What are positive and negative things about vanilla?

Answer 1

Let's start with the negative, just to get it over with. Although there is not a lot of negative about this spice, Vanilla just so happens to be the second most expensive spice, (the first being saphron). The reason it is so expensive is because of the intensive labor that is put into growing the seed pods it is extracted from. There is also word that peoples suffering from a disease called Gilbert's Syndrome should not ingest vanilla. Then there is always the alcohol thing...although it is possible to get a bit intoxicated from the vanilla extract, you would have to drink an immense amount of it, and would be better off going with something that was manufactured just for drinking. That would not be vanilla. As for the good of vanilla, I could go on forever. Vanilla can be used to calm certain spicy foods, to lighten the flavor of a pungent dish. It has been said to be a calming scent for your mind and body. Some hospitals even use vanilla scented oils to calm patients. It can be used as an aphrodesiac as well. There have been studies on what scent males are most aroused by, and more often than not, vanilla is the winner. It also has many antioxidants, however it is not as rich in them as many other fruits, spices, and sources. You can also use vanilla to scent your home, your lotions, in perfumes, in drinks, as a helpful trick to make nasty liquid medicines go down easier.