Vanillic acid is a polyphenolic compound that is found in a range of edible plants and herbs such as the trunk bark of Amburana cearensis and in the roots of Angelica sinensis. Evidence suggests that vanillic acid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. As both inflammation and oxidation are characteristic metabolic changes associated with anxiety and depression, studies have investigated vanillic acid for its mood elevating properties. For example, one study administered vanillic acid ro rats and exposed them to experimental stress. The vanillic acid was significantly beneficial at improving sensory motor signs and at decreasing anxious behaviour. These results suggest that vanillic acid is able to regulate the central nervous system and cause changes to mood, possibly through its antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects. Vanillic acid may also explain the mood elevating effects of Angelica sinensis, that have been reported in other studies that have evaluated the roots of the plant.
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