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Herbs & Plants
Oregano
Origanum vulgare
The oregano on most supermarket shelves is not always Origanum vulgare. Marjoram, Mexican oregano and Greek oregano are three different plants sold under one name.
Benefits
Oregano ointment on a fresh cut helps stop the bacteria that cause infection.
Dabbed on a sore gum or the inside of the cheek, it takes the sting out.
What It Is Known For
The most common use in the world, and there is no human trial of oregano oil alone for either.
Oregano oil kills bacteria in a dish. Swallowed, nothing shows it reaching an infection.
Fourteen people with no control group, and one study of a multi-herb product where oregano was one ingredient.
Nothing tests this.
Key Active Compounds
The main compound in the oil, and the one behind both uses.
The second compound, and the reason oregano and thyme overlap.
Traditionally Used
A handful of dried leaves in a bowl of just-boiled water, breathed in under a towel for five minutes when the head is stuffy.
A teaspoon of dried leaf steeped in a cup of hot water for ten minutes, drunk after a heavy meal.
How to Take It / Use It
Mix 1 drop of oregano oil into a teaspoon of plain oil and dab it on the spot. Do not swallow it.
Why It Works
Carvacrol slips into the fatty outer layer of a bacterium until the wall leaks, so less of it settles on a small cut.
Carvacrol damps the endings that report sting and heat, so a sore spot stops shouting.
Cautions
Oregano oil burns skin and mouth undiluted, so it always goes into a carrier oil first.
Anyone who reacts to basil, mint, sage or thyme can react to oregano, because they are the same family.
Where It Comes From
Oregano is a small woody perennial of the mint family, native to the hills around the Mediterranean and across to central Asia. Turkey grows and exports the most. Greek oregano is the strongest-smelling of the true ones.
How We Choose It
We check every product so you don't have to. A oregano product only makes our list if:
- Origanum vulgare on the label. Mexican oregano is a different plant from a different family, and marjoram is milder and sweeter.
- Oil sold already diluted in a carrier. Undiluted oregano oil burns, and nobody needs it at full strength.
- Carvacrol content stated. It is what the plant is judged on, and the good growers print it.
- Dried leaf whole, not powdered. Powder is where stalk and stem get hidden.
If no product meets these standards, we don't list one. No exceptions for affiliates.
See our picks
Sources3
- Ragi J, Pappert A, Rao B, Havlin-Frenkel D, Milgraum S. Oregano extract ointment for wound healing: a randomized, double-blind, petrolatum-controlled study. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011. Trial
- Klein AH, Carstens MI, Carstens E. Eugenol and carvacrol induce temporally desensitizing patterns of oral irritation. Pain, 2013. Trial
- Drugs.com. Oregano, clinical evidence and dosing. Monograph