Wild Oregano Oil

Oil of Wild Oregano, 100% Certified Organic. Over 80% Carvacrol, 1oz

What is Wild Oregano Oil?

 

Wild oregano oil is the oregano essential oil that is taken from plants that are grown ‘wildly’ in open fields and on mountains. They differ from the cultivated plants in active ingredients, flavor, and medicinal activity. 

 

How Oregano Has Been Used Over Time

 

“Oregano” translates to “mountain joy”. Ancient Greeks and Romans connected oregano with feelings of joy and happiness. Scientists have discovered that oregano causes a feeling also of warmth in the mouth – which may be related to the feelings of joy and happiness – because it acts on the ion channels, which are temperature-sensitive.

 

There are two primary types of oregano based on the use of the herb – culinary and medicinal. Within the category are many different plant species of oregano. In the U.S. and Europe, the plant species used as oregano is Origanum vulgare. This plant is also called Spanish thyme and wild marjoram.  Every country has their own type of oregano plants – and you could then distinguish them as either wild oregano or cultivated oregano.

 

The ancient Greeks and Romans used oregano medicinally as an antiseptic, to relieve pain and aching muscles as well as treating skin sores. However, the uses of oregano don’t stop there. 

 

Below is a list of some of the many uses of oregano:

• asthma

• cramping

• diarrhea

• indigestion

• colds

• upset stomach

• maintain overall good health

• relieves symptoms of inflammation

• helps bring blood sugar levels to normal

• helps bring blood fat levels to normal

• benefits the heart and blood vessels

• benefits the nervous system

• boost immunity against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites

 

Difference Between Oregano Oil and Wild Oregano Oil

 

Part of the difference between oregano oil and wild oregano oil is seen in the choice of plant purpose. A bottle of “oregano oil” is most likely the culinary species instead of the medicinal one.  The medicinal oregano oil would be the wild oregano oil, or a cultivated species that was bred to have higher percentages of medicinal ingredients. The medicinal ingredients are the active ingredients.

 

It’s the researchers that best determine what the difference is between cultivated oregano oil and wild oregano oil. Here’s an example:  The species used in Saudi Arabia for these types of studies was Origanum ehrenberjii. There was a significant difference in the medicinal ingredients thymol, carvacrol, para cymene and y-terpinene in test tube tests when comparing regular essential oil of oregano with wild oregano oil. 

 

The different strains were also tested for the difference in activity against Salmonella typhimurium. Just as you might expect, the anti-microbial activity varied significantly as well. You would expect this if medicinal ingredients varied. 

 

How Is Oregano Oil Made?

 

There are different types of extracts that can be made from oregano oil. You could find a supercritical fluid extraction, an alcoholic tincture, a water extract as in  (adding oregano in water), a hydrodistillate extract, and a hydrodistillate extract mixed with glycerin. There are also acetate solutions and other types of solutions. 

 

What’s a supercritical fluid extraction (SFE)? It’s an environmental-friendly, clean an innovative technology to extract essential oil from plants and herbs. It uses CO2 in the process instead of a toxic solvent. They’re thought to be superior quality compared to those produced by hydro-distillation or liquid-solid extraction. However, it appears that the only ones proclaiming the superior quality are those that are selling them right now. In time, studies will prove or disprove which type of extract is best and for what condition.

 

 

Purity of Wild Oregano Oil

 

To determine the purity of wild oregano oil, look for the terms “additive-free”, “chemical-free”, “solvent-free”, and “pesticide-free”. look for the plant source. Plants that are hand-picked in ecologically sound environments that are pesticide and herbicide free are the best ways to select your pure wild oregano oil.

 

Should the Oil be Standardized?

 

The two most plentiful and most active medicinal ingredients in oregano oil  - carvacrol and thymol – are responsible for the characteristic odor, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oil. These two substances are antibacterial agents that have been proven to make the cell membrane permeable. The effects are greater for Gram positive bacteria than Gram negative bacteria, according to some scientists. 

 

Thus, if an oil is standardized for either of these ingredients, one can expect the product to be potent for antibacterial activity. The amount of carvacrol and thymol in the plant vary according to the species of oregano used, harvesting season and geographical sources. 

 

Y-terpinene is another medicinal ingredient found in oregano essential oil. Its main action is to inhibit the production of filaments in yeasts and molds.

 

According to the USDA, carvacrol has numerous other properties: 

• analgesic properties

• anti-arthritic properties

• anti-allergies

• anti-carcinogenic

• anti-diabetic

• cardio-protective

• digestive system protective

• liver protectant

• brain protectant

• metabolic properties

• synergistic properties (combines well with antibiotics in treating disease in humans and animals)

• works against biofilms

 

The antifungal potency varies, also depending on the plant species of oregano that is used. More specifically, the amount of antifungal strength is intensified with higher carvacrol levels. 

 

What is Oregano Oil, What’s In It and Why It Matters

 

Oregano oil is the oils that are in the oregano plant. They are taken out of the plant in one of several ways. 

 

What’s actually in the essential oil of oregano from a big perspective? French pharmaceutical researchers reported that 46 different compounds compose over 98% of the total composition. Carvacrol makes up about 36% of the total; thymol 30%, and p-cymene 24%. When other types of extracts were tested – such as petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water, the composition differed. In these other types of extracts, the composition included polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins, and flavonoids. 

 

The essential oil had the highest antioxidant activity compared to all the forms tested. The water extract had the highest antioxidant activity of all the other extracts.  When looking for the best anti-malarial activity, the winners were the essential oil of oregano and ethyl acetate extract. 

 

Oregano Oil and Breast Cancer

 

And when it came to activity against human breast cancer cells, the ethyl acetate extract and ethanol extract worked best. The scientists declared oregano essential oil a nontoxic substance. 

 

In another study that tested oregano essential oil against breast cell adenocarcinoma cells, it was the oregano essential oil from the plant called Origanum syriacum, which was high in carvacrol (47%) that stopped the reproduction of the cancer cells. 

 

The extract used was an alcohol extract. However, the hydrodistilled essential oils or their teas did not have this same activity. That’s something to think about if you’re deciding you need an oregano essential oil for a serious condition such as breast cancer. Of course, it would never be a sole treatment for the disease. 

 

Another type of cancer – glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer, is also helped by carvacrol. Scientists in the biology department at a university in Taiwan found that at concentrations of 200, 400 and 600 uM, carvacrol produced free radicals that killed the cancer cells. 

 

The greater the dose used, the greater the cancer cell death number. The way it did this was by increasing calcium levels, releasing them from the endoplasmic reticulum and allowing them to enter into protein kinase C-sensitive, non store-operated calcium channels in the brain.

 

 

Properties of Oregano Oil 

 

Oregano oil is widely known for its anti-infective properties. It’s commonly chosen by those knowledgeable in natural healing for many types of infections and often thought of as an “oregano antibiotic”.

 

You’ll often hear people say things like:

• I used oregano oil for sinus infection and it worked.

• I tried oregano oil for allergies for my son and got great success. (Oregano oil for kids is safe and great because you need very little to get good results. It may also work well in a stomach formula.)

• When I had my latest outbreak, it was the oil of oregano for herpes that helped the most. (Oil of oregano kills herpes.)

• My dad used oregano oil for tooth abscess and didn’t need as much dental work as what he thought he would.

• Whenever the kids fall and scrape their knees, I use oregano oil topically.

• My daughter used oregano oil for warts and it took a few weeks but they are gone and haven’t come back. It’s been 2 years.

• Oil of oregano acne cure is my best way to eliminate a pimple. My whole face cleared up over a few months using it topically and taking oregano oil internally. I took the oregano oil under the tongue.  

 

In one 2010 study when researchers from Serbia and the Netherlands investigated its antibacterial properties against 10 different bacteria that are known to cause disease that could lead to death, oregano oil rated the highest. 

 

The different bacteria tested included:

• Bacillus subtilis (can cause food poisoning)

• Enterobacter cloacae (causes infections of the urinary tract, skin, lung, central nervous system, eye, and bone infections)

• Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (causes GI diseases, kidney failure, abdominal pain, bleeding from the mouth and nose)

• Microccoccus flavus (causes septic shock)

• Proteus mirabilis (causes urinary tract infections)

• Pseudomonas aerugenosa (causes lung diseases)

• Salmonella enteritidis (causes abdominal cramps, fever, and diarrhea)

• S. epidermidis (causes skin diseases)

• S. Typhimurium (causes abdominal cramps, fever and diarrhea)

• Staphylococcus aureus (causes skin diseases)

• Listeria monocytogenes (causes meningitis, infections, sepsis, and fatality in 20-30% of those who develop the infection, including infants)

 

The researchers were testing the idea, is oregano oil an antibiotic?  Other essential oils were tested, too, including thyme, sage, peppermint, chamomile, lavender, lemon, citrus, basil, and spearmint.) The oregano antibiotic properties were made evident in this study.

 

Additional bacteria tested in research studies include Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Micrococcus roseus, M. kristinae, M. nishinomiyaensis, M. lylae, M. luteus, M. sedentarius, M. varians, Bacillus megaterium, B. thuringiensis, B. alvei, B. circulans, B. brevis, B. coagulans, B. pumilus, B. laterosporus, B. polymyxa, B. macerans, B. firmus, B. cereus, and B. lichiniformis. All bacteria tested were inhibited by both a tea where oregano oil was added to it, and use of the essential oil by itself.

 

Effective Against MRSA

 

Four years earlier, scientists had discovered that two active medicinal ingredients found in oregano oil – carvacrol and thymol and oregano essential oil itself were effective in inhibiting the type of bacteria that causes bad staph infections (MRSA) that are resistant to antibiotics. 

 

The best minimum inhibitory concentration values were reported for thymol (0.03-0.06%), oregano oil (0.06-0.125%), and carvacrol (0.015-0.03%). From this study, you can see that the oregano oil carvacrol content is more potent than oregano oil by itself and less is needed to get the right effect.

 

What This Means in Terms of Dosage

 

The scientists see everything in terms of concentration percentage meaning that in order for there to be an oil of oregano ‘cure’, so many milliliters have to be added to another oil for the oregano oil antibiotic dosage to be effective. In real life outside the laboratory, wild oil of oregano (or regular 100 pure Mediterranean oregano oil, Mexican oregano oil, or New age oregano oil) is measured in drops. 

 

A normal starting dosage is one drop only up to three times daily. After the body gets used to this much immune system stimulation, the dosage may be increased by one drop every few days. Drinking oregano oil is something that is never done; only very small amounts are needed. 

 

Different natural healing practitioners have different protocols they use. Some will use oregano pills – pills that have encapsulated 100% pure oregano oil while others teach their patients how to take oregano oil orally or how to take oregano oil other ways.

 

How the Oregano Plants Vary

 

Take a look at the difference in medicinal compounds found in the oregano plants from different areas in this chart below:

 

Oregano Essential Oil Source   Carvacrol Thymol   p-cymene  Y-terpinene

Algeria - Constantine 30.5% 34.2% 6.6% 13.4 

Northern Jordan 14.4% 72.4% 7.8% 5.4%

Algeria - Jijel   6.8% 51.1% 7.5% 14.5%

Southern Jordan 34.8% 51.8%

 

When manufacturers get their wild oregano oil tested, they learn the percentages of these active ingredients. The best oil of oregano oil brands will state the levels of carvacrol and/or thymol on the label.

 

Another study compared the essential oils of the leaves and flowers of Mediterranean oregano essential oil of a species found in Lebanon and one found in Levantine. Both were prepared by distillation. Carvacrol was at 60% in the Lebanon plant and 79% in the Levantine plant. This shows us that wild Mediterranean oregano oil is definitely more active –filled with much more active ingredients than ‘regular’ 100 pure oregano oil. 

 

Another Lebanon species had no carvacrol in it at all; instead it had b-caryophyllene (26.8%), caryophyllene oxide (22.6%) and germacrene D (17.2%). The plant species matters if you want the best oil of oregano. 

 

The plant species without the carvacrol was inactive against six pathogenic bacteria while the others showed moderate antimicrobial activity. The wild Mediterranean oil of oregano plants were the most active botanically speaking. This tells us that oil of oregano cures for different types of infections where carvacrol is most active would not work at all if the plant species without the carvacrol was used. 

 

Immune Stimulant/Immune Modulator Activity of Oregano Oil

 

Any plant that stimulates the immune system could potentially benefit infectious diseases. Any plant that can bring parts of the immune system up to par and calm down more hyperactive functions is called an immune modulator. 

 

Oregano essential oil is called an immune stimulant more than an immune modulator. Read through the rest of the medical studies and this data on how many different infections oregano essential oil has the ability to wipe out and you’ll see what this means.

 

Anti-Infection

 

The anti-infection properties of oregano essential oil are well documented.  Studies worldwide confirm its ability to kill a whole range of infectious organisms. In the next sections that follow, take a look at just how powerful this essential oil really is.

 

Anti-Food Poisoning

 

Wayne State University researchers were concerned that microbes that cause food poisoning might still be active if fresh produce were sprayed with essential oils. Their reasoning was that oils and water never mix well without additional help; the essential oils would have a difficult time soaking into the lettuce or other vegetables and killing microbes. 

 

They created a nanoemulsion of 0.1% oregano oil and added a food-grade emulsifier and then dipped the lettuce into it, holding the lettuce there in contact with the oregano oil for one entire minute. The lettuce had been inoculated with plenty of Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7 bacteria. The lettuce was then placed in an environment where bacteria could grow.

 

An electron microscope showed that the oregano oil treatment disrupted the bacterial membranes. There were large logarithmic reductions in all the bacteria tested. That’s a sign of true success.

 

But now, let’s make this information useful to you. What could you do and can you imagine a way of how to use oregano oil at home to reduce your chances of developing food poisoning? You could mix up a few drops of your best oregano oil with water and a teaspoon of lecithin granules (an emulsifier). Then put it in a spray bottle and spray onto fresh produce. It’s that simple.

 

In another study, researchers from Turkey found significant reductions in the levels of bacteria when oregano essential oil was included in the wash water of lettuce, even if Salmonella bacteria was already dried onto lettuce leaves. 

 

This gives us another clue of how to use oil of organo. Take your 100 oregano oil (100% pure) and add three to four drops of it into a dishpan that you can let your produce soak in. then let it soak for about 10 minutes, rinse and you’re finished. 

 

It’s not just produce that oregano oil has potent anti-food poisoning benefits for. A solution of oregano essential oil in a 0.2% concentration– when combined with 0.5% caprylic acid and 0.1% citric acid applied to minced beef and vacuum packed was found to reduce Listeria monocytogenes counts by more than 2.5 log CFU/g at the end of storage at 3 degrees Celsius for 10 days. These results were better than the control by far, and also better than caprylic acid by itself. 

 

This info is good if you’re looking for extra tips on how to make your own packaged meats or if you are vacuum packing your own. Just add a few drops of oregano to the bag the meat is in before sealing.

 

In a Quebec study, researchers found that the murein contained in Listeria monocytogenes bacteria was affected by oregano oil. Murein is the mesh of amino acid and sugar that makes up the structure of the cell wall. The oregano oil weakened the cell wall of the bacteria and also reduced ATP levels so the bacteria didn’t have energy to reproduce. It didn’t touch the ATP levels of the normal cells.

 

Oregano Oil Antiviral Effects – Oregano Oil Herpes Connection

 

In Brazil, university researchers found that Mexican oregano oil had the ability to inhibit different human and animal viruses in their laboratory. 

 

Some of the viruses tested included acyclovir-resistant herpes simplex virus type 1, acyclovir-sensitive HHV-1, human respiratory syncytial virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and bovine herpes virus type 2. The oregano oil and herpes connection is a good one – you can expect positive results from it.  Oregano oil was effective for all these different viruses.  However, the oregano oil HPV relationship was not tested. 

 

 

Anti-yeast and Anti-fungal Effects – Oregano Oil for Fungus / Oregano Oil and Candida

 

In Portugal, oregano essential oil is widely used in the treatment of lung and skin infections in traditional medicine. 

 

One of the worst types of fungi is Aspergillus flavus. It’s a fungi that grows on grains, legumes, peanuts and other nuts, and it is said that the aflatoxin from it can cause aggressive liver cancer. This mycotoxin (mold toxin) is considered the most toxic and most potent liver cancer natural compound ever found.

 

At a Mexican university, scientists found that the essential oil of oregano in gaseous form was enough to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus and suggested it can also inhibit other food spoilage molds.  It retarded or inhibited the mold germination stage. 

 

One way to prevent fresh produce from rotting is to control its antifungal activity. Molecular genetics scientists at the University of Maryland wanted to create a way to prevent fungi contamination on tomatoes and discovered that oregano essential oil is a fungicide with active ingredients that are volatile. If the oil is incorporated into an edible coating on a tomato, it would protect them and simultaneously increase antioxidant content. The coating was made of pectin, and didn’t affect the flavor. 

 

These pectin coatings on produce seem to be catching on in the industry. In another study of the pectin edible films that used oregano essential oil, a low dose of 0.5% of essential oil of Mexican oregano inhibited Penicillin and Aspergillus niger molds that could appear on foods. 

 

Although studies have not been done on humans suffering from fungal infections with the Mediterranean oregano oil or oil of wild oregano, you can see here that there’s a good chance that oregano oil could be a positive addition in cases where these fungal infections are getting out of hand.  

 

Natural healing practitioners may prescribe their best oregano oil capsules to go along with medical treatment for fungal diseases. Oregano oil antifungal benefits are predictable based on these other studies; they just are not confirmed as of yet.

 

Candida and Oregano Oil 

 

Candida albicans is a yeast that can easily get out of control in those who have a poor immune system and can end up causing a life-threatening infection. Essential oil of oregano was highly active against all strains tested in a study at Brigham University. 

 

One strain of Candida that is resistant to antibiotics is called Candida glabrata. Pharmaceutical researchers in Brazil tested 60 different isolates of this yeast and found that the oregano and Mexican oregano essential oils showed high levels of antifungal activity against the antibiotic susceptible Candida glabrata but not the one resistant to antibiotics. This tells us that oregano oil could create a positive and beneficial therapeutic effect for those prescribed antibiotics for this strain of Candida. 

 

Oregano essential oil is also effective against Candida species in dogs. All six isolates of the Candida yeast tested that caused vaginal Candidiasis were sensitive to the essential oil. The composition of the ingredients in the essential oil included 4-terpineol (47.95%), carvacrol (9.42%), thymol (8.42%), and y-terpineol (7.57%). A water distillate extract was used in the study. The veterinarians stated that its administration may represent an alternative treatment for candidiasis drugs.

 

In Washington, D.C., at Georgetown University Medical Center, oregano essential oil completely inhibited the growth of Candida albicans in cultures at a dosage of 0.25 mg /ml. Candida couldn’t germinate and its mycelium couldn’t grow when both oregano essential oil and carvacrol were increased in dose. 

 

The greater the dose, the greater the effects that were seen. They then ran a study with mice and found that animals fed oregano essential oil looked better than those given carvacrol by itself. Eighty percent of the mice survived without kidney problems of Candida as opposed to the animals that died within 10 days because they received no essential oil. 

 

In Italy, researchers tested 30 different vaginal strains of Candida albicans to 12 different essential oils and compared them to the three main drugs used to treat the condition (clotrimazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole). 

 

They answered the question of what does oregano oil do? Their answer was that Oregano essential oil inhibited both the growth and activity of Candida more efficiently than clotrimazole. The damage done to the Candida cells at the cellular level were greater than those caused by clotrimazole. This is quite remarkable because it’s good evidence that natural healing’s remedies are more potent than what man can synthesize in the lab.

 

The Italians stated that Candida is more sensitive to different essential oils compared to the main drugs used for the condition. Their results support research for complementary therapies to be used for vaginal candidiasis.

 

How to take oregano oil for Candida is the question. Should you learn how to make oregano oil or can you take oil of oregano pills? Should it be diffused into the air? Should you obtain some type of oregano topical and spread it over the outside lips of the vagina? 

 

There are actually different ways you can use it for vaginal Candida albicans infections:

1. Consume oregano oil capsules (dosage dependent on what your practitioner informs you of)
2. Add a few drops of oregano oil onto a tampon and insert the tampon. (You could also break open oregano oil pills to get the drops of oregano oil.)
3. Add a few drops of oil of oregano to a moisturizer you currently have and apply to the outside lips of the vagina. Then do #2 as well.
4. Do all of the above. Don’t worry about an oil of oregano overdose for number 2-3 on the list above. Topical application is associated with the least side effects.

 

Antibacterial Soaps

 

In the last five years, you’ve probably heard a lot of media reports about the problems of using antibacterial soaps. They kill bacteria initially but then the bacteria regrows – and it can mutate into new types that are antibiotic-resistant. 

Researchers and soap companies have been looking for alternatives. 

 

In Greece, scientists at a university food technology department found the alternative – oregano essential oil. When used in concentrations of up to 5% added to liquid detergent, the pure oregano essential oil was as effective as a commercial antimicrobial soap in hand washing experiments. It was more effective than plain soap with no additives. 

 

When cloths were wetted with the soap with added oregano essential oil and used to clean counters contaminated with four types of bacteria, three of the four had much lower survival rates on the used cloths plus the oregano oil soap combination enhanced cleaning performance. The percentages used were up to 5%. The scientists concluded that oregano oil could be used as a potential alternative to chloroxylenol and triclosan, which have adverse environmental and health effects. 

 

When you think about potential applications of this oil – one could be the use of oregano oil on feet. The reason why feet smell is bacteria contamination! Using it for this purpose could be as simple as adding a drop or two into your sock or on top of your sandals before wearing.

 

Polish researchers tested essential oil of oregano against 20 clinical bacterial strains of E. coli and 20 clinical bacterial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in culture dishes. These were strains that came from patients who had the infections. They discovered that the oregano oil was active against all the bacteria tested and especially the E. coli strains. 

 

Can I Use Oregano Oil for Sinusitis?

 

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the main types of microbes that cause chronic sinusitis. Yet, Oregano oil was found to be quite effective against the disease-causing bacteria. The oil of oregano dosage for sinus infections will vary, depending on what your practitioner tells you. 

 

Some possible protocols could include:

• Adding a few drops onto a cotton ball and then inhaling the scent from the cotton ball several times during the day.

• Adding 2-3 drops oregano oil to a pot of steaming hot water, then placing one’s head over the water and using a towel over the head to make a “tent” to catch all the steam into a small area. Breathe in the steam and oregano oil for a few minutes. It will help cleanse the sinuses, killing the causative agents.

• Taking oregano oil internally. Use oregano tablets or oregano oil capsules. Always start with only one capsule daily first, overdoing the beginning dose could start a detox reaction. Then increase by one capsule daily til you get to three capsules three times daily.

 

 

 

In a Serbian study, medicinal plant researchers found that oregano oil in a fractional supercritical fluid extract had strong antibacterial activity against Staph bacteria – including MRSA. At the same time, it did not affect E. coli of normal intestinal flora. The essential oil of oregano that was obtained by hydrodistillation showed stronger antibacterial activity against E. coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella pneumonia but it affected the normal flora in the gut. 

 

This study gives you a clue about how to maximize wild oregano oil benefits. If you’re taking the hydrodistillation essential oil, you could add an extra probiotic to your normal supplement protocol daily. If taking the fractional supercritical fluid extract, then you wouldn’t need the extra probiotic. 

 

Either way, don’t fear oregano oil side effects (blood pressure, stomach, headaches, etc.) because they’re rare especially if you follow directions. Knowing how to take oregano essential oil internally by starting slowly is the way to avoid any disruptions to your daily life that could occur if you took it incorrectly. Can you take oil of oregano everyday? Yes but always check with your natural healing practitioner.

 

Staph Infections and Oregano Oil

 

Another study found that hydrodistillation extracts of oregano essential oil, carvacrol and thymol were all effective against methicillin -resistant Staphylococcus. High dosages were not needed – only 0.06-0.125%, 0.015%-0.03%; and 0.03-0.06% respectively.

 

Staph bacteria are often a culprit in acne whether it’s childhood or adult onset acne. Make the connection oil of oregano acne the next time a pimple shows up. 

 

The Teeth, Bacteria and Oregano Oil

 

Streptococcus mutans is known for its ability to cause cavities in teeth. Yet oil of oregano works and is highly active against it, reported biology professors at Brigham Young University. The researchers concluded that the oils could be used and address health-related issues and in oral hygiene.

 

Oregano oil for toothache is always one of the indications to use this important essential oil.  Whenever there’s an infection in a tooth, there will be pain eventually that drives you to the dentist. Use oregano oil for tooth infection; since the essential oil kills and inhibits numerous microbes, it could work well. Oregano oil for tooth pain is just as good as clove oil for tooth pain.

 

Bacterial Resistance

 

In a study done at a university in Spain, all 12 strains of Gram negative bacilli tested were susceptible to oregano essential oil. The same strains were also susceptible to cinnamon essential oil. When the bacteria were exposed sequentially to both essential oils, only three of the strains developed antibiotic resistance or increased their resistance to this essential oil. 

 

In Brazil, doctors found that the essential oil of oregano as well as its two primary ingredients carvacrol and thymol improved the activity of tetracycline up to four times. They stated in their study that oregano essential oils could serve as potential sources of compounds capable of modulating drug resistance. 

 

Klebsiella Pneumonia Infections and Oregano Oil

 

Pharmaceutical researchers in Turkey found that oregano essential oil – as well as some other essential oils (peppermint, spearmint, basil, marjoram, and others)  showed remarkable resistance to 10 different strains of Klebsiella pneumonia drug-resistant organisms. All the essential oils tested worked at dosages of between 32 and 64 ug/ml; the drugs they were tested against – ampicillin and oflaxocin worked at dosages of 32 ug/ml. 

 

Klebsiella pneumonia causes pneumonia and sinusitis as well as other infections in the body. When it’s acting in the lungs, you could use an oil of oregano dosage similar to what was stated for Pseudomonas aeruginosa previously; but always check with your natural healing practitioner since lung and sinus infections are serious if they continue for long periods of time.

 

Comparing Oregano Oil to Other Essential Oils

 

In the Netherlands, when the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils from orange, lemon, lavender, chamomile, peppermint, spearmint, oregano, thyme, sage and basil were compared to each other, the essential oil of oregano came out on top with the highest and broadest activity. Its primary medicinal component, carvacrol had the highest antibacterial activity among the tested components. 

 

Cystic Fibrosis May Be Benefitted by Oregano Oil

 

In cystic fibrosis, it’s common to end up with infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-resistant), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. When oregano essential oil was tested against 59 strains of these drug-resistant organisms, all tested strains succumbed to the killing power of oregano oil. The doctors suggested that oregano essential oil might exert a role as an antimicrobial in the treatment of cystic fibrosis infections. 

 

How to take oregano oil internally in this case? Again, refer back to the ideas given for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and ask your natural healing practitioner to get the best oregano benefits.

 

Antioxidant Benefits of Oregano Oil

 

Olive oil and other fats are susceptible to oxidation, which is the degradation of the oil due to oxygen exposure. University professors at a biology department in Argentina added pure oregano essential oil to extra virgin olive oil samples to see if it would preserve the physical and chemical properties of the olive oil. Only 0.05% oregano essential oil was added to the extra virgin olive oil. 

 

Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives olive oil its color, and if oxidation degrades the chlorophyll, then the color turns clear. When oregano essential oil was added to the olive oil, the chlorophyll content was highest after seven days of storage in the light. It also had lower peroxide levels and lower levels of two other chemicals that indicate oxidation has occurred while simultaneously having higher carotenoid levels. 

 

Oregano essential oil retards lipid oxidations process in olive oil prolonging its shelf life. it’s an antioxidant – and can replace the synthetic antioxidants BHA and BHT, which promote the formation of cancer. 

 

Rancidity in Oils Means You Need Antioxidant Power

 

Oxidation from light or oxygen exposure causes rancidity in oils. In Argentina, four different types of oregano are grown – Compacto, Cordobes, Criollo, and Mendocino. Yet these different varieties actually differ in how intense the fruit, pungent, bitter, and oregano flavor are. 

 

What determines how great the oregano oil taste is would be how it’s stored and the storage conditions. Argentina researchers stated in a recent study that 72.3% of the variability in the oregano oil was dependent on darkness. The Cordobes plant variety is the one with the highest level of antioxidants. This preserves the shelf life of the oil for longer periods of time. 

 

To test whether or not substances are antioxidants, one of the substances evaluated is thiol substances. If thiol levels decrease, it’s a sign of oxidation. In Denmark, researchers found that when essential oil of oregano was added to pork, the thiol levels stayed high, reducing the amount of protein oxidation for up to 9 days of storage.

 

Testing Antioxidant Status

 

One of the tests for antioxidant capacity of a food or herb is called the ORAC assay. When the antioxidant capacity of carvacrol and thymol was tested in a Spanish laboratory, true antioxidant capacity was shown in the samples tested. 

 

Another way to test antioxidant status is to look at effects from hydrogen peroxide. Carvacrol, thymol and a mixture of the two were found to be quite safe in a toxicology lab at the University of Sevilla. The scientists exposed cells for 1-2 days to different concentrations of carvacrol, thymol and the mix of both of them. At low concentrations, both compounds and their mixture were shown to protect cells against the damage induced by the hydrogen peroxide. 

 

Oregano Oil for Parasites

 

Oregano oil is used widely in animal husbandry. When Chinese veterinarians tested pure oregano oil at a concentration of 0.05% and 0.02% on mites, 100% of all mites were killed within 1 hour at the higher concentration and within 6 hours at the lower concentration. 

 

It wasn’t just the pure oregano oil that killed the mites, according to the veterinarians. When they used three of the active medicinal ingredients found in oregano oil – carvacrol, thymol and p-cymene, these also killed 66-96% of the mites within 2.17 to 26 hours, depending on the medicinal ingredient and the concentration used. 

 

Of course, all these are mere laboratory tests and the veterinarians wanted to see what would happen in real live animals. They used 20 naturally mite-infested rabbits and either gave them no treatment at all (leaving them with mites), the usual treatment of ivermectin, or a 1% or 5% topical solution of oregano oil. 

 

The oregano oil treatment for parasites worked rapidly and the veterinarians stated that at the end of the test day (day 20), the rabbits receiving the oregano oil showed favorable mental and physical statuses. They stated in their medical paper that oregano oil could be widely used in the treatment of mites on animals.

 

There have been no studies done on parasites in humans so at this time no one can really say it’s effective. However, natural healing practitioners use oil of oregano for  parasites and include it in their formulas.

 

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Oregano Oil

 

Organic oregano essential oil is anti-inflammatory due to the plant’s carvacrol content. In Brazil, carvacrol at doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg healed sores in the GI tract caused by acetic acid. After 14 days of treatment, the sores were healed by 60%, 91% and 81% respectively. It’s still unknown how this mechanism actually works – if it’s related to the synthesis of inflammatory mediators or because it interferes in the release of these mediators. 

 

German scientists found that oregano essential oils tested showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity of 18 different essential oil plant species in central Asia. 

 

In China, scientists discovered how oregano essential oil works as an anti-inflammatory agent in animals. Iit’s a bit technical but if you understand science you’ll understand:  Oregano essential oil reduces the lipopolysaccharide–induced activation of protein kinase B, nuclear factor xB in RAW263.7 cells, and mitogen-activated protein kinase. It also inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced elevation of NADPH oxidase and oxidative stress. It protects against the inflammatory response through the NADPH oxidase/ROS pathway. 

 

Anti-pain – An Often Unexpected Oregano Oil Benefit

 

One of the active ingredients of oregano essential oil, carvacrol, contains monoterpenes that have been studied for the therapeutic reduction of pain. In one animal study, one dose of 100 mg carvacrol/kg body weight reduced pain from a sarcoma tumor on the paw of animals for 9 hours. 

 

When chemicals were used to cause edema in animals, carvacrol was only needed at the dose of 50 mg/kg to reduce the edema 46%. In another study using another powerful inflammatory chemical, carvacrol reduced the inflammation similarly to the powerful anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. 

 

The carvacrol contains monoterpenes that are responsible for the therapeutic reduction of pain. In Brazil, when animals with tumors on their paws had less pain for 9 hours when carvacrol essential oil was given to them. 

 

In one study, Brazilian researchers found that carvacrol was used for pain control in animal studies and compared to indomethacin, morphine and diazepam – standard drugs used for pain. It worked well – and did not work through the opioid system or inhibit the nitric oxide pathway – without impairing motor performance. 

 

This could mean you could reach for your bottle of wild Oregano essential oil instead of a painkiller…

 

Skin Healing

 

USDA scientists teamed up with researchers in China to determine what type of essential oils might be good to repel host-seeking nymphs of the lone star tick that causes Lyme disease. They knew that DEET was effective so they compared the results of eight commercially available essential oils to the results of DEET. 

 

The concentration of DEET needed to repel 50% of ticks was estimated at 0.02 mg/cm2 while the dose needed for the different essential oils was between 0.113 and 0.297 mg/cm2. The most effective essential oil was oregano essential oil. Next effective were clove, thyme, vetiver, sandalwood, cinnamon, cedarwood, and peppermint. However, none of them were as effective as the repellent found in DEET. 

 

As stated before, oil of oregano is great for antibacterial activity against many of the microbes that cause skin disease – and fungi as well. 

 

Active Ingredients in Wild Oregano Oil

 

Carvacrol and thymol are the primary medicinal agents found in oregano oil that are responsible for its many positive benefits.

 

One type of wild oregano oil on the market is called p73 oil of oregano oil (Other names include Oregano p73, wild oregano pill p73, p73 oregano oil and oil of oregano p73). The Oregano p73 uses and oregano p73 benefits are the same as for other oil of oreganos. This one is more of a juice instead of an essential oil; therefore it may be drunk during the day as a tonic. 

 

An essential oil is very concentrated and only small amounts may be used at one time, especially when ingested. Ingesting oregano oil (the essential oil) is never recommended in high doses. 

 

In the case of p73 oregano oil, the brand is an extract and more of a liquid and not as concentrated. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t work though because the p73 wild oregano juice is made from wild oregano plants that grow in the Mediterranean mountains at high elevations.  

 

How to Use Oil of Wild Oregano:  Oregano Oil Dosage – How to Take Oil of Oregano

 

External uses of wild oregano oil include tooth infections, inhaling the oil for lung infections and sinus infections. 

 

Dosage instructions on the bottle usually start out with applying only one drop of the oregano essential oil once or more times daily. Your natural healing practitioner may recommend higher dosages depending on your condition. 

 

You may also apply the oregano oil drop to a bandage that covers a wound or wart. Applying oregano oil for herpes may be similar. Soaking a compress in warm water with four or five drops of the essential oil of oregano and then squeezing out the excess water is another way to apply it externally to a wound.