Oregano - Good For More Than Just Spaghetti Sauce

I've been growing basil for the past 3 or 4 years, but this year when I went to purchase my seeds the store I was at had a multi-herb packet that enticed me. In it were seeds for basil, cilantro, chives, oregano and zinnias. All of which I planted and are coming along nicely, though as you can see from the photo, oregano grows much slower than basil. I was excited to have all these herbs, thinking only of all the yummy pestos and sauces I was going to make, but not giving much thought to any other benefits I could reap from eating them, until I came across a very short article in the June 9, issue of First magazine about oregano.

The article claims that women who consumed a 2 tsp. serving of dried or fresh oregano daily during menstruation experienced few or no cramps. Apparently the herb's thymol and carvacrol compounds relax uterine muscles so they don't generate painful contractions.

After reading that I was interested to know if there were any other benefits to be derived from the herb, and I found that there are quite a few. It's known to be good for easing upset stomachs, is a natural diuretic, kills parasites in the intestines, has sedative qualities that are useful in treating nervous disorders and irritability, it is thought to relieve dry coughs and asthma and some consider it to be perhaps the most powerful herbal anti fungal agent known. Wow! And I only thought it was only good for spicing up my food!

If you can't (or don't want to) grow your own, you can purchase it fresh from your local grocery or if you aren't a fan of the taste, it can also be taken in caplet form or as liquid drops.