nature direct 2U - Medicinal herbs - Oregano

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Oregano

Origanum heracleoticum

The word oregano comes from the Greek "oro" meaning mountain and "ganos" meaning joy. Greeks felt that the sweet smell was created by Aphrodite as a symbol of happiness. Bridal couples were crowned with it and it was placed on tombs to give peace to the departed. True Greek oregano is often called wild or winter marjoram. The leaves are highly aromatic and it is often described as "the oregano with bite". Apart from flavour, oregano has unique properties which were well known from the ancient times.

photograph of Origanum heracleoticum A wide description of oregano and its uses can be found in the book "plant history" of Theophrastos (372-287 B.C.) and in the "Medicine material" of Dioscouridis the Anazarveas (1st century B.C.). Hippocrates (5th century B.C.), the father of medicine, used it for curing various diseases such as stomach pain & respiratory diseases. Paracelsus (1493-1541 A.D.),the father of Hermitic Medicine, used it for the medication of diarrhoeal problems, psoriasis & fungal diseases.

The Mediterranean people used oregano as a preservative of the meat.

Recent studies have shown that the essential oils of oregano have certain antifungal, insecticidal and antimicrobial activities. Under the name "oregano" there are perhaps as many as 40 different species, most of which are not rich in essential oil, smell and flavour. The best-flavored types are white flowering. It is well known world-wide that the best quality of oregano is the one originally grown in the Greek mountains (Origanum vulgare). Ecopharm Hellas S.A., in trying to standardise the quality of the "Greek oregano", developed a special hybrid variety of the herb (Origanum vulgare ssp hirtum or Origanum heracleoticum) with a distinctive smell & taste due to high essential oil content.

Authentic Greek oregano is hard to find, but preferred by many for culinary purposes because it is stronger flavored than other oreganos. This is the most prized medicinal and culinary oregano cultivar, which makes an invariably spicy and aromatic herb due to the high percentage of thymol. The dried leaf and flower bract are employed medicinally for their disinfectant, antioxidant, preservative, anthelmintic and antifungal effects. Oregano is often known as "the pizza herb" because it seems to be the main flavouring ingredient in many commercial pizza sauces.

DISCLAIMER: This page is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for accurate diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care professional. The author is neither a chemist nor an herbalist and has had no medical training whatsoever. The content herein is the product of research, not practical experience.