7 Amazing Health Benefits of Wild Oregano Oil
Nature has always been full of amazing surprises concerning the presence and sheer occurrence of the amount of useful natural plants, herbs, spices, and materials used to treat, cure or prevent several diseases and health conditions. The wild oregano herb is one naturally occurring plant with astounding health care uses and applications.
If you're familiar with naturally derived products used to treat, cure or prevent medical health conditions and improve quality of life, then you will have certainly heard about wild oregano, a plant famous for its essential oil content. However, before we examine the numerous amazing medical benefits of oregano oil, let's look at what wild oregano oil is and what makes it so valuable for medical purposes.
Oregano originated from Greece and was originally believed to have been created by the Greek goddess Aphrodite as a symbol of joy. Several years later, the Romans adopted oregano cultivation mainly for its wonderful taste and the fact that it was easy to cultivate. After its adoption by the Romans, oregano cultivation and use gradually spread all around Europe and even to parts of Africa. However, it wasn’t until the middle ages that oregano’s application for medical purposes began to become somewhat “mainstream.” It was vastly employed then as a curative measure for several diseases and medical conditions such as rheumatism, cough, and toothache. Oregano's application for health and treatment benefits also expanded into Asia, specifically China, where it was used to cure stomach disturbances and fever.
Oil Of Oregano: What is it exactly?
Wild oregano oil, also commonly referred to as the oil of oregano or simply oregano oil is an essential oil obtained from the Origanum vulgare plant in the wild Mediterranean. The Origanum vulgare herb has been picked from the wild Mediterranean area and used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent several medical conditions in countless traditions and cultures over the years. However, this herb has been extensively used because of its high essential oil component.
Oregano Essential Oil Components
The herb product referred to as oil of oregano, or oregano oil, is made up of essential oils, all of which contribute towards giving the oil of oregano its numerous helpful effects such as anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity. The main compositions of oregano oil include carvacrol and thymol. More specifically, however, the chemical components of oregano oil can be grouped as follows:
Phenols: The phenolic essential oils in oregano oils are mainly thymol and carvacrol. These essential oils have pretty strong antibacterial, and they are also antioxidants. They are largely responsible for the use of oil of oregano to diagnose, treat, cure and even prevent bacterial infections.
Terpenes: The terpene class of chemical compounds found in the oil of oregano includes pinene and terpinene. These two compounds have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. They have also been discovered to have anesthetic properties, making them immensely helpful for treating various infections and medical conditions.
Long Chain Alcohols: Just like the two classes of chemical compounds found in the oil of oregano discussed above, this particular chemical class of essential oil components is also helpful in treating bacteria infection and several kinds of diseases caused by viruses. These long chain alcohol essential oils include borneol and linalool.
Esters: The last class of essential oils found in the oil of oregano is the esters. The activities of these components are largely antifungal, and they include geranyl acetate and linalyl acetate.
Carvacrol
Carvacrol is the main essential oil component of oregano essential oil, making up between 60 and 70 percent of the total chemical composition of wild oregano oil. In addition to being the major essential oil component of wild oregano oil, carvacrol is also, by far, one of the most powerful antibiotics known to man.
It will interest you to know that studies have shown that this essential oil compound is more active than modern antibiotics used in treating and managing bacteria infections. The carvacrol essential oil is more potent than antibiotics like vancomycin, streptomycin, and even penicillin.
It is, however, important to note that in and of itself, this compound is very acidic, and it can burn human skin when it's in its isolated form, so as a result, it's usually combined with olive oil. Olive oil here serves as a carrier oil, and it's used to dilute the pure compound, thereby reducing the intensity of its effects on the skin.
Now that we're all caught up on what oregano oil is, how it's gotten from the origanum spice that grows in the wild Mediterranean, and what the constituents of oregano oil are, let's proceed to look at some of the amazing health benefits of using oregano oil.
What Are The Benefits Of Oregano Essential Oil?
Now we’re at the section you’ve probably been looking forward to so eagerly; what are the benefits of oregano oil? You’ll likely already be aware of how nutritional oregano herb oil is. In fact, you may have even seen it as part of the ingredients of some culinary dishes. That’s no surprise, seeing as it does have an amazing taste. Beyond this, however, oregano oil also has several health benefits, which have more than justified its widespread use all over the world. As mentioned earlier, these health applications are due to oregano oil’s high essential oil content, especially its carvacrol content.
Some health and medical benefits of oregano oil include the following:
- Safer and Better Than Antibiotics
- Effective Against Infections and Microbe Overgrowth
- Medication Side-effects Reduction
- Perfect Athlete’s Foot Remedy
- Treating Digestive Conditions
- Effective Against Parasitic Infections
- Oregano Oil For Allergies and Inflammation
Let’s look at each of these benefits in more detail:
Safer and Better Than Antibiotics
Over the years, there have been many infection cases, some of which have been responsible for causing death in significant proportions. However, the advent of antibiotic discovery provided the much-needed relief that man had been after for a long time. The discovery of penicillin has led to a wave of beneficial antibiotic discoveries in the “war” against infection; however, it’s not all good news.
More recently, it has been discovered that frequent prescription and use of antibiotics can prove very harmful in the long run because most of these antibiotics, especially the broad-spectrum ones, also kill pro-bacterias (good bacterias) that play very important roles in promoting good health such as vitamin production, aiding digestion, and even protection against infection-causing microorganisms.
In contrast, the active components of oregano help fight various dangerous infections-causing microbes, such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi, thanks to their natural and highly-effective antimicrobial activity. In addition, there is a much lower risk of “drug tolerance” with oregano oil than with antibiotic drugs because oregano oil has multiple components that work synergistically to ensure increased activity efficacy.
Effective Against Infections and Microbe Overgrowth
Now you might be wondering, “Why should I consider oregano oil as an alternative treatment for infections, after all it’s just oil from a herb?” Good question. However, you will find it interesting to know that although oregano oil is an alternative treatment method, it is as effective, if not more effective, in some cases than typical antibiotic drugs. Several studies have been carried out to test the effectiveness of oregano oil for antimicrobial applications, and it was discovered to have astounding antimicrobial capacities. One of its contents (carvacrol) has been discovered to be as powerful as some of the strongest antibiotics known to man. The best part is that oregano oil doesn’t even potentiate the severe side effects these regular antibiotic drugs are known to cause.
Medication Side-effects Reduction
It isn’t uncommon for people to experience some side effects from drug use while treating medical conditions. Nevertheless, some of these adverse effects can be so severe that they worsen an already unpleasant patient treatment experience and could even be life-threatening. Several studies carried out recently have, however, led to the discovery that oregano oil has some side effect-reducing abilities; which makes it a potentially valuable “resource” for the treatment and management of severe adverse effects that follow medical intervention such as chemotherapy and the use of medications in the treating pain conditions like arthritis.
Perfect Athlete’s Foot Remedy
Athlete’s foot is a painful and extremely uncomfortable medical condition caused by fungi such as mycelia of T. rubrum and conidia of T. mentagrophytes. Again, many people prefer organic, natural remedies for the treatment of disease conditions because these natural remedies are usually effective and way less uncomfortable to use. However, this presented a problem in this case, as fungal infections can be quite stubborn, even when treated with powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics.
A study carried out in search of natural alternatives for curing athlete’s foot led to the discovery of oregano oil as a very powerful yet safe remedy for the fungal condition. It’s currently the best and most powerful essential oil for treating athlete’s foot. Combining oregano oil with salt and thermotherapy is a very effective treatment option for athlete’s foot.
Treating Digestive Conditions
Another amazing health advantage of using oregano essential oil is that it's also very useful for treating several digestive conditions. Oregano oil has been used to treat digestive disorders such as ulcers, food poisoning, and digestive issues caused by bacterial infections. Oregano oil has also been used to relieve patients suffering from moderate dyspepsia.
In addition to this, oregano oil promotes bile production and aids in food digestion thanks to its ability to mop up free radicals effectively.
Effective Against Parasitic Infections
Several studies have also shown that in addition to oregano oil’s impressive efficacy against bacterial and fungal microorganisms, it’s also a very effective treatment option for parasitic infections. Studies conducted to evaluate the anti-parasitic activity of oregano oil showed that this substance is very effective against several enteric parasites such as Blastocystis hominis —-a parasite that causes serious digestive imbalance and discomfort and even Entamoeba hartmanni and Endolimax nana.
Oregano Oil For Allergies and Inflammation
Oregano oil contains chemicals such as rosmarinic acid, which are very useful for treating seasonal allergies and alleviating itching, sneezing, and congestion symptoms. These compounds are also very effective for treating allergic inflammation without depressing the immune system. This anti-inflammatory action of oregano oil also makes it perfect for treating medical conditions marked with the manifestation of inflammation like rheumatism.
How Do I Use Wild Oregano Oil?
The specifics of oregano oil usage depend primarily on what it's being used to treat; for example, Oregano use with a focus on the effects of its antioxidants will differ from its use as an antibiotic. The Wild Oregano Oil from My Vida Origins can be taken starting with 2 drops either in water or under the tongue (under the tongue it can be a bit difficult to take, if you cannot tolerate it, in water or juice it is fine) You can take 10-20 drops a day throughout the day/not all at once. I wouldn't take it for more than 2 weeks in a row. After 2 weeks rest for 1 week and resume the routine depending on the symptoms.
Cautions
Oregano oil has been known to cause irritations and some allergic reactions. If you observe an adverse reaction (such as nausea, dizziness, or some other form of allergic reaction) that started right after you started using oregano, discontinue it and reach out to your doctor immediately. Also, note that oregano products should be kept safe from children at all times. If you're pregnant or nursing and want to use oregano, consult your medical care provider first to know if it'll be safe for you to use this drug.
Conclusion
Oregano oil was originally obtained from the Oregano herb or spice in the Mediterranean mountains, and it’s a very powerful natural remedy for treating several medical conditions. It can effectively fight and treat illnesses and diseases caused by microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. It’s also effective against some enteric parasites as well. Oregano oil can be administered both topically and internally.