Oregano-Our Reliable Medicine for Coughs and the Common Cold

If there is one thing that I can say as heaven-sent is my discovery of the benefits of the herb oregano, particularly its leaf. It has been over three years now that I have stopped going to the doctor for the treatment of my children's coughs and colds. To alleviate my doubts on the effectivity and safety of this herb, I had to do my own research and satisfy myself that I would not be endangering the lives of my children if I administer the herb to them.

Aside from scouring articles on the oregano on the internet, I was able to get my hand on several books on oregano. One book, "The Cure is in the Cupboard" by Dr. Cass Ingram (2001), is, in fact, all about oregano and its numerous health benefits. The Condensed Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, N.D. (2006), lists oregano as one of the healing herbs and spices. Both books discussed the two anti-microbial (or antibiotic) agents in oregano, thymol and carvacrol. The US Department of Agriculture even discovered, in one study, that the oregano scored the highest in antioxidant activity than fruits and vegetables known to be high in antioxidants. They found oregano to have forty-two times as much antioxidant activity as apples, thirty times as potatoes, twelve times as much as oranges, and four times as much as blueberries (p. 538, Michael Murray, N.D. Jospeh Pizzorno, N.D., and Laura Pizzorno, The Condensed Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, 2006).

It was also a surprise to me when I found out that Filipinos, especially in the provinces, have been using the oregano to cure coughs for ages. All these information made me decide to try the herb out. Since then, my children have not used even an ounce of antibiotics to treat their coughs and colds. There was one particular incident that stands out in my mind at the time when I was just starting to use the herb. Isabelle was not feeling well and was complaining of pain but since she was just about two years old then, she could not really tell us what was ailing her. My husband, Andrew, and I brought her to a doctor who prescribed antibiotics since the doctor noted her swollen throat. The doctor even advised us to give the antibiotic immediately since he expects Isabelle to become febrile. Not wanting to give any antibiotics, I gave Isabelle oregano instead. In a span of twenty-four hours, Isabelle was cured. She did not have the fever the doctor was warning us about. Andrew and I were simply amazed.

In case anyone is interested in trying the herb out, I just blanch the leaves with boiling water and squeeze the juice out. I give one to two tablespoons of the juice to my children three times a day. When my husband and I feel an itchy throat, we do the same thing but we would usually take three or four tablespoons of it. In fact, my mother-in-law would microwave the leaves and eat them straight.



The photo shown above is the oregano taken from our backyard. Especially during the flu season, I have had to continually replace the old ones that have lost their leaves. I get my supply of oregano pots from Mang Roger who oversees the Herbal Garden at the Quezon City Circle.