Is Oregano Oil An Antibiotic

How Antibacterial Essential Oils Can Help You

Essential oils have been scientifically proven to fight many bacteria, even the antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well asor better than conventional antibiotics and antifungals which are harmful to your health. Essential oils work against candida, staph, salmonella, E.coli, giardia and more.

Hospitals are fighting a losing battle trying to stay a step ahead of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some of these bacteria are deadly and resistant to every known antibiotic and can spread very easily within hospitals from patient to patient. Essential oils are now being used in many hospitals as an alternative to the powerful and dangerous synthetic medical antibiotics.

Another strain of resistant bacteria that has recently developed is the MARCoNS bacteria which is a type of staph. It actually has the ability to protect itself from antibiotics by forming a protective film.

Traveling is especially risky for being exposed to new and dangerous bacteria, fungi, and parasites, especially in underdeveloped countries that dont have good sanitation or water supply. You can also be exposed to dangerous bacteria and other pathogens through the air, as in airplanes when in close contact with others. Oregano oil and other essential oils are very effective in fighting off these invaders when traveling without the side effects of antibiotics.

Lets take a look at the top four most versatile and powerful antibiotic essential oils:

Wild Vs Organic Oreganol

Not all oregano is created equal. There are many cultivars, over 40 in fact. Think of basil there is holy basil and lemon basil and cinnamon basil and so many other options. So it is with oregano.

Studies show that the best oregano comes from the native oregano species that has grown in the Mediterranean for a thousand or more years. Other types dont have nearly the amount or concentration of beneficial plant-based compounds.

Amazing Oregano Oil Benefits

A big problem in healthcare right now something called antibiotic resistance. A person can develop antibiotic resistance from the chronic use of antibiotics. Antibiotics are being overprescribed and often abused. Yes, antibiotics can be a good thing in certain situations, and Im not suggesting you go against your doctors orders in taking them. Im also not giving you any medical advice. But, its something you may want to research and talk to your doctor about if youre prescribed antibiotics.

The big problem with antibiotics, in general, is that they not only kill off the bad bacteria that are causing infections, but they also they kill your good bacteria that are essential for a healthy body. This can potentially create a cascade of different health problems.

The overuse of antibiotics can make them less effective against the harmful bacteria they are intended to treat while they still wipe out the friendly microbes . Your friendly microbes have many different important functions, including producing certain vitamins, supporting digestion, and protecting the body against infections.

Considering all of the health benefits of oregano oil, it may make a fantasticnatural alternative to antibiotics. Dozens of studies suggest that the active ingredients in oregano oil may help protect your health and fight against certain harmful pathogens, including yeast, fungi, and bacteria.

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Potential Risks Of Oregano Oil

Because oregano oil has such potent ingredients, you should consult with your doctor before taking it or any other supplement. Consider the following before using oregano oil either internally or topically:

Toxicity

Because oregano oil is such a powerful antimicrobial agent, it can also be toxic to humans. Taken in large doses, oregano oil can even be lethal. Only use the recommended amount of oregano to yield its benefits. Further studies into the toxic effect of oil of oregano on humans is needed.

Skin Irritation

Although oregano oil can help some skin ailments like acne, it may be irritating for people with sensitive skin. Donât apply undiluted oregano oil directly to your skin. Patch test any products containing oregano oil to ensure they wonât cause any adverse effects. Additional research on skin irritation caused by oregano oil on humans is required.

Pregnancy Concerns

The effects of oregano oil on someone who is pregnant or breastfeeding are inconclusive. If youâre pregnant or breastfeeding a baby, it is best to look for an alternative.

Medication Interference

Avoid oregano oil if youâre already taking a diuretic, as their side effects may be compounded. Since oregano has natural diuretic properties, it may interfere with the action of lithium and similar medications.

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Biochimie Open: âAnti-inflammatory, tissue remodeling, immunomodulatory, and anticancer activities of oregano essential oil in a human skin disease model.â

May Help Fight Harmful Bacteria

Oregano oil is a natural antibiotic known to be effective against several bacteria . It may help fight bacteria that cause infections of the skin, and the urinary and respiratory tracts.

The carvacrol in the oil can exhibit antibacterial properties by inhibiting the growth of bacteria . More studies are needed to understand its use for this purpose.

Along with carvacrol, the thymol in oregano oil was found to have a synergistic effect in inhibiting bacterial growth , .

The essential oil from a different species of oregano, namely Origanum heracleoticum L., was found to be effective against clinical Strains of Escherichia Coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa . The oil had also shown inhibitory action against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that often causes food poisoning .

The natural potent antibacterial properties of oregano oil have the potential to be used against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains .

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Does Oregano Work In Humans

Unfortunately, we have very little information about how effective oregano oil is in humans.

What we need in the future are high quality tests that show whether ingesting oregano oil can kill colds or flus in our bodies or not.

What we need in the future are high quality tests that show whether ingesting oregano oil can kill colds or flus in our bodies or not. We also need clear information on the bioavailability of oregano oil, or how well its absorbed into our blood when taken orally .

One study on oregano oils bioavailability focused on people who took oregano extract and the components measured in their urine 9. Excretion in urine can be considered a reliable indication of how well something is absorbed into the blood 9,10.

Thats a good initial indication of oregano oils potential efficacy, but we need more info!

Here Are Just A Few Studies That Show Carvacrols Antibacterial Capabilities:

• This study, published in PLOS one medical journal concluded that they support the use of carvacrol in infection prevention strategies. The study was specifically conducted on Campylobacter jejuni, a food-borne pathogen.
• This study, published in Letters in Applied Microbiology showed the effectiveness of carvacrol and thymol against Coli. E. coli is a very common and usually non-pathogenic type of bacteriabut there are some strains of E coli which can produce toxins.

Thymol acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in addition to its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal effects, though at this point, it is not clear how it does this.

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Essential Oils Of Oregano As Antioxidants

Oxidative stress is the disturbance in the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance in favor of the former, leading to potential damage and is often caused by the attack of reactive species, such as hydrogen peroxide , superoxide anion , hydroxyl , peroxyl , and alkoxyl radicals, upon the constituents of living organisms . Oxidative stress can cause an increasing in cell proliferation, adaptation by up-regulation of defense systems, DNA damage, senescence and cell death. Consequently, many studies have positively correlated oxidative stress with the pathogenesis of diseases, such as Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, chronic-inflammation, arthritis, some types of cancer, diabetes and atherosclerosis, among others . Several phytochemicals have been studied for their potential scavenging activity towards reactive species and capacity to neutralize oxidative stress. EOs are among the targeted phytochemicals due to their AOX capacity since it is of great importance due to their potential to prevent oxidative damage . The AOX properties of EOs from different species of oregano have been studied and it is worth to mention that some of the EOs that have been studied in other plant species for their AOX properties can also be found in different oregano species. Nonetheless, this does not guarantee their capacity to neutralize oxidative stress and to prevent oxidative damage, since the differences in the composition of EOO can modify the biological activity .

Essential Oils Composition Of Oregano Species

The composition of EOO has been extensively studied. EOO are very complex mixtures of compounds, in which the major constituents are terpenes, generally mono- and sesquiterpenes. The principal terpenes identified in the different species of oregano are carvacrol, thymol, -terpinene and p-cymene while terpinen-4-ol, linalool, -myrcene, trans-sabinene hydrate, and -caryophyllene are also present . The proportion of these and other components in the EOO within the same species defines the chemotype. Generally, the chemotype is named after the major component of the EO, e.g., carvacrol, thymol, -citronellol, 1,8-cineole, etc. For example, Lukas et al. defined three chemotypes of O. vulgare according to the proportion of cymyl-compounds, sabinyl-compounds and linalool/linalyl acetate in extracts of 502 individual plants from 17 countries and 51 populations. On the other hand, González-Fuentes et al. reported two chemotypes of L. graveolens collected from two different regions. These authors found one chemotype rich in carvacrol and thymol , while the other one showed less content of these terpenes.

Some of the major constituents of the essential oils of oregano.

The composition of EOO has been vastly studied. Examples of the major components of EOO are shown in Table 1.

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May Help Reduce Side Effects From Medications/drugs

Several drugs and medications may have adverse effects. One such drug is Methotrexate, which is used to treat inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of oregano essential oil were found to help against methotrexate-induced intestinal damage in rats .

Another study suggests that carvacrol is useful during oral iron therapy . Iron supplements may cause digestive discomfort with symptoms like constipation and vomiting. Carvacrol could help protect the intestinal epithelial cells during Salmonella infection .

In addition to benefiting oneâs health, the oregano essential oil could also have advantages for oneâs skin and hair.

Benefits And Uses Of Oregano Oil

Oregano is a fragrant herb thats best known as an ingredient in Italian food.

However, it can also be concentrated into an essential oil thats loaded with antioxidants and powerful compounds that have proven health benefits.

Oregano oil is the extract and, although its not as strong as the essential oil, it appears to be useful both when consumed or applied to the skin. Essential oils, on the other hand, are not meant to be consumed.

Interestingly, oregano oil is an effective natural antibiotic and antifungal agent, and it may help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol levels.

Botanically known as Origanum vulgare, oregano is a flowering plant from the same family as mint. Its often used as an herb to flavor food.

Although its native to Europe, it now grows all over the world.

Oregano has been popular ever since the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations used it for medicinal purposes. In fact, the name oregano comes from the Greek words oros, meaning mountain, and ganos, meaning joy or delight.

The herb has also been used for centuries as a culinary spice.

Oregano essential oil is made by air-drying the leaves and shoots of the plant. Once theyre dried, the oil is extracted and concentrated by steam distillation .

Oregano essential oil can be mixed with a carrier oil and applied topically. However, it should not be consumed orally.

These compounds are thought to underlie oreganos many health benefits.

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Does Oregano Get Rid Of Good Bacteria

The answer is, no, oregano oil does not kill any good bacteria. When we use oregano for bacterial infection, it only kills those harmful to our health. Oregano has been used to treat sinus and respiratory problems for ages. Doctors used this herb to treat different diseases before the invention of modern medicines.

What Is Oregano Oil

Oregano is an herb that is a member of the mint family . It has been considered a precious plant commodity for over 2,500 years in folk medicines that originated across the globe.

It has a very long use in traditional medicine for treating colds, indigestion and upset stomachs.

You might have some experience cooking with fresh or dried oregano leaves such as oregano spice, one of the top herbs for healing but oregano essential oil is far from what youd put in your pizza sauce.

Found in the Mediterranean, throughout many parts of Europe, and in South and Central Asia, medicinal grade oregano is distilled to extract the essential oil from the herb, which is where a high concentration of the herbs active constituents are found. It takes over 1,000 pounds of wild oregano to produce just one pound of oregano essential oil, in fact.

The oils active ingredients are preserved in alcohol and used in essential oil form both topically and internally.

When made into a medicinal supplement or essential oil, oregano is often called oil of oregano. As mentioned above, oregano oil is a considered a natural alternative to prescription antibiotics.

Oil of oregano contains two powerful compounds called carvacrol and thymol, both of which have been shown in studies to have strong antibacterial and antifungal properties.

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Treating Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth

Oregano oil may help treat chronic bacterial issues, such as SIBO. People with SIBO experience gastrointestinal problems due to an overgrowth of certain bacteria in their intestines.

A 2014 study found that herbal remedies, including one that contained high levels of both carvacrol and thymol, were effective tools in treating SIBO.

Exploring the individual effects of each compound will require more research, but these initial findings may be promising.

Oregano Oil Vs Garlic For Sibo

If youre going to use antimicrobial herbs for SIBO or any other stubborn bacterial issue, its important to research the different options available.

One of the questions that often comes to mind is, whats the difference between using garlic and oregano oil?

Both oregano oil and garlic act as great natural alternatives to antibiotics and are both very potent. This is a tough question to answer since each persons microbiome is unique and it can be uncertain which types of bugs youre actually treating.

If youre thinking about which herbs to use, you should know that oregano oil and garlic are two of the most potent herbs around.

Both of these herbal products can get the job done. A lot of people that are treating SIBO or any other stubborn bacterial infection usually use a combination of 1-3 different herbs. This means you could try using both oregano oil and Allimed for treatment. Garlic contains allicinthis is thought to be the active anti-bacterial ingredient and is highly concentrated in Allimed.

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How Many Days In A Row Can You Take Oregano Oil

Oregano oil uses: For internal use, take 2 to 4 drops twice daily for up to 10 days. Fight Pneumonia and Bronchitis: For external infections, apply 2 to 3 diluted drops to the affected area. To prevent internal bacterial overgrowth, ingest 2 to 4 drops twice daily for up to 10 days.

Review Of Oil Of Oregano Products: Which One To Buy

1. Food grade.

Make sure to take a food-grade oil of oregano as many of the aromatherapy versions are NOT safe to eat.

2. High Carvacrol content.

Another thing to look for in your oil of oregano is the percentage of carvacrol. While carvacrol is not the only source of oreganos effect, it remains a significant part. There is some controversy over how much is ideal, but generally, the oil should have between 60% to 80% carvacrol.

3. Low thymol content.

Also, be aware that high levels of thymol are toxic. Make sure that your oil has low amounts of thymol, at doses higher than 5% can cause neurological side effects.

4. Made in Greece.

Oregano is grown throughout the world, but high-quality Oregano oil generally comes from the Mediterranean region, especially Greece.

Generally, studies have tested the Greek wild oregano . There are many other varieties of oregano, however, the scientists consistently choose Greek Oregano Oil for their experiments.

It can take fifty pounds of oregano leaves to extract a meaningful amount of the oil with its infection-fighting compounds, thats why its quite pricey.

The following two options check off all three parameters: food-grade, high Carvacrol, made in Greece:

Remember that pure essential oil of oregano is potent and can burn the skin or mucous membranes, so never take it undiluted.

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How To Take Oregano Oil Orally In Drops

• If taking oregano oil in liquid form its important to use it with a carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil
• If its not already diluted, mix it with the ratio of 1 drop of carrier oil to 1 drop of oregano oil
• Put 1 or 2 drops under the tongue and leave it there for a few minutes. Then rinse with water.
• To get the full benefits of oregano oil, use an oil that is standardized to at least 55-70% carvacrol and takes 2 drops 2-4x per day.

Key Takeawaysamazing Oregano Oil Benefits

Oregano has been considered a very helpful herb for a very long time. Its unique and powerful properties make oregano oil a potential natural alternative to antibiotics. Oregano oil can potentially kill certain pathogens without killing the friendly bacteria that you need. There is a wide-range of oregano oil benefits, making it a staple in many homes. You might want to consider adding it to your own.

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