This Anti-Inflammatory Herb Is A+ For Your Gut Health: Here's How To Take It

Inflammation is a driving factor for a variety of conditions12, including arthritis, psoriasis, cancer and type 1 diabetes. Antioxidants found in oregano oil can combat inflammation, and potentially, help mitigate related diseases. 

Lab studies13 have shown that pretreating cells with oregano extract resulted in a protective effect against oxidative stress—the oxygen-dependent process that drives inflammation. 

In mice, the anti-inflammatory effects of oregano extract prevented14 animals predisposed to type 1 diabetes—an autoimmune inflammatory disorder—from developing the disease. 

Oregano’s ability to temper inflammation shows promise in cancer treatment studies. In another mouse-model study15, oregano suppressed tumor growth and appearance. And in human breast cancer cells16, the oregano species with the most antioxidant activity significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation.