Ethyl vanillin is an important food additive and flavouring agent approved by FAO/WHO, has a vanilla odor four times that of vanillin and shows anti-mutagenic activity. It is used as flavoring agent and/or as an additive by the food, cosmetic, or pharmaceutic industries. Ethyl vanillin possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidant activity of ethyl vanillin was much stronger than that of vanillin in the oxidative hemolysis inhibition assay, but was the same as that of vanillin in the ORAC assay. Oral administration of ethyl vanillin to mice increased the concentration of ethyl vanillic acid, and effectively raised antioxidant activity in the plasma as compared to the effect of vanillin. The antioxidant activity of ethyl vanillin might be more beneficial than has been thought in daily health practice. The anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of EVA are based on its suppressive effect on the production of nitric oxide possibly via decreasing the reactive oxygen species level.