How is Oregano Good For You? Know More

Oregano is a famous herb that usually comes with a wonderful fragrance, and it is used as a key ingredient in many staples Italian dishes. This herb is not only delicious but also contains a good number of essential nutrients that are potential enough to keep your body healthy and maintain overall functioning of your body.

All You Need to Know About Oregano

Oregano, scientifically known as Origanum vulgare is a fragrant herb and it is related to similar herbs of its classes like mint, basil, thyme, marjoram, and so on that are mainly used in Italian foods for adding flavors to them. The oregano plant has leaves that contain a shade of olive- green and these plants are often found to bear purple flowers. Apart from being used as a flavoring agent in foods, oregano herbs are also used for medicinal purposes. These herbs contain chemicals and essential medicinal properties that are potential enough to reduce symptoms of cough, common cold, and fever. Besides, it also helps to improve the digestive system and keeps you regular and prevents chances of diseases caused by several types of harmful bacteria and viruses. Apart from these people also use oregano for faster healing of cuts and wounds, infections caused by harmful parasites, and many other health conditions.

Health Benefits of Oregano

Oregano herbs are known to possess a good number of health benefits. Some of those are listed below:

1. Helps to Fight Harmful Diseases

The health extracts in oregano are known to contain potential antibacterial properties that can significantly reduce the chances of any harmful diseases. In fact, oregano is known to be the most effective herb to fight diseases caused by bacteria and several strains of the virus and contains anti-microbial properties, apart from thyme. A recent UK based study has revealed that the health components in oregano herbs, like antioxidants, are significantly capable of checking the growth of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two species of harmful bacteria that can cause infectious diseases like E. coli conditions and it help to fight chances of infections caused by almost 23 strains of different parasites. Though the capabilities of oregano herbs in fighting diseases in human bodies have been notably found, more studies and experiments are required to be conducted to come to final conclusions.

2. Fights Cancer and Malignant Conditions

Oregano is considered one of the most important powerhouses of essential dietary antioxidants. These health components in oregano are capable enough to check oxidative functions of disease-causing free radicals and thus prevent the chances of developing malignant diseases. Recent experiments and modern scientific studies are now showing that the nutritional components in oregano consist of potential anti-carcinogenic properties that are beneficial to prevent the chances of developing cancer. Another experiment carried out recently reveals that those who consumed oregano herbs could reduce the chances of developing cancer cells in various body parts, especially in organs like the colon, lungs, and so on. Moreover, the nutrient extracts in oregano are found to stop the growth of cancer cells and help to reduce abnormal cell division that leads to the development of cancer. Another experiment shows that components in oregano herbs also help to prevent the spread of cancer cells in the colorectal tract. Though a number of evidence have been found that oregano herbs can prevent cancer in human bodies, having oregano in your regular diet is not the ultimate solution to prevent cancer.

3. Powerhouse of Antioxidant Properties

Oregano is loaded with powerful antioxidants, which are known to prevent cell damage and fight oxidative functions of free radicals that can often cause various harmful and chronic diseases in the human body like cancer or heart related disorders. Recent studies are now revealing that the high sources of rich dietary antioxidants like carvacrol and thymol, in oregano and oregano extracts like oregano oil can help to prevent oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals. This will not only keep you disease-free but will also take care of your overall health.

4. Fights Viral Infections

Experts nowadays are saying that the health components present in oregano like the rich and powerful antioxidants, particularly carvacrol, norovirus and thymol in oregano contain antiviral properties. Many experts and dieticians opine that the antioxidants function effectively (almost 90%) to fight inactivated, a viral infection that is often responsible for causing diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain, within one hour of treatment.

5. Reduces Inflammation

When your body suffers from any kind of injury r when you are sick, then inflammation is considered as the most natural response that your body provides. But chronic inflammation is often considered to be responsible for the development of diseases like heart failure, cardiac arrest, strokes, or blood sugar-related diseases like type- 2 diabetes and autoimmune conditions. Oregano is a powerhouse of essential antioxidants that are known to neutralize the disease-causing activities of free radicals and thus reduce the chances of developing chronic inflammation. These compounds in oregano, particularly carvacrol, norovirus, and thymol can help to reduce swelling by up to 57% and also reduce t inflammatory conditions of colitis, or inflammation in the colon tract.

6. Takes Care of Your Heart

Nowadays people are often found to suffer from ailing heart conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or even worse conditions like chances of heart failure or cardiac arrest. Recent studies show that having oregano in your everyday diet can notably reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol in people with ailing heart conditions.

Moreover, the powerful and essential antioxidants in oregano herbs, particularly, carvacrol, norovirus and thymol, the main compounds in oregano extracts, are found in several clinical studies to help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in human beings if you continue to have them in your everyday diet for10 weeks.

The studies showed that those who were made to consume oregano containing carvacrol, norovirus, and thymol along with their regular diet could significantly reduce the cholesterol levels and also the chances of developing serious heart diseases at the end of the 10 weeks, compared with those who did not consume.

7. Improves Digestive Health

Health components in oregano herbs are significantly known to benefit gut health by improving digestion and aiding in proper gut movement. In fact, oregano herbs are essential to treat severe conditions like diarrhea, pain, and bloating that is mainly caused by gut parasites. A recent study that has been carried out on pigs shows that the essential health extracts in oregano protect the wall of your gastro-intestinal tract from severe damage and thus prevent the occurrence of diseases like E. coli bacteria in the gut.

Other Health Benefits of Oregano

Apart from the above-mentioned health benefits, oregano herbs are also known to cure other diseases. Some of them are listed below:

• Bloating
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Cramping
• Constipation

How To Add Oregano into Your Diet?

Though oregano herbs are mainly used as seasoning, garnishing, or topping ingredients in primary Italian dishes like pizzas and pasta, they can be added into your regular diet through a good number of ways. You can either try to add whole or dried oregano leaves, sprinkled into other dishes like salads in the form of dressings, homemade sauces, soups, or stews, which will not only a delicious food combination, but they will contain loaded amounts of nutrients and health benefits. You can also use freshly extracted oregano oil for cooking or dressing purposes.