Oregano is a fragrant herb that's best known as an ingredient in Italian food. However, it can also be concentrated into an essential oil that's loaded with antioxidants and powerful compounds that have proven health benefits. Oregano oil appears to be useful both when consumed orally or applied to the skin. It's an effective, organic, and all natural antibiotic and anti-fungal that may also help you lose weight while lowering your cholesterol levels. Oregano oil comes from the leaves and shoots of the oregano plant. oregano is a flowering plant from the same family as mint. Native to Europe the herb is grown across the globe. Oregano has been popular ever since the Greeks and Romans used it for medicinal purposes in ancient times. In fact, the name oregano comes from the Greek words "oros," meaning mountain, and "ganos," meaning joy or delight.
The oil contains compounds called phenols, terpenes and terpenoids, which have powerful antioxidant properties and are responsible for its fragrance.
Carvacrol: The most abundant phenol in oregano oil. It has been shown to stop the growth of several different types of bacteria.
Thymol: A natural antifungal that can also support the immune system and protect against toxins.
Rosmarinic acid: A powerful antioxidant that helps protect against damage caused by free radicals.
If you were to load a bunch of fresh oregano on your tongue, you would most likely experience a warm, slightly spicy taste. Some find it overbearing. That taste comes from the compound called carvacrol. The carvacrol has been shown to be a potent antibacterial against numerous strains of bacteria. It is thought to work by destroying the cell membranes of bacteria and stop them from replicating. What is most interesting about the carvacrol is that while destroying the bacteria ir keeps the helpful probiotic bacteria intact.
Other Benefits of Oregano Oil
In addition to acting as a natural antibiotic, oil of oregano has many other benefits. Some of these include:
Reducing inflammation: Oil of oregano activates PPAR and suppresses COX-2 inflammation. Because inflammation is the root of many disorders, this make oil of oregano useful for treating GI problems such as IBS and SIBO, heartburn, bloating, psoriasis, and more.
Anti-Fungal: Oil of oregano also destroys fungi and is shown to destroy candida, thus making it a natural treatment for yeast infections.
Allergies and Respiratory Problems: In addition to the carvacrol in oil of oregano, its flavonoids and terpenes are potent at fighting ailments such as asthma, allergies, sneezing, and coughing.
Parasites: If you are traveling to a developing country, you might want to bring along some oil of oregano to treat traveler’s diarrhea. Oregano oil is potent at killing bacteria as well as parasites and worms which might cause stomach problems from consuming tainted foods or water
Oil of Oregano is natural and organic, and won't cause damage to your gut. However, it takes 1,000 pounds of wild oregano to produce just one pound of the oil! Therefor you are better off buying the oil. Like with all supplements, quality matters. Wild P73 oregano oil is considered the most potent. Try to buy pure, additive-free, raw oregano oil. Remember, while it might be natural, oregano oil is still an antibiotic – and antibiotics should only be used for the short term so you don’t risk gut dysbiosis.