Health Benefits of Oregano

The one-ounce oregano amount shown in the nutritional profile is an indication of the nutrient ratio you'd get in a smaller serving, such as a teaspoon mixed in your favorite soup. However much you eat, oregano is an excellent source of fiber and the vitamins A (which maintains the immune system and vision), C, E (antioxidant power for cell protection) and K (to keep the blood from clotting).

Oregano also contains high amounts of folate (to help form RNA and DNA building blocks), lots of iron (to prevent anemia), magnesium and calcium (for metabolizing the bones), and healthy amounts of vitamin B6 (for optimal brain function). There's also potassium in oregano (to maintain your heart rate and blood pressure), and manganese and copper (both important for the body's optimal use of the enzyme superoxide dismutase.

Listed at 175,925 for oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC value, oregano has one of the highest antioxidant activity ratings, which is excellent for neutralizing free radicals. To get the full impact, oregano packs more than 42 times the antioxidant punch of apples. Flavonoids include the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin.

Ingesting oregano encourages sweat production as a mode of detox, helps rid the body of unwanted phlegm in the lungs, reduces fevers, and relieves diarrhea. Medical use has found it to be helpful in the treatment of colds and flu, indigestion, and to regulate the menstrual cycle. Made into a poultice, oregano can be used to remedy sore muscles and eczema.

Mildly stimulating, oregano leaves and flowers contain properties that promote the flow of bile from the gall bladder into the intestines, which aids in digestion and prevents gas. Essential oils from the leaves include carvacrol andthymol, which have antibacterial and fungus-fighting activities, as well as limonene, pinene, ocimene, and caryophyllene.

Source: Dr. Mercola