Oregano was treasured in ancient Greece for its medicinal properties.
If you're fighting a fungal or bacterial infection or certain types of virus, oregano oil is a great supplement to have on hand. Take oregano oil orally when you're fighting internal bacterial infections like strep throat, or select viral infections, especially cold sores. Apply oregano oil topically for bacterial or fungal skin infections. Do not take oregano oil if you have a sensitivity or allergy to oregano. Oregano oil is not a replacement for conventional medical therapies.
Fungal Infections
Oregano oil functions well as a fungicide, according to a 2007 study published in the "Japanese Journal of Medical Mycology" that examined the effects of heat, salt, and a variety of essential oils on the fungus that causes athlete's foot. Oregano oil ranked in the highest category of effectiveness, alongside thyme and cinnamon bark, noted study authors Shigeharu Inouye and colleagues from the Teikyo University Institute of Medical Mycology. The study concluded that a foot bath, heated to 108 degrees Fahrenheit and infused with salt and essential oils like oregano, is a promising natural therapy for treating athlete's foot. Use oregano oil to treat athlete's foot by placing 30 to 40 drops in a hot foot bath along with sea salt or Epsom salts. Swish your feet in the bath to fully circulate them through the solution.
Bacterial Infections
Oregano oil demonstrated significant antibacterial effects in a 2009 study designed to extend the shelf life of chicken, published in the journal, "Poultry Science." Study author Nebahat Bilge Oral and her colleagues at the Kafkas University Veterinary Faculty in Kars, Turkey, noted that adding absorbent pads containing oregano oil to packages of chicken drumsticks extended their shelf life by approximately two days by limiting bacterial reproduction. Apply oregano oil directly to wounds to prevent bacterial infections before they can take hold. Be forewarned, though, that undiluted oregano oil can burn. Dilute one or two drops of oregano oil in a teaspoon of olive oil before applying it to sensitive areas.
Viral Infections
Many alternative health and healing practitioners recommend oregano oil as an antiviral, particularly against influenza. As of 2010, however, oregano's anti-flu effects are not strongly supported by research. One 2004 study, published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" by Munevver Sokmen and colleagues at Cumhuriyet University in Sivas, Turkey, found that in laboratory tests, oregano oil had some effect on HSV-1, the virus that causes cold sores. The key to some of the anecdotal claims that oregano oil fights flu might lie in its powerful antioxidant activity, as demonstrated in a 2010 study by Ismihan Goze and colleagues, published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food." The antioxidant effect of the oil could boost the immune system, allowing you to fight viral infections more easily. To fight viral infections, especially herpes, one 500 mg capsule four times daily is an appropriate oral dose, according to James Balch, M.D., leading authority on integrative medicine, and Mark Stengler, director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic, in their book "Prescription for Natural Cures."
Tags: athlete foot, Apply oregano, bacterial infections, cold sores, essential oils