Oregano Oil – Weight Loss and Inflammation

February 1st, 2013 by Loretta Lanphier, NP, BCTN, CN, CH, HHP

Oregano Oil – Weight Loss and Inflammation

Through the ages, wild Mediterranean oregano oil has been used for a multitude of health concerns. In fact, studies show that oregano oil has impressive capabilities as a natural antibiotic because of two specific compounds – carvacrol and thymol. Both of these compounds demonstrate broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. I also want to add that if you currently don’t have organic Mediterranean Oregano Oil in your health and wellness cabinet, you are missing out on a potent herb that has been consistently used for centuries as an essential natural healing tool. As remarkable as all of this is, I want to focus on oregano oil – weight loss and inflammation.

Oregano Oil – Weight Loss and Inflammation – Study

In 2013 an animal study showed that carvacrol, the active component of oregano oil, can prevent diet-induced obesity by modulating genes and reducing inflammation in white adipose tissue. Carvacrol (2-methyl-5-isopropylphenol) is a monoterpene phenolic constituent of the essential oil produced by numerous aromatic plants and spices such as oregano oil.

The study’s main objective was to investigate the effects of carvacrol in mice fed with a high-fat diet, an important model and cause of modern-day obesity, and to study the potential underlying mechanisms focusing on the gene expression involved in adipogenesis, thermogenesis, and inflammation.

Male mice were divided into three groups: 1) those who were fed a normal diet, 2) those fed a high-fat diet,  and 3) those fed with a 0.1% carvacrol-supplemented diet. Bodyweight, visceral fat-pads (known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat), and biochemical parameters were determined. Adipose tissue (connective tissue that stores fat) genes and protein expression levels were also assessed. The mice fed with the carvacrol-supplemented diet exhibited significantly reduced body weight gain, visceral fat-pad weights, and plasma lipid levels (triglyceride and cholesterol levels) compared with mice fed with a high-fat diet. Furthermore, the high-fat-diet-induced up-regulation of adipose tissue genes and protein associated with the signaling cascades that lead to adipogenesis and inflammation was significantly reversed by dietary carvacrol supplementation.

In summary, under experimental conditions, carvacrol prevented obesity in high fat-diet fed mice by decreasing body weight, visceral fat-pad weights, and lowering plasma lipid levels. The evidence obtained in this study suggests that carvacrol appears to inhibit visceral adipogenesis most likely by suppressing bone morphogenic protein-, fibroblast growth factor 1- and galanin-mediated signaling, and it also attenuates the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in visceral adipose tissues by inhibiting toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)- and TLR4-mediated signaling.

It’s significant to note that the amount of carvacrol used in the study is typical when supplementing with oregano oil. A 1500 calorie diet would need approximately 1.5 calories of carvacrol, and a 2000 calorie diet would need about two calories. If one consumes 1500 calories per day, they would need 166 mg of carvacrol or 222 mg for a 2000 calorie diet.

Less Inflammation Can Lead to Weight Loss

According to Byron Richards, CCN, “a key part of the weight gain concern for any person is that immune cells start having an inflammatory party within white adipose tissue, attracting even more immune cells and causing progressive inflammation. This concern locks in the dysfunction of white adipose tissue and contributes to stubborn weight issues. This is the first study showing that carvacrol can directly improve this difficult concern, helping break a vicious cycle.”

Five Scientific Studies Demonstrating that Oregano Oil is Effective in Alleviating Inflammation

  • The first study, published in the journal Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology, discovered that oregano oil significantly improved rat colitis or inflammation of the colon. When compared to the control group, the oregano-treated rats showed much greater success in terms of visual disease signs such as ulceration and swelling,
  • In a second study, reported in the journal Mediators of Inflammation, thyme and oregano oils were used in conjunction and found to benefit colitis in mice. The oils reduced the levels of cytokines, biochemical traditionally associated with inflammation. The results found oil treatment led to lower mortality and reduced tissue damage in the animals.
  • In a third study, an investigation reported in the journal Phytomedicine examined the effects of carvacrol on liver regeneration. Carvacrol is one of the vital active ingredients in oregano oil. Rats with their livers surgically removed were assigned to two different groups. One group was treated with carvacrol, and the other served as the control group. The carvacrol group experienced noticeably increased liver-weight gain.
  • A fourth study found in Phytomedicine discovered that carvacrol protected the livers of rats with blood supply restricted to those organs. The investigators found that carvacrol was nontoxic to rat livers used in the study.
  • The fifth and final study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that an active ingredient in oregano can cure additional instances of inflammation. This ingredient, known as beta-carophyllin (E-BCP), was administered to mice with inflamed paws. In seven out of ten experiments, there was a subsequent improvement in inflammation symptoms. Researchers believe E-BCP might be of possible use in treating osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis. Beta-carophyllin works by docking on specific receptor structures in the cell membrane – the so-called cannabinoid-CB2 receptors. The result is a change in cell behavior, inhibiting the cell’s production of phylogenic signal substances. According to investigator Dr. Jürg Gertsch, E-BCP has been used to treat mice with swollen paws due to inflammations. In 70 percent of cases where the treatment had been administered, the swelling subsequently subsided.

Many of the oils available in today’s market are derived from non-oregano species, such as various types of marjoram and species of thyme. Julia Lawless, the author of The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, says that the vast majority of oregano oil is not labeled correctly because it is derived from thyme, which is Spanish thyme.

You can find oregano oil in health food stores and online. Look for those with an organic source of Wild Organic Mediterranean Oregano with at least 79-80% carvacrol content. The best organic oregano oil that I have found and recommend to clients and the one oreganic oregano oil our family uses is Organic Oregano Oil.

organic oregano oil product page top banner

More Health Benefits of Oregano Oil

  • Anti-viral capability
  • Antibacterial capability
  • Anti-Allergen capability
  • Anti-oxidant capability
  • Anti-fungal capability
  • Supports digestive health
  • Supports respiratory health
  • Helps with sinus congestion
  • Effective in pain management
  • Supports a healthy immune system
  • Anti-parasitic capability
  • Antimicrobial capability

A team of British and Indian researchers reported that the essential oil of Himalayan oregano has strong antibacterial properties that can even kill the hospital superbug MRSA. Professor Vyv Salisbury commented: “We have done a few preliminary tests and have found that the essential oil from the oregano kills MRSA at a dilution of 1 to 1,000. The tests show that the oil kills MRSA both as a liquid and as a vapor, and its antimicrobial activity is not diminished by heating in boiling water.”

oregano oil - health benefits

Research & Reference

Soomin Cho, Youngshim Choi, Soyoung Park, Taesun Park. Carvacrol Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity by Modulating Gene Expressions Involved in Adipogenesis and Inflammation in Mice Fed with High-Fat Diet. Received 15 January 2010; received in revised form 2 November 2010; accepted 17 November 2010. published online 30 March 2011.

Du, W-X, Olsen, Avena-Bustillos, McHugh, Levin, Mandrell, R. Friedman, Mendel. Antibacterial Effects of Allspice, Garlic, and Oregano Essential Oils in Tomato Films Determined by Overlay and Vapor-Phase Methods Journal of Food Science, 2009 September Volume 74, Number 7, pp. M390-M397(1). Produce Safety and Microbiology, Western Regional Research Center, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

Elgayyar M, Draughon F.A., Golden D.A., Mount J.R. Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Plants against Selected Pathogenic and Saprophytic Microorganisms. Journal of Food Protection. 2001 July 7. Volume 64, Number 7, pp. 1019-1024(6).

Irkin R, Korukluoglu M. Growth inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and some yeasts by selected essential oils and survival of L. monocytogenes and C. Albicans in apple-carrot juice. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2009 April 6(3):387-94. Susurluk College, Balikesir University, Turkey.

Faleiro L, Miguel G, Gomes S, Costa L, Venâncio F, Teixeira A, Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Pedro LG. Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils isolated from Thymbra capitata L. (Cav.) andOriganum vulgare L. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Oct 19;53(21):8162-8.

Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Carvacrol and Carvacrol-Bearing Essential Oils; K.H. Baser; 2008.

Georgetown University Medical Center. Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Finds. ScienceDaily. 2001 October 11.

Pak J Pharm Sci. 2009 Oct;22(4):421-4.

Mark Force, William S. Sparks, Robert A. Ronzio. Inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo. Phytotherapy Research. 2000 May 11. vol.14 issue3 DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(200005)14:3<213::AID-PTR583>3.0.CO;2-U.

“OREGANO. “Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Therapeutic Research Faculty. Accessed October 15th, 2013.

Loretta Lanphier is a Naturopathic Practitioner, Board Certified Traditional Naturopath, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Certified Clinical Herbalist as well as the CEO / Founder of Oasis Advanced Wellness in The Woodlands TX. She has studied and performed extensive research in health science, natural hormone balancing, anti-aging techniques, nutrition, natural medicine, weight loss, herbal remedies, nontoxic cancer support, and is actively involved in researching new natural health protocols and products. A 20-year stage 3 colon cancer survivor, Loretta can relate to both sides of the health coin as a patient and practitioner regarding health and wellness. “My passion is counseling others about what it takes to keep the whole body healthy using natural and nontoxic methods.” Read Loretta’s health testimony Cancer: The Path to Healing. Loretta is a Contributor and Editor of the worldwide E-newsletter Advanced Health & Wellness
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace your doctor’s advice. Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness/OAWHealth are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician of choice.Save

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