Oregano – Not just for pizza sauce!
- Lisa Absher
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
With healthcare costs rising, more people are turning to alternative holistic treatments to
help treat and prevent harmful conditions. Although herbs have been used as medicines
for centuries, in our modern society, these valuable plants are often overlooked or even
mistaken as weeds. Some potent remedies may even be growing in your backyard.
One of the most beneficial medicinal herbs is Oregano. Oregano is in the mint family
and is originally native to the mediterranean region but has since been cultivated
throughout every continent in the northern hemisphere. Oregano is a perennial plant,
meaning if conditions are right, it will continue to grow back each year (1). Oregano is
famously used as seasoning in many Italian dishes (think pizza and pasta), but this
plant offers a host of medicinal benefits as well (2).
Oregano has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial. Oregano contains two potent
compounds – carvacrol and thymol – which are thought to be responsible for oregano’s
antimicrobial activity. Studies have shown that oregano can be effective at killing
bacteria (even MRSA), fungi (Candida), and viruses (3, 4). Carvacrol and thymol have also been found to have antioxidant properties that can fight free radical accumulation in the body (5). Antioxidants can help decrease inflammatory processes in the body as well. Some early studies have shown that oregano may have anti-diabetic properties and may help lower blood sugar (6). Other studies have shown that carvacrol can inhibit tumor growth and progression (7).
Other than adding oregano to foods, this herb can also be used topically in the form of
an essential oil. Oregano essential oil is made by distilling the oils from the leaves of the
plant. The resulting oil is very concentrated and should be diluted with carrier oil, like
olive oil or coconut oil, before applying it to the skin.
While oregano is generally safe to add to foods as a fresh or dried herb, you should
always consult with a healthcare provider before using oregano essential oil, as this
potent form of oregano may interact with some prescription medications. It is generally
not recommended to use oregano essential oil if pregnant or breastfeeding, as there
isn’t sufficient research on the safety profile of oregano oils in infants.
2. Leyva-López N, Gutiérrez-Grijalva EP, Vazquez-Olivo G, Heredia JB. Essential Oils of
Oregano: Biological Activity beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties. Molecules. 2017 Jun
14;22(6):989. doi: 10.3390/molecules22060989. PMID: 28613267; PMCID:
PMC6152729.
3. Lu M, Dai T, Murray CK, Wu MX. Bactericidal Property of Oregano Oil Against
Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Isolates. Front Microbiol. 2018 Oct 5;9:2329. doi:
10.3389/fmicb.2018.02329. Erratum in: Front Microbiol. 2021 Jul 12;12:713573. doi:
10.3389/fmicb.2021.713573. PMID: 30344513; PMCID: PMC6182053.
4. Manohar V., Ingram C., Gray J., Talpur N., Echard B., Bagchi D., et al. (2001).
Antifungal activities of origanum oil against Candida albicans. Mol. Cell Biochem. 228
111–117.
5. Terenina MB, Misharina TA, Krikunova NI, Alinkina ES, Fatkulina LD, Vorob'eva AK.
[Oregano essential oil as an inhibitor of higher fatty acid oxidation]. Prikl Biokhim
Mikrobiol. 2011 Jul-Aug;47(4):490-4. Russian. PMID: 21950127.
6. Yu H , Zhang P , Liu H , Sun X , Liang J , Sun L , Chen Y . Hypoglycemic activity of
Origanum vulgare L. and its main chemical constituents identified with HPLC-ESI-
QTOF-MS. Food Funct. 2021 Mar 21;12(6):2580-2590. doi: 10.1039/d0fo03166f. Epub
2021 Feb 25. PMID: 33629672.
7. Kubatka P, Kello M, Kajo K, Kruzliak P, Výbohová D, Mojžiš J, Adamkov M, Fialová S,
Veizerová L, Zulli A, Péč M, Statelová D, Grančai D, Büsselberg D. Oregano
demonstrates distinct tumour-suppressive effects in the breast carcinoma model. Eur J
Nutr. 2017 Apr;56(3):1303-1316. doi: 10.1007/s00394-016-1181-5. Epub 2016 Feb 23.
PMID: 26907089.
Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
