Origanum vulgare

Oregano has the strongest antioxidative activity of all foods including all fruit and vegetables!

Oregano, that is today most strongly associated with the distinctive taste of pizza, has for centuries been used to flavor a variety of fish, meats and vegetable dishes in the Mediterranean region. Oregano also has a long history of medicinal uses, including the treatment of respiratory ailments, arthritis, wounds and indigestion. While there have been relatively few scientific investigations into its medicinal properties, oregano is a source of many potent phytochemicals that are known to be active against a range of pathological processes and chronic diseases.

Important Phytochemicals

Antioxidants: Caffeic acid, carvacrol, eugenol, hydroquinone, myrcene, oleanolic acid, phenol, phytosterols, rosmarinic acid, terpinenes, ursolic acid

Others: Carvone, caryophyllene, citral, geraniol, limonene, pinenes
 
Medicinal Properties

Cancer
Oregano’s anti-tumorigenic phytochemicals are both numerous and efficacious against a variety of cancer types. They include the antioxidants, caffeic acid, eugenol, myrcene, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, as well as the non-antioxidant compounds, carvone, caryophyllene, geraniol and limonene.  

Cardiovascular Disease and Blood Lipids
In addition to possessing cardioprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, oregano contains carvacrol and rosmarinic acid which specifically inhibit the formation of atheromatous plaques. Oleanolic and ursolic acid, meanwhile, are effective at lowering abnormal blood lipid levels, while caffeic acid reduces platelet stickiness, and eugenol prevents the abnormal thrombus formation associated with heart attacks.

Anti-inflammatory Effects
Oregano contains significant quantities of a number of well-known anti-inflammatory compounds and is likely to have protective effects against the many chronic diseases that are associated with underlying inflammatory processes. These anti-inflammatory compounds include caffeic acid, carvacrol, eugenol, rosmarinic acid and ursolic acid.