OREGANO AND ITS MANY BENEFITS
OREGANO AND ITS MANY BENEFITS Oregano is an herb that has been used for over 4000 years by ancient Chinese, Greek and Roman doctors and healers. Hippocrates used it as an antiseptic. Its scientific name is Origanum vulgare and it belongs to the mint or Lamiaceae family. In Greek oregano is called “joy of the mountains”. It is a perennial which grows up to two feet high and is found in mountainous regions of Greece and other Mediterranean countries; it is also cultivated in Mexico. Oregano only became popular in North America after World War II, when soldiers brought it home after the war. When oregano blooms it has pink or purple flowers which are edible and are used in some rice dishes, pasta, pizza and broccoli dishes. Oregano leaves are used in a fresh or dried form and leaves can be pressed to make oil. The chemicals which give oregano’s unique yet pleasant smell are thymol, pinene, limonene, carvacrol, ocimene and caryophyllene. Fresh leaves have a milder flavo...