Natural Standard Featured CE/CME: Oregano

Natural Standard's featured CE/CME for the month of March is Oregano: Safety & Effectiveness.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) leaves, stems and flowers are used medicinally. Oregano has been recognized for its aromatic properties since ancient times. Today, oregano is commonly used as a food flavoring and preservative. According to early research, oregano may have antiparasitic, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial and insect repellent properties. Oregano may also reduce the risk of heart disease and is occasionally used in dentistry. However, there is limited scientific evidence to support any of these suggested uses for oregano.

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Comments

[AB]

Oregano has been found to have antioxidant properties. It is also used in the treatment of amenorrhea, arthritis, asthma, body odor, emphysema, glaucoma, high blood pressure, HIV infection and sinusitis.

[Sal]

Oregano may be delicious, but it doesn’t have proven efficacy for any medical conditions. This may be due to the fact that evidence is limited. I found that out by looking at its monograph on the Natural Standard website > Foods, Herbs & Supplements > O > Oregano. There is one study that shows an oregano extract significantly reduced bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol. Also, oregano has been Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Future research sounds promising. Let’s eat!

[Marina]

I was looking at the Natural Standard Monograph for Oregano. And it's interesting how some studies showed it to have slight anti-platelet and glucose-lowering effect. These are not to worry about unless oregano is consumed in huge quantities.

Also, it's interesting that a few studies found that oregano has anti-inflammatory effects, especially in the colon.

I was most interested in the anti-stomach parasite effects, especially since for my last rotation I was in San Jose, Honduras where stomach parasites were very prevalent. We used albendazole 200-400mg. I was interested at what other natural medicines can be used for parasites, so I used the natural Comparative Effectiveness database. There are no treatment that are evidence level A or B for intestinal parasites. But evidence level C are: American wormseed, berberine, corydalis, garlic, maral root, oregano and zinc. I wish more studies were done with these!

[Austin]

I don’t know much about uses for oregano, other than in Italian dishes! So I went to the Natural Standard Website>Foods, Herbs, and Supplements>O>Oregano. It took me to the Professional page, which was chock full of information. I didn’t have time to read all of that, though. What's cool about the Natural Standard Website is that their supplement information is available in three forms: Professional (contains all available information), Bottom Line (contains an abbreviated form of the Professional monograph), and Flash Card (has the bare essentials). Awesome!

[JW]

I use oregano all the time in cooking, however, never knew the potential health benefits in its use. With its many uses such as antibacterial, antfungal, and atiparasitic properties and the limited scientific evidence, I wonder how much oregano is actually needed in order to provide these effects shown in studies. Typically a lot is not generally used in cooking, therefore, is the amount used in cooking even beneficial? Does cooking oregano decrease the effects it may have? Most studies and references say oregano oil and that this oil may be extracted from a solvent-free microwave extraction, but this extraction method has not been shown effective in treating certain types of bacteria. I would be interested in seeing more reearch done about this, and in what form or dosage is cinically effective for treatment options.

[Jennelle]

I think it's terrific that Natural Standard offers continuing education courses for healthcare professionals. As I venture out into the professional world, I will definitely take a few of these courses to keep informed of the available integrative treatment options for various disease states.

[Empire Bakuba]

In addition a study done in Switzerland investigated the capacity of nutritional interventions to elevate brain monoamine concentrations to ultimately uplift moods. The oregano extract was demonstrated to inhibit the reuptake and degradation of the monoamine neurotransmitters in a dose-dependent manner, and in rats revealed an elevation of extracellular serotonin levels in the brain. Which ultimately can lead to mood elevations

[Virginia]

This is so interesting. I've actually stopped using Oregano because I can't taste it anymore after using it so much. I guess I'm going to have to dig it out of the back of the cabinet again! Thanks for the post!

[Marina]

I didn't know that the commonly used herb oregano had antiparasitic, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial and insect repellent properties! I get bit by mosquitoes a lot, so maybe I should start eating more oregano! I wonder what is the mechanism of action for it's insect repellent properties?

Also, I have heard from many of my Latin American friends that tea made from oregano alleviates stomach, especially for menstrual cramps. But I wonder how much of this is placebo effect or just the soothing effect of drinking something hot.

[Alyssia]

Fascinating! I will definitely be cooking with this herb tonight! According to Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness checker, some other herbs and supplements that prevent heart disease include fish oil, beta-glucan, and red yeast rice.

[cdesplaines]

This is very interesting. I was not aware that oregano had so many uses. I researched the uses of oregano in dentistry and found some great information. The oil of oregano is used to aid in prevention of infection, inflammation, and bad breath.