Oregano Oil (Oil of Oregano): Benefits, Dosage & Side Effects

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Crush a sprig of fresh oregano between your fingers and the scent hits right away, sharp, warm and almost peppery. That aroma comes from carvacrol and thymol, the herb's aromatic phenols, and distilling the leaves and flowering tops concentrates them into oregano oil, where together they make up most of what's in the bottle.1

That concentration is what makes oil of oregano a medicine. It has been tested on gut parasites, SIBO, skin tags, sore throats and stubborn yeast, and the herb behind it was already treating infected skin and wounds in ancient Greece.1

When I rank essential oils for a parasite cleanse, oil of oregano comes first, and it sits in three of my healing protocols: for parasites, Candida and SIBO.1181213 It's strong medicine, so I recommend it only in short courses.91114

Did you know?

• Oregano oil is a food flavoring as well as a remedy: the flavor industry's expert panel affirms origanum oil, the carvacrol-rich oil of Spanish oregano, as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in foods.15

• In mice with a body-wide Candida infection, oregano oil by mouth for 30 days kept 80% alive, while every mouse given only the olive oil it was mixed in died within 10 days.3

• In lab tests, oregano oil and its main compound, carvacrol, each cut the infectivity of murine norovirus, a stand-in for the human stomach virus, by about 90% within 15 minutes, and carvacrol went on to break open the virus's protein shell, cutting its infectivity by up to 99.99% within 1 hour.16

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What is oregano oil?

No two bottles are exactly alike. Oregano grows in chemotypes, plants whose oil leans toward either carvacrol or thymol, and carvacrol-type oils are simpler blends, richer in carvacrol.17 In one Origanum vulgare oil tested for safety in rats, carvacrol made up 55.82% and thymol 5.14%.18 That's why a stated carvacrol percentage on the label is worth looking for.

A short history of oregano oil

Oregano has been used as medicine since ancient Greece, where it went on contaminated skin and wounds, and it has long been used to keep food from spoiling.1 Folk healers gave it a long list of jobs: settling the stomach and easing gas, loosening a cough as an expectorant, and bringing on menstruation. They gave it as teas and tinctures for indigestion, diarrhea, cough and bronchitis, and rubbed it on as ointments for wounds.1 The distilled oil is the newer, concentrated form of that same herb.

Oregano in traditional Chinese medicine {#tcm}

Chinese medicine sorts colds and flus into hot and cold patterns, and oregano is a remedy for the cold kind. It's very warming, and it's very good for damp coldness, a chilled, congested cold.19 Oregano is one of my top six warming herbs for a cold or flu when your body runs cold, along with ginger, cinnamon, garlic, cayenne and horseradish.19

What is oregano oil good for?

How oregano oil works in your body

Most of what's known about how oregano oil works comes from lab studies of bacteria:

Its reach goes beyond bacteria. In lab tests, oregano oil also stopped Candida yeast from growing and from switching into its thread-like form.3

Oregano oil benefits, ranked by evidence

Ranked by evidence, oregano oil does the most for SIBO and sore throats, each as part of a blend, with encouraging results for gut parasites, breathing and skin tags.

Does oregano oil kill parasites?

I've called oil of oregano one of the greatest natural antibiotics of all time, and a natural antiparasitic too.30 It acts like a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, killing bad bacteria and fungi, including the Candida yeast that often thrives alongside parasites.31 It's number four of the eight herbs I rank in my Heal From Parasites Protocol, at 200 to 600 mg a day, after wormwood, black walnut and cloves.8

The herbs come in the kill phase, the third of the protocol's four phases, which runs about 14 days, after you've prepared your body and opened your detox pathways and before you bind what's left.8 Before any of that, find out whether you have a parasite. As I've put it, "If you don't have a parasite, you shouldn't necessarily do a parasite cleanse."31

The human study tested the oil by itself. Fourteen adults whose stool tested positive for Blastocystis hominis, Entamoeba hartmanni or Endolimax nana took 600 mg a day of emulsified oil of Mediterranean oregano for 6 weeks. Entamoeba hartmanni disappeared in all 4 people who had it and Endolimax nana in the 1 who had it. Blastocystis disappeared in 8 of the 11 people who carried it and dropped in the other 3, and stomach and gut symptoms improved in 7 of those 11.5 The study had no comparison group, and one of the researchers worked for a supplement maker.5

The lab work points the same way. Essential oil of Origanum virens, a subspecies of oregano, slowed the growth of Giardia lamblia, kept it from attaching to surfaces, and killed almost half of the parasites over time, without harming mammalian cells.4

Does oregano oil help SIBO and candida?

SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, means too many bacteria have settled in the small intestine, driving bloating, gas, pain and irregular bowel habits.33 In my SIBO Protocol, berberine is my first-line antimicrobial and oregano oil is the second, 200 mg twice a day, used especially for hydrogen-type overgrowth.13 The protocol uses two antimicrobials at a time and rotates them at week 3,13 and an emulsified or time-release form helps the oil reach the small intestine.33

The largest human study comes from Johns Hopkins. In a review of the charts of 104 adults with newly diagnosed SIBO, patients chose either rifaximin, 1,200 mg a day, or herbal antimicrobials, 2 capsules twice a day, for 4 weeks. One of the two herbal regimens paired oregano oil with red thyme oil, sage and lemon balm, alongside a berberine-based blend; the other used thyme, wormwood, olive leaf and other herbs. On the follow-up breath test, SIBO had cleared in 17 of 37 people on herbs (46%) and 23 of 67 on rifaximin (34%), similar results; the difference wasn't statistically significant.6

The herbs also helped people the drug hadn't. Of the 14 people who didn't clear on rifaximin and then took the herbal regimen, 8 cleared (57%), about the same as the 6 of 10 (60%) who took a combination of three antibiotics.6 Side effects were reported less often on the herbs: one case of diarrhea, against one case of anaphylaxis, two of hives, two of diarrhea and one C. difficile infection on rifaximin, a difference that wasn't statistically significant.6

For Candida, oregano oil is second of the eight antifungals in my Candida Cleanse Protocol, at 200 to 400 mg twice a day.12 It goes in the kill phase, after you've starved the yeast of sugar with the candida diet and opened your drainage pathways, and before you rebuild the gut.12 In lab tests, oregano oil at 0.25 mg/mL completely stopped Candida albicans from growing, and in the mouse study described above it protected against a body-wide infection.3 In immune-suppressed rats with oral thrush, carvacrol cut Candida counts over 8 days about as well as the antifungal drug nystatin, and under the microscope the carvacrol-treated tongues showed no yeast threads, while threads remained in the folds of the nystatin-treated tongues.28

For what to expect as the yeast clears, see candida die-off.

Is oregano oil a natural antibiotic?

In people, oregano's record against infection comes from wound care, in a trial of an ointment made from the herb's water-soluble extract, with the essential oil removed. In that randomized trial of 40 patients after skin surgery, in which neither the patients nor the researchers knew who got what, the 3% extract ointment was compared with petroleum jelly. On day 12, Staphylococcus aureus grew in 19% of cultures from the oregano group and 41% from the petroleum jelly group, and 1 patient on oregano developed a skin infection, against 3 on petroleum jelly. Scar color, pigmentation and pliability were also better with oregano, and overall scar appearance was similar.25

The lab research is broad. Oregano oil killed 11 multidrug-resistant strains taken from wounded patients, including 4 MRSA strains, cleared the biofilms of every strain tested, and in mice with infected burns it cut the bacterial load by about 99.9% within an hour, with no skin damage after three daily applications.22 Representative strains grown with small amounts of the oil for 20 rounds in a row didn't become resistant to it.22 Oregano oil also killed staph, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and the stomach bacterium H. pylori in lab tests,34 carvacrol worked against H. pylori and its biofilm alone and alongside amoxicillin,35 and carvacrol-rich oregano oil blocked biofilm formation by the E. coli strains that cause urinary tract infections.36

That lab record fits oregano's long reputation for fighting infection. For more oils with this kind of action, see antibacterial essential oils. Signs that an infection needs medical care right away are in who should be careful.

Does oregano oil help colds and sore throats?

The trial ran in six family clinics in Israel. Adults with a sore throat, hoarseness or cough used a spray of lemon eucalyptus, eucalyptus, peppermint, Syrian oregano and rosemary oils, or a placebo spray, 4 sprays 5 times a day for 3 days, and neither the patients nor the researchers knew who got what. Twenty minutes after spraying, the worst symptom had improved in 19 of 26 people on the oils (73.1%) and 14 of 34 on placebo (41.2%). After 3 days, both groups had improved, 72.0% and 58.8%, and that difference was too small to rule out chance. Side effects were mild and similar in both groups.20

For viral infections, I consider oregano oil one of the best oils out there.19 So far, the research behind it is lab work, led by the norovirus findings at the top of this page.16 For more options, see essential oils for colds, essential oils for sore throat and antiviral herbs.

Carvacrol and breathing

Oregano oil's main compound has its own human trials, all from one research group in Iran, testing carvacrol capsules rather than the oil. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 40 adults with asthma, split into four groups, 10 took carvacrol, 1.2 mg per kilogram of body weight a day, and 10 took placebo for 2 months, on top of their usual medicines; the other 20 took one of two doses of a related herb. Lung function (FEV1, how much air you can blow out in one second) rose 19.21% on carvacrol and fell 12.98% on placebo, and wheezing during the day and with exercise eased.23

In a second trial of 33 adults with moderate asthma, the same dose for 2 months improved symptoms, lung function and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation from where people started, while the placebo group didn't change.24 In a placebo-controlled trial of 21 veterans with lung damage from mustard gas, carvacrol raised lung function and eased wheeze and cough.26 If you have asthma, see essential oils for asthma, and keep your prescribed inhalers in place.

Can oregano oil help your skin, nails and warts?

On the skin, oregano oil has been tested in people for shrinking skin tags. In 20 people with skin tags, a gel with 5% oregano essential oil, applied twice a day, cut the number of tags on the treated area by 20% to 30% in a month and by about 50% in 2 months; the tags dried and shrank, with fewer blood vessels inside them. The study had no comparison group, and skin redness rose during treatment.21 In human skin cells in the lab, oregano oil lowered inflammatory markers and sped the closing of a scratch wound.37

For toenail fungus and other external infections, The Biblio Diet, which I wrote with Jordan Rubin, gives 2 to 3 diluted drops on the affected area, and it lists warts as one of oregano oil's more common uses, diluted with a carrier oil or mixed with clay.7 For a blend, mix 2 to 3 drops into a teaspoon of a carrier oil like coconut oil, about a 2% to 3% dilution, the same dilution I give for hyssop oil.1110

• Toenail fungus: brush the blend onto the nail and the skin around it up to twice a day. For your feet and shoes, there's also this homemade antifungal powder.
• Warts and skin tags: dab the blend on the spot only, up to twice a day, the schedule in the skin-tag study.21 See how to get rid of warts and how to remove skin tags.

Test the blend on a small patch of skin for a day first, and wash it off at any burning, redness or rash.

How to take oregano oil

As I've said on my show, "Oil of oregano is a form of medicine. It's strong, so you could take enough of it to damage your body."14 In Ancient Remedies I wrote, "Don't take oregano oil orally for more than fourteen days in a row."9 Ten days is a typical course, and then you cycle off.7 The reason for the limit is your gut lining: taken internally for too long, strong oils like oregano can make the lining of your stomach sensitive.11 Lab work on intestinal cells fits that caution: above very small concentrations, the oil loosened the barrier between the cells within an hour.17

A few guidelines make the course work better:

• Always dilute it. Oil and water don't mix, so drops added to water float as concentrated oil, and undiluted drops can irritate your mouth and throat. Take the drops in a spoonful of raw honey or a teaspoon of carrier oil, with a meal.
• Protect your good bacteria. Oils like oregano and clove kill a lot of parasites and bad bacteria, and they can kill some good bacteria too, so load up on probiotics during a course, taking them a few hours apart from the oil.11
• Rest between courses. After a course of 10 to 14 days, take some time off before you start another, and run courses in a cycle rather than back to back.38
• Know your stop signs. Stop at any mouth or stomach irritation, dizziness or nausea.

The parasite study above ran 6 weeks at 600 mg a day;5 on your own, stay with the shorter course.

How to choose an oregano oil

Look for these on the label and from the seller:

• Origanum vulgare on the label, the oregano species in the parasite and safety studies539

• A stated carvacrol percentage, since carvacrol-type oils carry the most carvacrol17

• Labeled for internal use if you'll take it by mouth11

• One ingredient, 100% pure for drops, organic if it's available

• A bovine, fish or plant-based capsule shell for softgels and capsules, never pork gelatin

• An emulsified or time-release form for SIBO, which helps the oil reach the small intestine33

• Amber glass, stored somewhere cool with the cap on tight

Oregano oil side effects & who should be careful

The safety record behind the oil is reassuring. Rats given oregano essential oil by mouth every day for 90 days, at up to 200 mg per kilogram of body weight, showed no harmful effects on their blood, organs or tissues, and no damage to their DNA.3918 In a month-long safety study in healthy adults, carvacrol capsules were well tolerated and lab values stayed within normal ranges.27 In the SIBO review, only one case of diarrhea was reported among the people on the herbal protocol.6

With inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis, major leaky gut or a sensitive gut, or major liver issues, you're better off skipping essential oils by mouth.11

Allergy is possible because oregano belongs to the mint family. In one documented case, a person had three body-wide allergic reactions after eating oregano and thyme, and testing showed sensitivity across the mint family.40 In 180 people tested for a suspected pollen allergy, those allergic to birch, mugwort or grass pollen were more likely to react to common herbs on skin-prick tests, oregano among them.41 If either describes you, follow the allergy guidance in the box below before you use any oregano oil.

Oregano also affects how your body handles a few medicines and minerals. In one documented case, a 77-year-old woman on a warfarin-type blood thinner, whose INR (the clotting test that tracks these drugs) had held in her target range of 2 to 3 for 4 years, reached 6.42 after a week of drinking a cup of oregano tea a day, with verbena tea now and then. Her INR came back into range once her blood thinner was briefly paused and then restarted without the tea.42 In platelet tests, carvacrol had a mild antiplatelet effect, making platelets less prone to clumping.43 Separately, in a study that measured iron absorption from test meals, oregano reduced how much non-heme iron (the kind in plants and supplements) people absorbed, much as tea does; the oil itself hasn't been tested for this.44

If you take oregano oil alongside any of these, here's what to do:

See natural blood thinners for other foods and herbs with this effect, and iron-rich foods if your iron runs low.

The bottom line

Oregano oil: frequently asked questions

References

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2. Lambert RJ, Skandamis PN, Coote PJ, et al. A study of the minimum inhibitory concentration and mode of action of oregano essential oil, thymol and carvacrol. J Appl Microbiol. 2001;91(3):453-62. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2672.2001.01428.x
3. Manohar V, Ingram C, Gray J, et al. Antifungal activities of origanum oil against Candida albicans. Mol Cell Biochem. 2001;228(1-2):111-7. doi:10.1023/a:1013311632207
4. Machado M, Dinis AM, Salgueiro L, et al. Anti-Giardia activity of phenolic-rich essential oils: effects of Thymbra capitata, Origanum virens, Thymus zygis subsp. sylvestris, and Lippia graveolens on trophozoites growth, viability, adherence, and ultrastructure. Parasitol Res. 2010;106(5):1205-15. doi:10.1007/s00436-010-1800-7
5. Force M, Sparks WS, Ronzio RA. Inhibition of enteric parasites by emulsified oil of oregano in vivo. Phytother Res. 2000;14(3):213-4. doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(200005)14:3<213::aid-ptr583>3.0.co;2-u
6. Chedid V, Dhalla S, Clarke JO, et al. Herbal therapy is equivalent to rifaximin for the treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Glob Adv Health Med. 2014;3(3):16-24. doi:10.7453/gahmj.2014.019
7. Rubin J, Axe J. The Biblio Diet. Apiary (Hachette Book Group); 2025 ("The Healing Properties of Essential Oils," "Our Top Twelve in Detail": Oregano/oil of Oregano).
8. Axe J. Heal From Parasites Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2025 (Top 8 antiparasitic herbs table: oregano oil 200-600 mg daily; Phase 3 Kill, days 14-28).
9. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark (Hachette Book Group); 2021 ("The Power of Essential Oils": oregano entry and precautions, pp. 148-149).
10. Axe J. Hyssop Oil: Benefits, Uses, Dosage & Safety. DrAxe.com. 2026 ("mix 2–3 drops into a teaspoon of carrier oil").
11. Axe J. Parasite Cleanse: The Best Essential Oils. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2017 (Dr. Axe speaking; YouTube at 1:12-2:19, 2:46-3:33 and 6:13-6:43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDYTUnzP97Q).
12. Axe J. The Candida Cleanse Protocol: The 30-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026 (p. 15 roadmap; p. 20 Top 8 antifungals: oregano oil 200-400 mg twice daily; p. 26 FAQ on pregnancy, children and prescriptions).
13. Axe J. SIBO Protocol: The 60-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com. 2026 (p. 15 roadmap; p. 17 Clear phase; p. 20 Top 8 SIBO remedies: oregano oil 200 mg twice daily; rotate at week 3).
14. Axe J. The Antibiotic Lie and Natural Alternatives. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe speaking; YouTube at 29:14-31:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB25F_7pulk).
15. Cohen SM, Eisenbrand G, Fukushima S, et al. FEMA GRAS assessment of natural flavor complexes: Origanum oil, thyme oil and related phenol derivative-containing flavoring ingredients. Food Chem Toxicol. 2021;155:112378. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2021.112378
16. Gilling DH, Kitajima M, Torrey JR, et al. Antiviral efficacy and mechanisms of action of oregano essential oil and its primary component carvacrol against murine norovirus. J Appl Microbiol. 2014;116(5):1149-63. doi:10.1111/jam.12453
17. Zinno P, Guantario B, Lombardi G, et al. Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Origanum vulgare Genotypes Belonging to the Carvacrol and Thymol Chemotypes. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(6):1344. doi:10.3390/plants12061344
18. Llana-Ruiz-Cabello M, Puerto M, Maisanaba S, et al. Use of micronucleus and comet assay to evaluate evaluate the genotoxicity of oregano essential oil (Origanum vulgare l. Virens) in rats orally exposed for 90 days. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2018;81(12):525-533. doi:10.1080/15287394.2018.1447522
19. Axe J. How to Prevent & Heal Cold & Flu Naturally (Foods, Supplements, & Herbs for Rapid Recovery). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe speaking; YouTube at 2:15-2:36, 19:28-20:25 and 23:23-23:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw-cciZ5TTY).
20. Ben-Arye E, Dudai N, Eini A, et al. Treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in primary care: a randomized study using aromatic herbs. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:690346. doi:10.1155/2011/690346
21. Bora L, Iftode A, Muț AM, et al. Stability Profile and Clinical Evaluation of an Innovative Hydrogel Containing Polymeric Micelles as Drug Delivery Systems with Oregano Essential Oil against Fibroepithelial Polyps. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023;16(7):980. doi:10.3390/ph16070980
22. Lu M, Dai T, Murray CK, et al. Bactericidal Property of Oregano Oil Against Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Isolates. Front Microbiol. 2018;9:2329. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2018.02329
23. Alavinezhad A, Hedayati M, Boskabady MH. The effect of Zataria multiflora and carvacrol on wheezing, FEV1 and plasma levels of nitrite in asthmatic patients. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2017;7(6):531-541.
24. Ghorani V, Alavinezhad A, Rajabi O, et al. Carvacrol improves pulmonary function tests, oxidant/antioxidant parameters and cytokine levels in asthmatic patients: A randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2021;85:153539. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153539
25. Ragi J, Pappert A, Rao B, et al. Oregano extract ointment for wound healing: a randomized, double-blind, petrolatum-controlled study evaluating efficacy. J Drugs Dermatol. 2011;10(10):1168-72.
26. Khazdair MR, Boskabady MH. The effect of carvacrol on inflammatory mediators and respiratory symptoms in veterans exposed to sulfur mustard, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Respir Med. 2019;150:21-29. doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2019.01.020
27. Ghorani V, Alavinezhad A, Rajabi O, et al. Safety and tolerability of carvacrol in healthy subjects: a phase I clinical study. Drug Chem Toxicol. 2021;44(2):177-189. doi:10.1080/01480545.2018.1538233
28. Chami N, Chami F, Bennis S, et al. Antifungal treatment with carvacrol and eugenol of oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats. Braz J Infect Dis. 2004;8(3):217-26. doi:10.1590/s1413-86702004000300005
29. Ultee A, Kets EP, Smid EJ. Mechanisms of action of carvacrol on the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999;65(10):4606-10. doi:10.1128/AEM.65.10.4606-4610.1999
30. Axe J. Signs That You Have a PARASITE (How to Cleanse Naturally) | The Worm Queen. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe speaking; YouTube at 26:52-27:13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVkbT32f8sQ).
31. Axe J. 60 Million Americans Have This Hidden Infection Right Now. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. May 18, 2026 (Dr. Axe speaking; YouTube upload "Parasite Infections Are Worse Than You Think | Dr. Josh Axe" at 33:56-34:13 and 45:22-45:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvOBcpB_Jkg).
32. Bass J, Filippov E, Kubofcik J, et al. How High is Too High? The Diagnostic Value of Absolute Eosinophil Count in Excluding Parasitic Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2026:ciag513. doi:10.1093/cid/ciag513
33. Axe J. SIBO: Symptoms, Causes, Diet, Tests & Treatment. DrAxe.com. 2026 (remedies section: oregano oil, emulsified or time-release form).
34. Preuss HG, Echard B, Enig M, et al. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of herbal essential oils and monolaurin for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Mol Cell Biochem. 2005;272(1-2):29-34. doi:10.1007/s11010-005-6604-1
35. Puca V, Turacchio G, Marinacci B, et al. Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Carvacrol, Amoxicillin and Salicylhydroxamic Acid Alone and in Combination vs. Helicobacter pylori: Towards a New Multi-Targeted Therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(5):4455. doi:10.3390/ijms24054455
36. Lee JH, Kim YG, Lee J. Carvacrol-rich oregano oil and thymol-rich thyme red oil inhibit biofilm formation and the virulence of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. J Appl Microbiol. 2017;123(6):1420-1428. doi:10.1111/jam.13602
37. Avola R, Granata G, Geraci C, et al. Oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) essential oil provides anti-inflammatory activity and facilitates wound healing in a human keratinocytes cell model. Food Chem Toxicol. 2020;144:111586. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2020.111586
38. Axe J, Rubin J. 10 Keys to Conquer Candida. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2017 (Dr. Axe speaking at 22:45-23:13; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNXq70HyGO4).
39. Llana-Ruiz-Cabello M, Maisanaba S, Puerto M, et al. A subchronic 90-day oral toxicity study of Origanum vulgare essential oil in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017;101:36-47. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2017.01.001
40. Benito M, Jorro G, Morales C, et al. Labiatae allergy: systemic reactions due to ingestion of oregano and thyme. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1996;76(5):416-8. doi:10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63456-4
41. Wagner W, Buczyłko K, Wagner A, et al. Higher Risk for Sensitization to Commonly Consumed Herbs among Adults and Youngsters Suffering from Birch, Mugwort or Grass Pollinosis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;20(1):33. doi:10.3390/ijerph20010033
42. Beghriche I, Belhachem A, Hamidene I, et al. [Origanum vulgare and hemorrhagic risk, about a case]. Ann Cardiol Angeiol (Paris). 2025;74(1):101856. doi:10.1016/j.ancard.2024.101856
43. Karkabounas S, Kostoula OK, Daskalou T, et al. Anticarcinogenic and antiplatelet effects of carvacrol. Exp Oncol. 2006;28(2):121-5.
44. Brune M, Rossander L, Hallberg L. Iron absorption and phenolic compounds: importance of different phenolic structures. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1989;43(8):547-57.

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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