Vanilla extract is a common ingredient used in a lot of baked treats. It has a rich, sweet and comforting flavor that a lot of people will recognize instantly.
Vanilla comes from the vanilla bean, and it is known that vanilla extract not only tastes great, but offers you lots of health benefits.
Vanilla extract is seen as a low-carb and calorie spice, which is ideal for anyone who is on the keto-diet.
In this article, we will be discussing more about vanilla extract and how it is the perfect flavoring for someone who is one a keto diet.
What Is Vanilla Extract?
Vanilla extract is a popular ingredient for many recipes, and it is commonly used all over the world. Yet, not everyone is sure how vanilla extract is made.
Vanilla extract is created from the bean pods that are produced by a particular flower.
These pods are generally produced in Mexico, China, Madagascar, and Indonesia. It is seen as a spice, which is often grown near the equator, yet it has worldwide fame.
We use it a lot for culinary purposes, but the spice is also used for its scent in soaps, room sprays and candles.
To make the extract, the bean pod is crushed to break down the fibers of the plant and release the flowers.
It is then ground into a paste, and the vanilla is soaked in a mixture of ethanol and water. This process then extracts the essence, which is then bottled.
Difference Between Pure And Imitation Vanilla Extract
In America, you will notice that different types of vanilla extracts are labeled differently.
The Food and Drug Administration has stated that they require for the vanilla bean solution to contain a minimum of 100g of vanilla beans per liter and 35% of alcohol to be labeled as pure vanilla extract.
Pure vanilla extract is typically created with red beans being soaked in ethanol.
In addition to that, they contain no sugar, cane syrup or preservatives.
The most important thing about pure vanilla is that it contains no artificially manufactured vanillin, which you will find in imitation vanilla extract.
With imitation vanilla extract, the vanilla is made using petrochemicals, which then create a synthetic vanillin.
As a result, it is important that you always check the label of the vanilla extract that you are purchasing.
If you want vanilla extract for the powerful flavor and health benefits, then it’s best to use pure vanilla extract rather than an imitation vanilla extract.
How Many Carbohydrates In Vanilla Extract?
With a keto diet, it is all about the carbs. It is known that just one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract amounts to just 1.6 grams of carbs.
However, no one really uses that much vanilla extract when they are cooking.
As a result, the amount of carbohydrates for the amount of vanilla extract that you use in your baking is very minimal, that is, it adds hardly anything to your total carbs for the day.
If you want to find out the amount of carbs, then you can break it down.
It has been discovered that one teaspoon of vanilla extract, which is a more likely amount of vanilla extract that you will use, contains only 0.50 grams of carbohydrates.
Thus, the addition of pure vanilla extract to your baking is nothing to worry about.
However, you need to be careful when adding imitation vanilla extract to your food.
This is because these types of vanilla extract contain sugar, preservatives and harmful chemicals as well.
As a result, to make sure that you are consuming vanilla extract that is 100% keto friendly, you should stick to pure vanilla extract.
With that being said, the vanilla bean is also keto friendly, and actually far fewer carbohydrates than vanilla extract.
Vanilla bean contains rough 0.1 grams of carbs, as it does not contain any alcohol. Thus, vanilla bean is the purest form of vanilla that you can use.
Health Benefits Of Vanilla Extract
As we have previously mentioned, vanilla extract has many health benefits for you.
Vanilla extract is rich in antioxidants that research has shown to be a great anti-inflammatory.
In addition to this, it has been found that due to the appearance of this anti-inflammatory, vanilla extract can help to prevent certain diseases.
Alongside that, due to the vanillin being present, this can also help to support healthy brain function.
It is also believed that vanilla extract can actually help when you have toothache. It is said that the vanilla will help to numb the pain.
This is mainly due to the ethanol that is present in pure vanilla extract.
However, this hasn’t been proven, but more research is being done into vanilla extract as a remedy for toothache.
For a lot of people, they use vanilla as a substitute for sugar in their diets.
This can then help with anyone who is trying to lose weight, and can help you control your blood sugar levels.
As a result, the addition of pure vanilla extract in your diet can have many health benefits, and allow you to live a much healthier lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
Vanilla extract is great for anyone who is on a keto diet. However, it is better to consume pure vanilla than an imitation of vanilla extract.
This is because the imitation vanilla extracts contain sugar and other harmful chemicals that aren’t keto friendly.
For a lot of people, vanilla extract is a substitute for sugar. However, you can add it to various meals and drinks.
The amount of carbs found in vanilla extract is so small that it doesn’t have any effect on your total carbs for the day.
We hope you have enjoyed this article, and now understand that vanilla extract is keto friendly.
