Oregano: Benefits, Dosage, Contraindications
Other name(s)
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Scientific name(s)
Origanum vulgare
Family or group:
Plants
Active ingredients:
Carvacrol
Thymol
Indications
Rating methodology
EFSA approval.
Wound ✪✪✪✪✪
A small clinical trial shows that applying an ointment containing a 3% concentration of oregano's water-soluble fraction twice daily for 10 to 14 days after minor dermatologic surgery could reduce infection rates and improve scar formation compared to a petrolatum-based ointment. Oregano promotes healing of minor skin inflammations and bruises, soothing damaged skin.
Posologie
Topical
3 %
Ointment
Digestive Disorders, Candidiasis ✪✪✪✪✪
Oregano is traditionally used to relieve mild gastrointestinal disorders, helping to improve digestion and reduce symptoms of discomfort, according to the EMA.
Posologie
Oral
500 mg
Powder, essential oil
ENT Infections, Bronchitis ✪✪✪✪✪
Oregano is recommended to alleviate cough associated with colds, helping to clear the airways, according to the EMA.
Posologie
Oral
500 mg
Powder, essential oil
Properties
Antibacterial
Oregano essential oil and its component, carvacrol, possess significant antibacterial properties against a multitude of organisms, including antibiotic-resistant strains like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Phenols such as carvacrol and thymol, present in oregano, accumulate in the bacterial cell membrane, disrupting its structure and function, leading to leaks of potassium and phosphate ions, altering intracellular pH, and depleting ATP, essential for bacterial survival. These effects make oregano a widely used remedy against infections.
Usages associés
Antifungal
Oregano essential oil and its component, carvacrol, demonstrate antifungal properties by inhibiting the growth of several pathogens such as Aspergillus species, Candida albicans, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. They block the germination and mycelial growth of Candida albicans, significantly increasing survival rates in infected mice.
Antiviral
Carvacrol has shown antiviral activity against the H1N1 influenza virus in the laboratory, though the necessary concentrations could be toxic to human cells.
Usages associés
Hormonal Metabolism
A study conducted on rats with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) shows that oral administration of an oregano leaf extract at 250 or 500 mg/kg per day for 30 days indirectly increases fertility by improving markers associated with ovarian follicular development and hormonal anomalies in PCOS.
Safety dosage
Adult from 12 years: 500 mg - 1000 mg (powder)
- Infusion: 4 to 6 g for 250 mL of boiling water, infuse for 10 minutes, 3 times per day. - Encapsulated powder: 250 mg per capsule, 2 to 4 capsules per day. - TM: 5 to 10 drops, 3 times per day
Child from 7 up to 12 years:
1 to 2 drops essential oil.
Precautions
Breastfeeding women: avoid
Insufficient data.
Contraindications
Pregnant women: prohibited
Oregano is believed to have abortive and emmenagogue effects.
