The Health Benefits of Oregano - Is Oregano a Health Food?

So, you look forward to that oregano tang in your pizza sauce, and its little leaves make a nice addition to the herb patch. It gives an immediate kick to spaghetti, and it isn't a demanding resident in the garden, coming back year after year with just a little mulching and pruning. Is there more to oregano that might make it a super herb, the go-to herb for your health as well as your culinary needs?

I love all herbs, even the pretty, useless ones that just have a quirky or amusing back story, but when I come across a basic, useful culinary herb that also has pretty impressive health properties, I give it a little more real estate and start figuring out ways to add it to my recipes.

The following oregano information will probably surprise you. It certainly surprised me.

The Health Benefits of Oregano

Oregano is high in thymol, a powerful antioxidant, and one tablespoon of oregano (fresh) has about as much antioxidant potential as a medium sized apple (You know. . . "An apple a day keeps the doctor away.").

If you've been hiding behind the potting shed and haven't heard about antioxidants, they are widely believed to help repair the body on a cellular level. Antioxidants, like thymol, help fight cancer, maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, reduce blood pressure, and slow macular degeneration. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

Oregano is also an antibiotic and antifungal. Based on a study conducted by Georgetown University, a substance called carvacrol in oregano may have as much antibiotic power as penicillin or streptomycin.

You can get oregano supplements at your local health food store, or add more oregano to your stews, sauces and side dishes.

Special note: Avoid oregano in large quantities if you are pregnant or nursing.

For information on growing this useful herb, visit: Growing Oregano

As with all the herb information offered here, check with your doctor before changing your medical regimen. Potential drug interactions, allergic reactions and other problems should be discussed with a professional. My goal here is to entertain you, not treat you. I'd like us to have a friendship for years to come, so be prudent with any information about diet or health that come your way, and for heaven sake, if you haven't seen a doctor in a while, go.