and could not get the required pollination. However, in 1841, a 12-year-old enslaved person on the French island of Réunion found a way to physically pollinate vanilla, and that was the beginning of worldwide production of the spice sold to customers. A French botanist tried 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 perfumery because it has comforting flavors and scents, and unsurprisingly, magical properties have been discovered with it. Now let’s discuss the magical properties of vanilla that can greatly benefit your overall health.
Weight management
Research has shown that vanilla can suppress your appetite and help maintain your cholesterol and healthy levels, which has the added benefit of improving your cardiovascular health. In addition, it can help regulate metabolism. Those delicious vanilla cupcakes don’t count, but the spice can help you curb your appetite, and you can quickly get your weight under control 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 good for you. That’s why 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 discovered that a compound in vanilla protected the brain from oxidative stress, keeping your brain healthy. A 2021 study found that vanilla protects the liver against oxidative stress, meaning vanilla can keep your liver healthy from any injuries. More studies are needed to show how much other oxidative protection vanilla can provide. However, recent studies show that they offer some, and probably more.
Vanilla has anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation is a normal response by your immune system to prevent any injuries you encounter. For example, if you sprain your ankle, it swells to protect the injured area around it from further damage. However, some diseases are related 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 from 2017 and 2018 found that vanilla protects against chronic inflammation, but more research needs to be done to establish more conclusive results. Vanilla can make you feel generally fit for this reason.
Vanilla can be good for your brain
More evidence needs to be found, but studies have shown that some vanilla compounds may support brain health as they may have neuroprotective properties. This also means that vanilla can be good for your nervous system. In 2021, scientists discovered that vanilla can help protect your nerves and reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as help you preserve your memory. As mentioned, more studies need to be conducted to provide more convincing evidence, but so far from what scientists have discovered, vanilla has the potential to be good for your mind.
Vanilla is good for your hair and skin
Many beauty products contain vanilla, and the reason for that is because 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 as a conditioner on your hair. It is also excellent for your skin as it has antibacterial properties to keep acne at bay and even soften the scars.
Vanilla is good for your digestive tract
If you suffer from upset stomach or heartburn, vanilla extract can help soothe your digestive tract when stomach upset occurs, which has been helpful throughout history. You already know that it is a natural antacid. The scent can soothe your stomach, and vanilla tea can do the same for you. So if you feel nauseous or have indigestion, you can always make some vanilla tea. Not to mention, it’s quite soothing.
Vanilla can do wonders for anxiety
Aromatherapy can help with anxiety, and vanilla is a calming scent. Vanilla not only helps you stay calm, but it is also a good mood booster. If you work in a tense environment that makes you anxious and stressed, you can wear some vanilla perfume, and you can also use a diffuser and put vanilla in it with water if you work from home. If you use vanilla to keep your mood more even and calm, it will work and you will become cooler.
Vanilla can help soothe colds
If you have a cold, you can always use vanilla as a home remedy to make you feel better. Take a dash or two of vanilla extract and mix it with warm water, or you can always drink some vanilla tea. Remember that vanilla has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which will help you much better while healing your cold. You also won’t feel as draggy if you have sore sinuses.
Vanilla may have more magical properties than what researchers know yet, because studies are always taking place. But other than drinking vanilla tea and mixing vanilla extract in warm water for colds or with coconut or carrier oil for your skin, you may not know how else to use vanilla. The good news is that vanilla is very versatile.
How to use vanilla
There are many ways you can use vanilla products so you can reap the benefits of this magical spice. You don’t have to just use vanilla extract, but also 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 spice’s properties. You can also add some extract or powder to your coffee to sweeten it naturally without the calories, and you’ll reap the benefits too. That’s a win-win situation. It is essential to always use authentic vanilla extract, bean powder, paste, etc., as synthetic ones do not provide the benefits of vanilla because they contain too much sugar and other preservatives.
Vanilla is an essential part of witchcraft as many witches use vanilla in luck 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. That’s why you’ll find that many kitchen witches have vanilla in their kitchen for obvious reasons.
Vanilla Cupcake Day is on November 10, and that’s the day to not only enjoy the tasty treat (make a healthy version of it to reap the benefits of vanilla), but also to celebrate vanilla and its magical properties. It is a feminine herb 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 herb for natural healing. Researchers need to conduct more studies to see how much vanilla can help you, but their findings show that it’s worth keeping in your kitchen!
