Oregano may offer immune support

Pungent and peppery, oregano is a popular ingredient in Italian and Greek cooking, where it spices up beef, pasta sauces and other dishes. The herb also has a long history of medicinal use. Ancient Greeks prescribed it for aching muscles and failing hearts. The Chinese took it for fevers and vomiting. In the 1800s, some American physicians recommended it to women with irregular menstrual cycles, and in parts of South America it has been used to induce labor. The herb, a member of the mint family, is sometimes called wild marjoram.

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Uses: In today’s supplement market, consumers are turning to oregano for immune support and its antioxidant effects. Oregano oil also is taken to calm upset stomachs, quiet coughs, clear up yeast infections and, topically, to soothe athlete’s foot. Some also use it to ease toothache pain or rub it on the temples to cure a headache.

Dose: Oregano’s medicinal compounds are found in the oil in its leaves. Supplements come as capsules (containing dried leaves) or as a liquid extract of the oil. Manufacturers recommend up to a gram a day of dried herb, or several drops of oil diluted in juice or milk. To make oregano tea, use a couple of teaspoons of dried herb per cup of hot water. For athlete’s foot and other fungal skin infections, apply oregano oil to the area twice a day.

Precautions: Pregnant women should avoid the concentrated oil since researchers know little about how it might affect a developing fetus. People allergic to other plants in the mint family may also be allergic to oregano.

Research: Extensive test-tube experiments suggest oregano oil -- which contains the active plant chemicals thymol and carvacrol -- can stop the growth of bacteria that causes food poisoning. In such studies, oregano has been shown to kill off the common food-borne E. coli, salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. There’s also evidence that it can kill strains of pneumonia and the infectious fungus Candida albicans.

In animal tests, oregano appears to lower blood sugar levels, but at this point, there is far from enough evidence to draw conclusions about similar effects in humans. And oregano’s bacteria-killing properties haven’t been tested in clinical trials, so don’t rely on it to clear up a bout of food poisoning either.

Dietary supplement makers are not required by the U.S. government to demonstrate that their products are safe or effective. Ask your healthcare provider for advice on selecting a brand.

-- Elena Conis