Oregano oil is one of the most adaptable natural medicines due to its wide range of therapeutic uses. Traditional medicine practitioners have relied on this powerful essential oil—extracted from oregano leaves—for generations due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant characteristics. Oregano oil has several uses, but before we get into those, let’s talk about its production.
Contents of Oregano
Oregano, the lowly plant that you’ll find in herb gardens, pizza joints, and spice cabinets everywhere, is good for so much more than just flavoring food. Research has shown that the aromatic chemicals found in this mint family plant also have strong health advantages.
The potent oregano plant contains several active chemicals, including:
- Essential oregano oils contain carvacrol, a phenol that gives the herb its strong scent. This same potent component is responsible for oregano’s ability to promote strong immunological health.
- Oregano also contains thymol, a naturally occurring phenol that gives the herb its aroma, taste, and, most significantly, the capacity to promote a robust immunological response.
- A powerful polyphenol, rosmarinic acid protects cells from free radical damage and helps maintain a healthy immune system.
Making of Oregano Oil
The scientific name for the plant is Origanum vulgare or Origanum compactum, and it is from this plant that the oil is derived. Picking the oregano leaves by hand is the first step in the process since it guarantees the highest quality and freshness.
After they are plucked, the leaves are soaked in water and then put through a steam distillation process. The oregano leaves release their essential oils into the steam as it rises through the water, which has been heated.
Water and oregano oil are combined once the vapor has cooled and condensed back into a liquid. After being extracted from the water, the oil is further processed to eliminate any contaminants or surplus moisture.
The end product is oregano oil which is pure and concentrated.
Health benefits of Oregano Oil:
Unveiling the mysteries of Oregano Oil, here are the five ways It benefits your health:
- Skincare
When it comes to skincare, oregano oil is an invaluable tool for achieving beautiful, healthy skin. It helps reduce redness, swelling, and irritation while fighting acne-causing bacteria and fungi, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Oregano oil has a high antioxidant content, which shields skin cells from free radicals and other environmental toxins that cause oxidative damage.
Applying oregano oil topically to wounds, acne, or fungal infections or incorporating it into cleansers, toners, and serums can help improve the skin’s health and clarity from the inside out.
- Oral Hygiene
Oregano oil can help with cleaning and maintaining good oral hygiene. Bacteria that cause gum disease, bad breath, and plaque can be effectively killed by its antimicrobial properties. You can use oregano oil as a mouthwash or mix it with toothpaste to make your teeth and gums feel better.
It will help with bad breath, plaque, and inflammation. Oral thrush is a fungal infection of the throat and mouth; oregano oil’s antifungal characteristics may make it easier to treat. You can keep your teeth and gums healthy and beautiful by adding oregano oil to your regular oral hygiene routine.
- Promotes Digestive Wellness
The microorganisms that call your digestive tract home number in the trillions. Your digestive system (and your gut health) will be “balanced” if there are more beneficial bacteria than harmful ones. Overpopulation of bad guys can disrupt the gut’s natural equilibrium, leading to gastrointestinal issues like gas and diarrhea.
However, you never know, oregano oil could work wonders for that. The antimicrobial properties of oregano oil are due to its main compounds, which include carvacrol, thymol, and monoterpenes. Therefore, they provide a buffer against “bad” bacteria and aid in gut rebalancing.
- Prevents Long-Term Illness
It is believed that oregano oil can lessen the effects of free radicals and oxidative stress, two factors that contribute to chronic disease, due to its abundance of antioxidants. Free radicals are molecules that can harm healthy cells when present in excess.
Chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease can be exacerbated by oxidative stress, which occurs when free radicals accumulate to dangerous levels. As antioxidants mitigate oxidative stress, the risk may be lowered. This is especially true with carvacrol, a key antioxidant in oregano oil.
Carvacrol has dual antioxidant effects—it scavenges and removes free radicals and increases cells’ antioxidant properties. This can reduce the risk of chronic disease by protecting tissues from oxidative stress. Thymol is another important antioxidant found in oregano oil. Thymol, similar to carvacrol, can enhance the antioxidant capabilities of other cells while also neutralizing free radicals. They are such a powerful team.
- Potentially Relieves Pain
Oregano oil’s carvacrol may also have a role in alleviating pain. Inflammation can be caused by oxidative stress, and inflammation can also lead to oxidative stress. Muscle and joint pain, among other areas, can develop due to long-term inflammation. However, the carvacrol in oregano oil may alleviate this inflammation-induced pain, which reduces free radicals and oxidative stress.
In the end!
Oregano oil, oregano extract, oregano is derived from the oregano plant, which belongs to the Lamiaceae family of mints. Manufacturers use alcohol or carbon dioxide to extract valuable compounds from the oregano plant to produce oregano oil. You can take oregano oil orally as a supplement, and it delivers the plant’s bioactives more concentratedly.
Try using oregano oil to reset your gut, clear your skin, or decrease inflammation. You should keep some on hand when sick because it’s so effective against bacteria. Oregano is just one of many herbs with remarkable health benefits.
