Staph and MRSA are infections none of us want to have. These bacteria are dangerous and sometimes even drug resistant. One way to fight these nasty infections from home or when antibiotics stop working is, surprisingly enough, Oregano Oil.
Oil from the common herb oregano has antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-oxidant, and pain relieving properties. It has been used for hundreds of years for many different health issues. It been successfully used to treat sinusitis, bronchitis, candida yeast infections, E. coli, salmonella, Staph and MRSA infections. The ancient Greeks even used oregano oil to treat wounds, poisoning, bites and headaches.
“Oil pressed from oregano leaves that contain the active ingredient carvacrol may be an effective treatment against sometimes drug-resistant bacterial infection. Georgetown University researchers have found that oil of oregano appears to reduce infection “as effectively as traditional antibiotics. Oil of oregano at relatively low doses was found to be efficacious against Staphylococcus bacteria (the bacteria responsible for MRSA) and was comparable in its germ-killing properties to antibiotic drugs such as streptomycin, penicillin and vancomycin.” [Science Daily 10/11/2001]
“The antimicrobial strength of oregano oil comes from its natural thymol and carvacrol content. Thymol is a fungicide, antiseptic and can help support the immune system. Carvacrol is a powerful bacteria killer that’s strongly active against Staph and MRSA infections as well as yeasts and molds. A carvacrol content of 70% or more can be strongly therapeutic. However, natural carvacrol content this high is very uncommon and hard to find in most commercial oregano oil products.
Almost all oregano essential oils sold today are too dilute to be of help against MRSA or Staph (they are diluted in a carrier oil or base oil) and they typically contain artificial carvacrol and other unnatural ingredients to reduce their cost. Synthetic chemicals commonly found in essential oils are often cancer-causing, so you definitely want to avoid inferior products!” -[Michelle Moore]