Watching Nutrition | Information for a Healthy Life

First, Get the Right Oregano Product

No, I’m not telling you to eat more pizza. In fact the thing called oregano used to season food is usually not even oregano at all, but a type of Marjoram. Only a few species of true wild oregano have the medicinal powers we are interested in. Much commercially available “so-called” oregano oil, is actually thyme or Marjoram oil. Also, to preserve the natural curative strength, oil of oregano should be made using cold pressing and steam distillation, not chemical extraction. Commercially processed essential oils can even be toxic when taken internally. The North American Herb and Spice Company was the first to bring a line of quality Oil of Oregano Products to the United States. They have different mixtures with oil of oregano and ready to use eyedropper bottles of Oil of Oregano and Superstrength (more for topical use). You can always dilute the stronger formulation with virgin olive oil if you have an extra eye dropper bottle. I picked one up at a local pharmacy for 50 cents.

So What Can Wild Mountain Oregano Do?

It can kill or slow the growth of fungus and inhibit the growth of most bacteria, even Staph, E. coli and Candida albicans. Often it is more effective than prescription antibiotics. There are other antiseptic spices, but none are as effective as oregano.

What is the “Active Ingredient” in Oil of Oregano?

Oil of Oregano is a complex blend of substances. Many of the compounds still defy indentification and the action or interaction of many components is not yet understood. But, a type of phenol called carvacrol dominates and is pretty well studied and it’s antiseptic powers are supported. Phenols in general are proven antiseptics and certain less potent synthetic versions have been used to sterilize instruments in hospitals. Plus Oil of Oregano has another important phenol, thymol, that works synergistically with carvacrol, making it a far better microbe killer than any commercially produced phenols. In fact, so far, over 50 antimicrobial compounds have been found in oil of oregano.

What’s the Big Deal about Fighting Fungus with Oil of Oregano?

I mean, aren’t fungi more known for growing on dead tree stumps and stuff? Fungal microbes are saprophytes. Saprophytes include most fungi (molds) and a few flowering plants, like orchids. They depend on dead tissue for nutrition and metabolic energy. Certain fungi will thrive on our dead or diseased tissues. The skins’ layers of dead cells being shed provide one feeding opportunity for fungi. Some fungal presence in our bodies is unavoidable, but infections at times can spread out of control. Our susceptibility to overgrowth of fungi increases with alcohol or sugar intake, making America the most fungally infected nation.

Fungi may also thrive when our immunity is weakened by damage to immunity organs from the use of antibiotics, birth control pills, chemotherapy, and other drugs and radiation. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics creates a haven for fungi by killing off beneficial bacteria that inhibit fungi growth. Estrogens from birth control pills encourage the growth of Candida a. Generally a fungal infection, like a yeast infection will indicate some other compromise in our health. And once some fungi gain a strong foothold they further weaken our immunity and can attack virtually any tissue or organ. These infections can be very difficult to combat, but oil of oregano remains a great treatment for most fungal infections, fighting off the fungus whether it is in the air, on a kitchen counter, on our skin or within our bodies.

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Tags: oregano