Oregano essential oil is extracted from fresh oregano leaves, which bears the scientific name of Oreganum Vulgare, through a process of steam distillation. Oregano is actually a popular herb that is widely used as a garnishing spice to add flavor to many dishes.

It is native to the Mediterranean region and the oil has actually been used since thousands of years ago (over 2,500 years ago to be exact) for treating a variety of medical conditions. Did you know that it takes over 1000 pounds of wild oregano leaves to produce just one pound of oregano oil?

The word comes from the Greek words of “oros” and “ganos” which literally translates to “joy of the mountain” as it symbolized happiness. Read on to find out more about this potent oil and what it can do for your body!

Health Benefits of Oregano Essential Oil:

1. A Potent Antifungal Agent

Oregano oil is widely hailed for its antifungal properties. It helps to alleviate, treat and prevent a whole range of fungal conditions, such as candida, toenail fungus and even athlete’s foot because of its high thymol content, which is found to be as effective as conventional antifungal drugs.

Research has backed this up, with a 2010 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Microbiology. Researchers found that oregano essential oil exhibited strong inhibitory attitudes towards the various species of the Candida bacterial strains in vitro, thus suggesting that its administration can represent an alternative treatment for candidiasis.

Another 2007 study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that the essential oil of oregano has a marked antifungal effect against the fungal strain of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, where it reduced the fungus’s viability levels. As a result, it significantly inhibited the fungal growth in the soil, thus increasing the number of surviving tomato seedlings!

This thus goes to show that oregano oil can also be used as possible bio fungicides to prevent growth of various fungal strains on essential food products, which reinforces its antifungal nature.

How to Use it: If you have skin fungal infections, you can mix about 3 drops of oregano oil with equal parts of jojoba oil and massage onto the affected areas. You can also take it internally to help treat candida infections internally and other yeast infections. However, only add one drop of the oil to a glass of water or to a cup of tea and ensure proper dilution before drinking it.

2. Provides Respiratory Relief

As an expectorant, oregano oil is a wonderful natural remedy for lung congestion brought about by respiratory ailments such as coughs, colds, flu or even allergies. It helps to clear out the excess phlegm and mucus lodged within your respiratory and nasal tracts, thus helping to provide a much freer and unobstructed breathing passage.

Not only that, its antibacterial and antiviral properties are also helpful in eradicating bacteria, infections and viruses which are causing the respiratory ailments in the first place. Its anti-inflammatory properties, on the other hand, will be able to bring down inflammation and help soothe the irritated breathing airways.

How to Use it: You can diffuse oregano oil using a diffuser or vaporizer and breathe in the aromatic wafts emanating out. Alternatively, you can mix oregano oil with equal parts of coconut oil and use it as a chest and back rub to help soothe respiratory congestion.

3. An Effective Antibacterial Agent

Oregano oil not only contains antifungal properties, but it is also a terrific antibacterial and antimicrobial agent, perfect for eradicating bacteria externally and internally because of its high carvacrol content. It helps to heal wounds and cuts incurred on the skin and also helps to alleviate internal infections caused by bacterial strains entering your body.

For example, a 2015 research study published in the Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease found that oregano essential oil and its main components were effective against S. aureus, E. coli, Salmonella enteritidis and various other bacterial strains that could lead to serious harm in the body (especially the digestive system) if it is not treated properly. Thus, it is a noteworthy growth inhibitor against the harmful microbes studied, and it possesses significant antioxidant activity.

How to Use it: For external wounds, apply a few drops of diluted oregano oil onto a cotton swab and apply onto the affected areas to get rid of bacteria and speed up the healing process. For internal bacterial infections, try adding a drop of oregano oil to a glass of water or cup of tea, stir it well to ensure proper dilution and consume it. You can also add it to both peppermint and lemon tea to enhance the flavour.

4. Powerful Antioxidant

Oregano oil also contains beneficial antioxidant compounds that can help fight off free radical damage. This helps to fight signs of premature ageing and slows down the ageing process. Also, this means that it contains anti-cancer properties.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that oregano oil exhibited much antiproliferative effects against the human breast cancer cells and the human colon cancer cells. It was indeed effective in inducing cancer cell growth inhibition in the experiment.

However, more research still needs to be done to find out exactly how oregano oil can be used in anticancer treatment methods, but such initial results showing how the oil can inhibit cell growth and prevent them from spreading are undoubtedly promising!

5. Provides Menstrual Relief

Oregano oil is also an emmenagogue, which means it stimulates blood flow and facilitates regular menstrual flow cycles. As such, this provides a much more regular and unobstructed menstrual flow, preventing a whole host of complications from taking place.

Besides that, it also helps to soothe associated conditions like menstrual cramps, headaches, nausea, mood swings and fatigue. It relaxes the uterine walls to promote pain relief.

How to Use it: For pain relief, try mixing 2-3 drops of oregano oil with a teaspoon of coconut oil and massage onto the lower abdominal area. Alternatively, you can drink ginger tea mix with 1 drop of oregano oil if you have painful or irregular periods.

6. As an Anti-Parasitic Agent

Oregano oil has been known to be anti-parasitic in nature as well, as it can kill off many types of pests and parasites, such as roundworms, tapeworms, lice, bed bugs, mosquitoes and fleas. This makes it an efficient agent for eliminating intestinal wounds internally!

Not only that, it serves to keep your external environment clean by getting rid of such pesky insects and parasites, which thus makes oregano oil a great insect repellent. If you have pets, such as cats or dogs and if their fur is filled with parasites like lice or bugs, then you can even use oregano oil on their fur to get rid of and control these irritating creatures.

How to Use it: You can make your very own insect repellent spray by adding a few drops of oregano oil into a spray bottle containing water and proceed to spray all over your household, bedsheets and appliances to prevent these creatures from infiltrating them. To use it on your pets, dilute the oil with a carrier oil and add water into this mixture to use it as a final rinse after you are done with bathing your pet.

Safety Precautions:

• Because it is known to stimulate menstrual flow, pregnant and nursing women should avoid using oregano essential oil at all.

• Before taking oregano oil internally, it is important to purchase a top-quality, high-grade, 100% pure and organic oregano essential oil from a reputable seller. Also, you should always consult a doctor or a professional health expert for medical advice before taking it internally on your own, because it is a very powerful oil and large doses might lead to unwanted side effects.

• Always dilute the oil with a carrier oil first before using it topically onto the skin as it is extremely concentrated and may cause skin irritations.

• In any case, always perform a skin patch test first to see if you have any allergic or sensitive reactions to it.

References:

Marlete Brum Cleff, et al., “In vitro activity of origanum vulgare essential oil against candida species”, Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (2010); 41(1)

Soylu S, Yigitbas H, Soylu EM, Kurt S, “Antifungal effects of essential oils from oregano and fennel on Sclerotinia sclerotiorum”, Journal of Applied Microbiology (2007); 103(4)

Mitropoulou G, et al., “Composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activity of Origanum dictamnus (dittany) essential oil”, Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease (2015)

Begnini KR, et al., “Composition and antiproliferative effect of essential oil of Origanum vulgare

against tumor cell lines” Journal of Medicinal Food (2014); 17(10)