An Ode to O. vulgare

Oregano, Origanum vulgare, is an herb commonly used to season many Italian dishes. Whether you are sprinkling it on a home-made pizza or boiling it for tea, fresh oregano is a nutritious plant that should not be underestimated. 

Oregano has been used in the process of meat preservation. The application of oregano extract to lamb meat prevented the oxidation of lipids and proteins after 120 days in the freezer. That’s right, the antioxidative properties of oregano are so strong that it has an effect on external environments (in vitro). The antimicrobial and antifungal properties of oregano also play a large role in food preservation. Oregano essential oil is used as an official food preservative in Europe for a sun-dried meat product, cypriot pastrami.

Oregano is high in antioxidants which can prevent cancers and heart disease. The National Cancer Institute states that studies have shown that the increased presence of antioxidants prevents the damage caused by free radicals that leads to the development of cancer. The diverse sources of flavonoids and phenolic acids in oregano have anti-cancer properties. Such properties include but are not limited to; antioxidation, induction of detoxification enzymes, inhibition of cancer cell growth, promotion of cell differentiation, regulation of immune function, and inhibition of angiogenesis (blood vessel development, specifically in tumors) and metastasis (the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body). 

Essential oregano oil is high in carvacrol and thymol which are two antioxidants that prevent damage caused by free radicals. These same chemicals have been found to act as antivirals in the body. “In one test-tube study, carvacrol inactivated norovirus, a viral infection that causes diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, within one hour of treatment” (Ajmera, 2017).

The gastro-intestinal (GI) tract takes the brunt of the inflammation caused by the diet due to the foods commonly consumed in the standard American diet (SAD). With colon cancer on the rise in American youths, GI health is a must in a balanced diet. In a study conducted on mice; oregano and thyme oils were combined at different combinations and added to their food for 6 days before they were chemically induced with colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). While acknowledging how unfortunate that was for the mice, it is important to note that fortunately there were positive results for the use of moderate concentrations of the oils. The mice being fed the 0.1% oregano oil and 0.2% thyme oil experienced the least damage to their colons and recovered more body weight than the other test groups.

Clearly this herb is no one trick pony. It boasts a wide array of some pretty impressive benefits. It contains some anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and antifungal agents. It is also full of flavor and has a bright green color that can brighten up any dish. Add it to a chili, use it for homemade sauces or pestos. Clearly it is not the herb to be underestimated.

Sources:

Veenstra JP, Johnson JJ. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) extract for food preservation and improvement in gastrointestinal health. Int J Nutr. 2019;3(4):43-52. doi: 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-19-2703. Epub 2019 Apr 9. PMID: 31080888; PMCID: PMC6508890.

Ajmera R. 6 Science-Based Health Benefits of Oregano. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-oregano-benefits. Accessed July 31, 2024.

Gutiérrez-Grijalva EP, Picos-Salas MA, Leyva-López N, Criollo-Mendoza MS, Vazquez-Olivo G, Heredia JB. Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids from Oregano: Occurrence, Biological Activity and Health Benefits. Plants (Basel). 2017 Dec 26;7(1):2. doi: 10.3390/plants7010002. PMID: 29278371; PMCID: PMC5874591.