What is Oregano

People in ancient times often said that if you are bitten by a poisonous snake, don't be afraid because there will be an antidote nearby. The antidote here is the herbs that grow in nature, which is indeed the case. In addition to poisonous snakes, many other poisonous animals are the same. There are always medicinal herbs that can serve as antidotes around them. This may be the principle of the mutual generation and restraint of all things. There is also a related introduction in the Book of Changes.

In fact, we can often see some medicinal herbs around us, such as mint, honeysuckle, etc., which also have certain therapeutic effects on certain diseases of the human body. Of course, there are also many medicinal herbs that grow in deep mountains and forests, just like what is shown on TV, such as oregano. Let’s talk about what oregano is.

Oregano, also known as dysentery-stopping grass, wild osmanthus, and small-leaf mint, is a perennial herb of the genus Origanum in the family Lamiaceae. It is mainly distributed from the Mediterranean region to Central Asia, North Africa, North America and most parts of my country. It grows on hillsides, roadsides, bushes, grasslands and under forests at an altitude of 500-3600m. Oregano is spicy, cool in nature, and non-toxic. The whole plant can be used as medicine, which has the effects of clearing away heat and relieving exterior symptoms, regulating qi and eliminating dampness, and promoting urination and reducing swelling. It is clinically used to prevent influenza and treat jaundice, heatstroke, fever, vomiting, acute gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, etc. Its function of dispelling cold and relieving exterior symptoms is better than mint. A USDA background information on "Phytochemistry and Plant Species" states that oregano contains more than 30 antimicrobial compounds, making it a potential natural antibiotic and pharmaceutical growth promoter.

The whole plant can be used as medicine to prevent influenza, treat heatstroke, colds, headaches and heaviness, abdominal pain, vomiting, chest fullness, qi obstruction and food stagnation, abdominal distension due to food accumulation in children, diarrhea, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, skin itching and edema. Its function of dispelling cold and releasing exterior is better than that of mint. The purchase and use of Elsholtzia ciliata is carried out in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. The whole plant can also extract aromatic oil. The fresh stems and leaves contain 0.07-0.2% oil, and the dry stems and leaves contain 0.15-4% oil. The specific gravity of the oil (15℃) is 0.868-0.910, the optical rotation (20℃) is -20°-70°, the alcohol content (calculated as vanillin) is 2-3%, and the phenol content (calculated as thymol) is about 7%. In addition to being used for the preparation of flavors, it is also used as an ingredient for wine koji. In addition, it is a good nectar plant.

The whole plant of oregano contains volatile oils, mainly p-cymene, thymol, geranyl acetate, which can have diuretic, appetite-promoting, digestion-improving, expectorant, and antibacterial effects. Each 1 mg contains 187.80 micrograms of the anti-aging factor superoxide dismutase, which is the highest content among vegetables. Its antioxidant function is very strong. In terms of its antioxidant effect in eliminating free radicals, it is 42 times higher than that of apples, 30 times higher than that of potatoes, and 12 times higher than that of oranges. Oregano tastes spicy and slightly warm in nature. It has the effects of clearing away heat and relieving exterior symptoms, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.

The whole plant of oregano can be used to extract aromatic oil, can be used as aromatic buds for medicine, and can also be used as a resource plant. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, people have used oregano as a Chinese herbal medicine to treat fever, headache, drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and other symptoms caused by summer heat and dampness. It is also used to treat diseases such as acute gastroenteritis and salmonella infection.

Through the above introduction, we can find that oregano has so many pharmacological effects, and it also has certain benefits for some human diseases. It can be used to treat some related diseases in emergency situations. Therefore, there may be many "treasures" around our lives, but most of the time we just don’t have a heart that is good at discovering them.