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Show: November 15, 2009:
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Did You Know?: Oregano Healing
Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD
Did you Know? is presented by Wishard Health Services, becoming Eskenazi Health in 2014.
Did you know that oregano is widely touted as an all purpose remedy?
Widely touted, that is, by herbal medicine specialists. According to much anecdotal evidence, wild oregano and oregano oils are good for treating everything from earaches to allergies.
And a recent study published in the Journal of Food Science confirmed that oregano oil is, indeed, a powerful anti-microbial. It seems to be especially useful for protecting against E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria -- bacteria that causes food poisoning.
The kind of dried oregano you sprinkle on pizza won't do the trick though. It's oregano in oil form that's most effective against bacteria, thanks to a natural ingredient called carvacrol -- a chemical used to preserve food and ward off mold.
Oregano oil also contains thymol -- the chemical that gives Listerine mouthwash its peculiar bite.
So oregano oil is also good for your breath.
And now you know.
Additional Resources:
- Read more about the healing properties of oregano.
