The Odoriferous – and Nutritious – Oregano

How does one determine the most nutritious herb? It’s like trying to determine what’s the best vegetable, the best fruit, or the best exercise: they all have their own pluses that are hard to say are better than the other fruit, vegetable or exercise’s pluses.

But if I had to pick one edible herb, one herb that passes all the aforementioned criteria, oregano is a hard one to beat.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, oregano has more antioxidant activity than the 20 other herbs analyzed, three to 20 times more antioxidant activity depending on the herb. Oregano is so jam packed with antioxidants, that if you were to equal the amount of weight in oregano to the amount of weight in blueberries, oregano would beat out blueberries quite handily; oregano has four times more antioxidants than blueberries on a pound for pound – or in this case, ounce for ounce – basis.

Oregano is also rich in vitamins and minerals – something most people often don’t consider when splashing their sauces with similarly fragrant herbs. Its chockfull of vitamin K (vital for blood clotting and cell damage protection), manganese (maintains normal blood-sugar levels and helps the body absorb other vital nutrients), even iron (though a non-heme source, it helps the muscles store and transport oxygen).

Research from the University of Ogden in Utah indicates that oregano is not only a potent antioxidant and nutrient carrier, it’s also something of a microbial pugilist. Researchers used oregano oil (or Oil of Oregano, to be specific) on a strain of streptococcus and found it to be an effective fighter against the strain that leads to upper respiratory problems like pneumonia. Other findings indicate that when applied to various forms of fungi, oregano can prevent the spread of food borne diseases like E.Coli and salmonella (making oregano the perfect addition to a garden salad or a side vegetable dish, which I’ll address in a moment).

Generally speaking, the only time people consume oregano is when it’s peppered into a marinara sauce topped on pizza, drizzled on pasta or smothered over a mozzarella stick. In short, it’s used with foods that aren’t exactly paragons of nutritious dishes.

That doesn’t have to be.

A healthy dose of oregano goes great on sautéed onions or mushrooms; it makes the rather voiceless and bland baked potato sing; and when a sprig of fresh oregano is added to a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, its intense fragrance infuses the oil itself, making every dish using olive oil come to life.

I also enjoy sprinkling fresh or dried oregano into my tossed salads. Believe it or not, it makes for a great substitute for salt as it’s flavor gives the perk to the salad salty salad dressings typically do (but without the added calories).

There’s so much attention put on consuming enough vegetables and fruits – and rightfully so. But as the aforementioned studies on the high antioxidant activity in oregano and other herbs suggest – other high antioxidant herbs include dill, thyme, rosemary and peppermint – herbs in the diet are just as important in warding off various forms of diseases and maintaining regular bodily functions.