Description: Oregano Oil Information: History, Benefits, Uses, Dosages, Side Effects and more.
oregano oil (5) oil of oregano (5)
When the famous Greek physician Hippocrates cut his finger or had an upset stomach, he reached for oil of oregano. That’s not something he would have tasted in a fragrant Greek pasta dish; it’s something he would have plucked from a waist-high bush growing freely in the European countryside. Hippocrates most likely would have had to ask for help to harvest those oregano plants if his intent was to make essential oil. The requirement for just one pound of oil of oregano forces the squeezing of one hundred po
The oil of oregano that Hippocrates recommended for antiseptic use, stomach upset and respiratory problems is derived from a plant botanically named Origanum vulgare, not be confused with the spice called oregano used in cooking, Originum Marjoram. Origanum vulgare is true, wild oregano. Origanum Marjoram is a common, distant relative, more kin to marjoram than oregano. Steam is used to distill wild oregano oil, drawing the cinnamon and menthol essence from the dried herb’s leaves (read about cinnamon oil )
The Greeks may have been the first to tap into the health benefits of the oil for disorders of their day, but they weren’t the last people to recognize what the herb could do. During the Middle Ages, oil of oregano was used as a way to kill germs and preserve foods. In Britain’s 17th century, it was prescribed for head colds. Over the years and including today, it has served as an herbal defense against fungus, viruses, bacteria and parasites.