Oregano Tea - Health Benefits & Recipe
Drinking oregano tea has long been a tradition in many parts of the world as a home remedy for a number of different ailments. In parts of the Mediterranean, oregano tea is offered to those suffering from sore throats, congestion, and colds. It has also been used to help with insomnia and anxiety. In addition, claims have been made that by drinking oregano tea, it can ease headaches and menstrual pain and has also been given for jaundice as well as gastronomical issues including flatulence and diarrhea.
In his book, The Herb Book, John Lust lists another benefit that it can also ease motion sickness symptoms and when added to bath water, may have the effect of being a tonic. Mr. Lust also suggests that it may be used to relieve PMS symptoms and pain.
Many of these claims are anecdotal and it is unlikely to cause any ill effect if you wish to try oregano tea for any of the above listed symptoms, unless you are allergic to the mint family of plants. Oregano belongs to the mint family.
However, we do know that oregano contains many useful compounds including quercetin, eriocitrin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin, apigenin which are all flavenoids with beneficial health benefits. In addition, it contains rosmaric acid, a polyphenol.
In a study published in the International Food Journal of Sciences and Nutrition in 2007, it was shown that drinking oregano tea does have antioxidant results as well as resulting in lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. The authors of the study suggest that this is due to the flavenoids and polyphenols that are drawn out of the herb and into the tea water. The study also found that drinking oregano tea had more pronounced benefits than thyme or wild thyme teas, which were compared by the study's researchers.
There is no standard method for making oregano tea, and the amount of oregano varies depending on who you ask. However, the study referred to above indicated that the healthy benefits of lowering LDL is "dose dependent," meaning the larger the quantity of oregano used, the more of a benefit in reducing LDL will be seen.
Oregano Tea Notes
Oregano tea can have a bitter taste, especially the more oregano you use along with longer infusion times. Bear this in mind when you make it. In order to adjust for any bitter taste, consider sweetening with honey, to taste. Honey has it's own health benefits as well.
You can make oregano tea from either fresh or dried leaves.
Technically, herbal "teas" are referred to as "tisanes" because they are not made from oolong tea leaves. However, we now almost universally in the western world refer to anything herbal infused in hot water as "tea."
Oregano Tea Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Teaspoons dried organic oregano leaves (Use 2 Teaspoons, tightly packed if using fresh leaves)
8 liquid ounces of water
1 Teaspoon of honey (more or less, to taste).
Method:
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. When water has boiled, remove from heat. Add oregano leaves and allow to steep for five minutes. You could allow it to steep longer, but remember that the longer it steeps, the more of a bitter taste it will have.
Strain the infused water into a mug. Add honey if desired and stir well.
If making more than 8 liquid ounces, increase the amount of oregano accordingly.
100% Greek Oregano Is Best!
Did you know that the majority of bottles labeled "Oregano" in North America actually contain "common marjoram?" This is not what you want - you really want to get pure Greek Oregano, which is a different and bolder strain. Common majorarm is in the same family as Greek Oregano, but it is not the same species. You can tell the difference when you have an opportunity to smell the amazing wonderful bold aroma of the Greek variety.
Where to find it? We know that it's being personally sourced and purchased from Greece and will be available at KirIan Greek Oregano.
 RELATED:
Cholesterol isn’t all bad. It’s an essential fat that provides support in the membranes of our bodies’ cells. Some cholesterol comes from diet and some is made by the liver. Cholesterol can’t dissolve in blood, so transport proteins carry it where it needs to go. These carriers are called lipoproteins, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is one member of the lipoprotein family…”`”
Oregano, commonly called “the pizza herb,” is one of the most widely-used herbs worldwide, so it is hard to imagine anyone not having tried it. However, oregano was virtually unused in America until returning World War II soldiers heightened the popularity of pizza. .’-:
Our favorite internet page
Thank you for this. I have oregano growing in my garden and will make some tea wit it!
I have a few problems and a friend just suggested Oregano Tea to me. I have insomnia, anxiety, Vertigo and Gastro problems. I’ll let you know how the Oregano Tea works.
Look forward to hearing about your experience, Susan. Don’t expect to see significant results immediately, but give it some time and do let us know! Many have found oregano to be helpful for the conditions you’ve mentioned after using it in some form, including tea, for several days but it can also take a week or more to notice health benefits.
For the anxiety, you might also want to try St. John’s Wort.
Since oregano is related to spearmint I am wondering if their tisanes could not be mixed to good advantage.
Ron, I know your comment is older, and hopefully you see this – but yes, oregano and mint together and steeped into a tea blend is very good. The mint really adds a wonderful taste, although I like a bit of sweetener as well, like stevia.
Mint and oregano tea are both very good!
I have had great success with Lemon Balm tea for insomnia, and anxiety. Straight from my garden, down the hatch and off to sleep.
can also be mixed with some catnip leaves, great relaxant
I caught a cold last week and started taking oregano tea as soon as I started to feel sick. It worked great, after a couple of days I was feeling much better! Normally when I get sick it lasts for more than a week, mostly two. I am finding that it has a diuretic effect as well. I made the tea from fresh leaves from my garden.
well i just made myself an oregano tea ,my neighbor sugested it for my congestion in my chest.you know that feeling of presure in your chest and you feel the mucus trapped in but you just cant cough it out?well as soon as i took my oregano tea with honey cuzz its pretty strong the taste that is and a splash of lemon,i started to cough up that mucous out !it seemed to loosen it out of my chest ,so i was now able to spit it out.i know gross to much info,sorry but i thought it would be of help to those going through the same in this flu season.i also hear that oregano oil is great to treat nail fungus , i guess i will try that next.
Great to hear of your experience with Oregano Tea, Laura! It’s wonderful to know that you can use natural healing herbs to treat some conditions without needing a doctor’s appointment.
Yes, oil of oregano has been used to treat nail fungus – look forward to hearing how it worked for you if you do try it.
I just made some oregano tea for my cold.
It is a VERY high count anti-oxidant. I made a cup last summer to combat angina that would not go away for four hours. I have heart disease, bypasses ans stents, so hospitals can not do much for me. My nitro spray was ineffective for fat in a meal I had inadvertently. The angina was relieved in 20 minutes with a glass of pomegranate juice and the oregano tea.
Hey Larry – how did the oregano tea work out for you? Hope you’re feeling much better!
I’m going to try the oregano tea. I’ve read that it has powerful anti-bacterial properties, so I’m going to see what it can do against my systemic strep. Antibiotics only work while I take them, and then it’s back, so maybe the oregano will help.
Oh, and a note about anxiety – my daughter has a mental illness, which includes severe, dibilitating anxiety . Her psychiatrist actually recommended fish oil for her anxiety, and – it was night and day! The doctor did tell us to go with Nordic Naturals, which is pricey but WORTH IT. It is from Norway and is far and away more pure than what is made in the U.S. We did try other, cheaper brands, and they had very little impact, so I’d suggest sticking with Nordic Naturals. Hope this is helpful to someone. 🙂
Thank you so much for your comment, Yvette! Let us know how the oregano tea worked out for you!
Glad to hear about the success you and your daughter had with fish oil. Absolutely that as well as making sure other good oils like coconut may help with a variety of conditions including anxiety. There could be a number of reasons including the additional Vitamin D that the fish oil contains. Great stuff and wonderful to hear! Thank you.
So happy to hear you daughter found healing from the Nordic Naturals! Have you heard of the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet (GAPS)? It’s been proven to be super healing for a lot of mental/autoimmune disorders. Highly suggest you look into it!
My one year old son drink 1 cup boiled oregano leaves a day for a week now..is that ok.?..
Email me please..
I had use Oregano tea for years, I born with bronchitis issues, I was introduced to it by my Mom and always worked. The only difference is my mom always prepare the tea on hot milk and I’m pretty sure taste a lot better.
when using fresh oregano, should the leaves be chopped in order to measure then in a teaspoon.
Debbie, sorry for the late reply – the leaves should be chopped especially if you want to have more of the oils and compounds extracted from the oregano while it is being steeped.
I had been using oregano tea (we just pour hot water on a fresh leaf) for almost a month now in the office. I often have 2- 4 leaves in a cup. And it doesn’t only help me with my insomnia but also in losing some weight. My co- worker has tried it and did help her lose a bit. It has a lot of good effects on me, however I have questions in my mind about it.Does it have some bad side effects? Thank you and more power!!!
Please send me an email with regards to it……
Leni, oregano and oregano tea is considered very safe. The only side effects known are the result of being allergic to oregano and/or plants in the Lamiaceae family. As well, women who are pregnant may want to watch their oregano intake; amounts above what is “normal” may cause a miscarriage, but the pregnant woman would have to consume an awful lot of it to approach this risk.
By the way, Leni, you’re experience with oregano helping with insomnia is interesting. Do you drink the tea before you sleep? Would be interested to know more about how oregano tea has helped with sleep issues.
I did a couple of research regarding the health benefits of oregano.. And it really did wonders… I glad that I find out about it before my mom was able to pull out the oregano plants from her garden..
Good to hear, Leni! Yes, oregano might not be a plant you want to pull out of your garden if you have it! Although, in ideal conditions, it can also grow too well and needs to be harvested regularly.
Thanks for the info. I am drinking some today and maybe each day! 🙂
I was diagnosed with H Pylori and was in antibiotic for a week. I get bloated and feeling uncomfortable in my stomach had hard time sleeping at night. I tried live bacteria or acidophilus but only helped a little. My Doctor recommended white tea but the tea I buy from the store just makes me worse, so I discontinued. The bloating problem didn’t go away. I tried oregano and mint tea from my garden and I noticed that my bloating went away. Just recently I found wild Oregano in the bush at my neighborhood and ever since I never tried other tea except mint and oregano. I sometimes mix the fresh mint with fresh wild oregano. So far I’m feeling great and it’s been 3 weeks…I wonder though if there is bad side effect and how much do I really need to take a day? So far I’m drinking more of Oregano and mint tea than water 🙂
This was perfect. Helped me get over a viral infection much faster than the doctor thought. Oregano Tea is wonderful!
Great to hear that you found the Oregano Tea recipe helpful, Sheila! It is wonderful stuff and just might be something to keep doctor appointments down, while helping to get you up and running faster 🙂
I mix the oregano with cinnamon lemon and honey.
Wow. I just discovered oregano’s benefits purely being led by the spirit to my mom’s garden when I woke up with severe motion sickness that was accompanied by a diarrhoea and sweating, sometime in July 2016. However, we call the leaves, Panadol leaves on my native island in the Caribbean. I poured hot water on two small branches of fresh leaves straight from my mom’s garden and the motion sickness, nausea and light-headedness disappeared. Since then I have used it several times to cure nausea and motion sickness which comes on and off the last few weeks. I also suffer with severe bloating and have noticed that if I drink the tea for at least one week straight, I have little or no bloating. I am glad I came across this website, because I have been trying to understand why -out of the blue – an inner spirit sent me to fetch these leaves from the garden and a quiet voice told me to steep some tea with them – amazing..
I grow a lot of oregano in Florida, I just started drinking the tea, I have mixed with green tea and it really taste good, I am looking forward to the health benefits
wonderful tips
Hi. Can I ask, is oregano safe for babies? I mean mixing milk formula with oregano boiled water for my kids. How about infant? I hope someone will reply this.
Mommy Jhean, when my two babies were born, I boiled oregano leaves, mixed it with their formula. My son benefited the most. He never got sick, sick. He will have a fever one day, the following day, he acts like nothing happened. My daughter had gotten whooping cough when she was 6 months old, (older than my son) took her to the doctor so many times, that I even ended giving her shots. My sister- in law and mother in law, said for me to start mixing their formula with boiled water from oregano. I used it until they stop using formula. I wish I had known this when my daughter was born, I know for sure she would have not gotten a whooping cough.
My Flatulence increased greatly, (foul air) I started ingesting Oregano, instant results, 95% decrease , I’m sold on Oregano, will look 4 the Greek stuff and continue
I have a question, are there any real humans here?
Of course, Keri.Did you have a question?