Not Just a Cooking Spice
When we think about oregano, we usually think of the smell of Mediterranean food cooking, sprinkling it on pizza, or adding it to tomato sauce. Many people recognize and enjoy the spice oregano. We don’t think about this flavor.
But people have liked this little green herb for more than simply its flavor. For hundreds of years, traditional healers have used it to make teas, pastes, and oils that help with many gastrointestinal disorders. Oregano is a healing herb for digestive health since it can help with a wide range of problems, from bloating and indigestion to infections and inflammation.
Modern research is confirming what people have known for a long time: oregano has compounds that are good for the gut, kill nasty bacteria, and relax the stomach. Oregano may be a mild, natural ally for older adults who often experience stomach problems including slow digestion, bloating, or trouble taking their prescriptions.
Oregano generates enzymes that help with digestion.
Enzymes are microscopic workers that help your body take up nutrients from food. They are necessary for digesting food well. Essential oils in oregano help your stomach create more of these enzymes, which makes it easier for your body to break down food.
A little oregano can aid your digestion and make you feel better if you feel heavy after a big meal or have difficulties digesting.
Fighting the Wrong Kind of Bacteria
Our stomachs are home to trillions of bacteria, and most of them are good for us. But when harmful bacteria take over, they can make you sick with things like diarrhea, stomach pain, and even infections.
Oregano contains carvacrol, which is a strong antibacterial agent. Studies show that it can help keep dangerous strains like E. coli and Salmonella from spreading. The best thing about oregano is that it doesn’t kill all bacteria. Instead, it lets the good ones proliferate, which is helpful for the gut.
A balanced microbiome is more than just a healthy gut. It also has to do with how you feel, how much energy you have, and how well your immune system works.
Calming Down Inflammation in the Stomach
A lot of older people suffer gastritis, which is persistent stomach irritation, or even ulcers. Inflammation is often the cause.
Oregano has two essential compounds that help fight: thymol and rosmarinic acid. Both are proven to aid with swelling. These chemicals may help soothe irritation in the stomach lining, which can make you feel better and keep you from being hurt in the long run. You can make tea with them or sprinkle them on veggies that have been roasted.
Getting rid of gas and bloating
It’s very uncomfortable and embarrassing to have gas and bloating all the time. Oregano is used in several herbal traditions as a carminative, which means it helps get rid of gas naturally.
If you drink oregano tea after a meal, it will assist your digestive muscles relax, which can help you get rid of gas and ease bloating. If you add a lot of it to soups, stews, or roasted meals, you can get the same mild benefits over time.
The Many Benefits of Oregano Oil
Fresh and dried oregano are fine for everyday use, but concentrated oregano oil has been gaining increasingly popular lately.
Some studies have found that oregano oil may help get rid of intestinal parasites and fungal infections like Candida albicans. These illnesses can make it hard to digest meals, drain energy, and block the body from getting nutrients.
But oregano oil is really strong, so you need be careful when you use it. You should always mix it with something else, and you should only take it with a doctor’s help. Not good for pregnant women or people with certain health issues.
Detox and help for the immune system
The stomach is not only where food is broken down; it is also one of the body’s first lines of defense. The stomach is where the immune system starts to work. It protects us from many hazardous pathogens that get into our bodies through the food we eat.
Oregano makes this defense stronger. Its natural chemicals help get rid of impurities, keep out invaders, and make the environment healthier so that nutrients may be absorbed. Oregano not only calms the stomach, but it also boosts the immune system.
How to Use Oregano to Help Your Stomach
You don’t have to modify everything you eat to obtain the benefits of oregano. Here are some easy ways to include it in your daily life:
How to use in cooking: Add fresh or dried oregano to soups, salads, pasta, or roasted meats. Cooking with it often helps your digestion in the long run.
Put 1 teaspoon of dried oregano leaves (or a handful of fresh leaves) in boiling water to prepare oregano tea. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This will assist with bloating and indigestion if you drink it after meals.
You can get oregano oil as pills or liquid drops, but it is very potent. Don’t combine drops with anything else if you’re using them. Talk to your doctor before you start taking supplements.
Tips for elders on how to be safe
Most individuals can safely eat oregano, although older people should be mindful of a few things:
Start with a small amount. Before you consider about taking supplements, try adding a small bit of it to your meals or tea every day.
Look at how they work as a group. If you take treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, or thinning blood, you should talk to your doctor before taking concentrated oregano oil.
Don’t use it too much. Taking too much oregano oil can make your stomach feel worse instead of better.
Oregano: From a Kitchen Spice to a Digestion Helper
For hundreds of years, both cooks and healers have praised oregano for its powerful taste and its capacity to make the stomach stronger. A lot of that old information is still true today, and science teaches us why this herb is still significant.
You may use oregano in a lot of different ways, such on pizza, in tea, or as a carefully proportioned supplement. It reminds us of something important: the best medicines are typically the simplest ones that we have in our kitchens.
Oregano is a mild, proven way for older individuals to help their digestion and gut health without using drugs.
When you add oregano to your dish, keep in mind that you’re not just providing taste. You’re also doing a little more for your stomach.
