Health Benefits of Oregano

Oregano is an herb that almost everyone has used in their cooking at one time or another. You may have used it by itself, or in a blend such as in Italian Seasoning. It it great for adding flavor to many dishes, but oregano also has several health benefits that may encourage you to start using it more in your cooking.

1) Powerful Antioxidant

Two of the components of oregano are rosmarinic acid and thymol, both of which are powerful antioxidant compounds that have been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the body. These antioxidant compounds found in oregano help prevent cell damage by removing free radicals in our cells. These free radicals can attach to our cells and damage a normal/healthy cell. Antioxidants will bind to a free radical before the free radical can attach itself to our cells. Once this happens the free radical can no longer attach itself to our health cells. As a result, adding oregano to your diet can improve your immune health and keep your body safe from oxidative stress. One teaspoon of oregano has the same amount of antioxidants as three cups of spinach.

2) Antibacterial Properties

Oregano also has clear antibacterial properties, due to the thymol and carvacrol. These important compounds can defend the body against a wide range of bacteria that can affect the skin, the gut, and other parts of the body. Oregano can also increase the production of white blood cells and speed up the metabolism, which can help you recover faster from common illnesses.

3) Detoxifies the Body & Improves Bone Health

Oregano is very nutrient dense, with a high content of manganese, calcium, iron, vitamin K, fiber, and several other other compounds These compounds make oregano an ideal herb for detoxifying the body. Research has shown that oregano can help liver function and speed up the process of toxin elimination.

These same nutrients also help promote improved bone health. As we age, our bones start to get weak and break down, and we need to make sure that we are ingesting enough vitamins and minerals to keep our bones strong and healthy. Manganese, Calcium, iron, and vitamin K are some of the most important minerals for bone health, and oregano has significant amounts of all of them. This makes oregano excellent for people who want to protect themselves against osteoporosis later in life.