Written By Dr. J. Renae Norton

Essential oils are concentrated fragrant liquids derived from plants via steam distillation. They are often named after the plants that they are composed of, while other times they are named for a blend of oils. Essential oils can be used three different ways: 

1. Aromatic – Diffusing in water, a few drops on your hands or fabric to breath in, or just smell it straight from the bottle 

2. Topical – Applied to the skin after diluting in a carrier oil such as coconut oil

3. Internal – They can be taken directly as a drop, mixed in a drink, or put in vegetable capsules. Only ingest essential oils that have been certified as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe). Check out this link to find safe essential oils to take orally. 

One oil in particular that I recommend to everyone is oregano oil. This spicy little oil has been suggested to have several health benefits such as improvement of arthritis, respiratory infections, inflammations, sore throat, and wart removal. After looking into oregano oil for myself I was amazed at the data that supported what I had seen over the years. It is a powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. 

Researchers found that the main component of oregano, carvacrol, is responsible for all of these amazing benefits. Some of the viruses that were found to be combated by oregano oil include: 

• Human Herpesvirus (HHV-1)

• Human Respiratory Syncytial virus (HRSV)

• Human Rotavirus (RV)

Oregano is also a potent antibacterial when it comes to the following:

• Listeria

• E. coli (food poisoning)

• Bacillus cereus (food poisoning)

• Staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis (causes staph infection)

• Enterobacter cloacae (can cause pneumonia, septicaemia, urinary tract and wound infections)

• P. aeruginosa (can cause urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis)

• K. pneumoniae (causes pneumonia)

One study also found that carvacrol (found in oregano oil) has potential in treatment for Covid-19 with its anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. 

My favorite way to take oregano oil if I feel something coming on is to put a couple drops in warm lemon water with a little coconut oil and manuka honey. I use my little hand mixer to froth everything up and mix in the coconut oil as much as possible. 

Stay tuned for more information on the wonders of essential oils in our series – The Power of Essential Oils.