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July/August 2009 Alternative Health
Oregano: The Mighty Infection Fighter

by Jennifer Cox

Oregano isn't just good on pizza - it could save your life.

In recent years, scientists discovered that the chemical carvacol gives oregano its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.

Research also has shown that oregano can help in fighting the healthcare-associated super bug, MRSA. According to the Mayo Clinic, MRSA infection is caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - often called "staph." MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. Most MRSA infections occur in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers.

A team of researchers from a United Kingdom university, members of local businesses and a non-governmental organization (NGO) in India have discovered that the essential oil of Himalayan oregano kills MRSA. Research showed that the Himalayan oregano oil was more effective at killing MRSA than 18 different antibiotics. The findings could lead to the development of hand soaps and surface disinfectants in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Himalayan oregano not only would give a helping hand in fighting infection, but the team also is working on a project to give rural communities the means to generate income from the sustainable collection of the oregano plant.

The creative and innovative part of the project is that it potentially gives a sustainable source of income to the people of the Himalayas while at the same time providing UK hospitals with an environmentally friendly way of preventing the spread of MRSA.

Sources: www.medicalnewstoday.com and www.mayoclinic.com.