If you enjoy cooking, you probably use oregano in your pasta dishes, homemade pizzas and favorite vegetable soups. Its botanical name is Origanum vulgare, Greek for "joy of the mountains." True oregano grows wild on the mountainsides of Greece and other Mediterranean countries where this savory herb is well-loved.

But this plant has some important properties that make it useful for much more than cooking.

Oregano oil, from the wild mountain oregano vulgare species, is a powerful antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. It is nature’s antibiotic and can be used to treat many different types of infections. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used by people who suffer from chronic conditions that cause pain.

Oil of oregano contains carvacrols, flavonoids, and terpenes. Carvacrol is a natural phenol that kills many strains of bacteria. Flavonoids are natural antiseptics and terpenes have anti-inflammatory properties.

The Cure is in the Cupboard by Dr. Cass Ingram is all about the therapeutic benefits of oil of oregano. This doctor discovered first-hand the power of oregano as he treated an incapacitating blood-born fungal infection that forced him to close his practice and move home to be cared for by his family. He claims that after trying many other things, he healed himself with oregano oil!

So, can sprinkling oregano on your food make you healthier?

In short, probably not. Most of the oregano you buy in the store as an herb contains little of the potent oil that contains all the health benefits. Also, much of the spice labeled oregano is actually thyme. Even some of the supplements claiming to be oil of oregano are watered down with thyme oil.

In his book, Ingram suggests the following conditions to determine if you are buying the right supplement: make sure it is a wild spice, not farm-raised and from a proven edible species of oregano that is high in carvacrol; it is extracted in a natural process (steam distilled) and free of all chemical residues; and it is relatively low in thymol (less than 5%).

You can buy the essential oil of oregano as a tincture or in capsules. I really like the one made by Herb Pharm. It does have a strong taste and burns a bit going down. Be sure to follow the directions and dilute it with water. I find that for sore throats, using the tincture works very fast because of the topical application. I have found that using the tincture either keeps me from getting sick or shortens the duration when I am sick.

If you prefer capsules, Gaia Herbs makes a very high quality product.

The Alternative Health Encyclopedia reports that there have been some recent scientific studies backing up the claims about the healing properties of oregano oil. One study, published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology in 1999 cited oregano oil as having significant antibacterial action against many bacteria, including E. coli, Staph and Salmonella. In 2000, the same journal published a study by Scottish researchers showing Oregano Oil to be effective against 25 different bacteria.

Conditions treatable with oregano oil:

• Viral infections like colds and flu


• Bacterial infections, including drug-resistant ones


• Fungal infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm and Candida


• Tooth pain and infection


• Digestive problems including diarrhea and constipation


• Respiratory illness like bronchitis and whooping cough (it is a natural anti-spasmodic)


• Parasites


• Skin conditions like psoriasis, dandruff and acne


• Allergies and hay fever


• Nervous tension


• Pain and inflammation as found in Rheumatism, CFS, and Fibromylagia

Oregano oil should not be used by pregnant women and under advisement of your health practioner when nursing. As with any supplement, consult your doctor before using oregano oil if you have a health condition.

Have you used oregano oil? If so, tell us how it worked for you.

I have to take Z to get blood work done, which we figure to be a much less painful way for her to get tested for allergies. We know this is necessary, because she gets bronchitis about every two months, and we're trying to pin down possible causes. When the doctor suggested a blood test as a possibility, I jumped at the chance... and am only now realizing what this means for Z. She has been moderately brave about needles, although unreliably so; like most young kids, she hates getting shots. Sometimes she resists, and has to be cajoled, or even held against her will.

I'll be taking her to get her blood drawn on Monday morning. And at the moment I'm wondering how we're even going to get this done - both logistically and psychologically!

If a child resists, sometimes physically, getting an injection (vaccine), how do we make her sit still to get poked in the vein and have blood drawn from her arm? Will not looking help, as it does with adults? Should I mentally prepare her for this by trying to explain what is going to happen? (I did mention it once, but dropped the topic when she responded nervously, and miraculously, she did too.) Or should I just do the best I can to surprise her with the events as they unfold, comforting her along the way? And if she does resist, do we run much risk of her hurting herself as she struggles to resist what we must do?

Don't get me wrong - I'm not questioning the need to get this done. But I'm nervous. How would you help - or how have you helped - a child this young through something like this?

Feeling exhausted? Julie's Health Club has a list of five potential energy "drains" in your day, and how to modify your habits to create a boost where a energy slump had been. An example:

DRAIN: Your breakfast. A bowl of sugary cereal, a doughnut or a bagel might give you a quick burst of energy, but without some protein, you'll be in slow motion before lunch. Carbohydrates—especially refined carbs—are broken down very quickly so blood sugar soars and the brain shuts down production of orexin, a neuropeptide responsible for feeling art, said Tucson personal nutrition coach and author Jack Challem.

BOOST: Eat protein, good fats and some carbohydrates to control blood sugar and avoid getting a burst of glucose. Try scrambled eggs on whole wheat toast, oatmeal with yogurt and a handful of seeds or an omelet with cheese, tomato and mushrooms. Smoothies with fruit, whey powder and almond milk are also a good option, said Lipman, the author of Spent (Simon and Schuster, $25), a comprehensive guide to ending exhaustion. Instead of using bananas in smoothies, try avocados, he suggests. [Link]

Check out her piece for four more great tips for boosting your energy levels naturally. Spent looks like a find, too - can any readers vouch for it?