Origanus comes from Greek words “oros” (meaning mountain) and “ganos” (meaning joy). As to why it was called as such, the people who discovered it described the plant as “gay”. From there it earned the reputation of being a gay-looking plant in the mountain, thus it was named after the two Greek words combined. Greeks were said to have used Oregano extensively for its therapeutic properties, which tend to heal sick people.

Oregano was formally recognized as a therapeutic herb sometime in 1995 by the researchers from the Greece-based University of Salonika. The research yielded positive results for Oregano as being an effective and beneficial in trying to cleanse, purify and disinfect water.

It comes from the plant genus known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae (Mint family).

Parts Used

Oregano doesn’t grow real big but most of its plant parts are deemed useful. Among the beneficial plant parts are its leaves, the stems and essential oil extracted from the plant itself.

General Information

Oregano however has one property which is deemed crucial. It couldn’t be mixed with other substances with impurities. Mixing Oregano with impure substances renders it as “useless” (or at times harmful) - as it loses its therapeutic properties in the process. In fact, many warnings have been issued regarding this concern.

Oregano has long been used as treatment for various ailments. It is also believed that Oregano has properties capable of killing bacteria and other types of germs. It is also believed that Oregano brings luck and wealth.

Common Uses

Oregano oil extracts are extremely helpful as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, antiseptic and antifungal, which makes it ideal in the treatment of nail fungus and other skin disorders caused by the proliferation of bacteria.

It is also a good immune booster, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-aging and increased blood oxygen levels.