This plant with small flowers looks unassuming that you will not always notice it among the variety of herbs in the Russian open spaces. However, the "shy" is a natural treasure. They knew about the medicinal properties of oregano even in Ancient Greece: healers prepared decoctions from it, tinctures, and used it as compresses against skin inflammations.
Content
Description and photo of oregano
Oregano flowers are small, dark pink in color, form a complex umbrella
Oregano is a perennial that is a shrub or herbaceous plant. The height of an adult specimen ranges from 30 to 90 cm. Its stems are straight, soft, covered with hairs. Oregano is found everywhere: it can be found in meadows, meadows, along roads, even in cemeteries. Flowers exude a wonderful aroma, hence the herb takes its most common name. The plant is found not only in Eurasia, but also in North America.
The herb has other names:
- oregano;
- stuffy;
- perennial incense;
- matryoshka;
- motherboard;
- matserdushka;
- countersink;
- bee-lover;
- woodwind color.
Oregano is popular in many countries of the world, it is used not only as a remedy. The Ukrainians used to fumigate milk pots with this plant, the Poles put oregano in their clothes to protect them from moths, and in the Caucasus, grass is added to culinary products. The plant is included in the State Register of Medicines of the Russian Federation.
Differences from thyme
Oregano has a physical resemblance to thyme, which is why the herbs are often confused.
Thyme has ground-creeping stems and larger pink flowers than oregano
Thyme is a herbaceous plant, it is not a shrub, like oregano, it grows in a different way: it lies on the ground, and the stems are thinner and softer. The flowers are larger and brighter.
Oregano types
There are more than 50 types of oregano, but 4 grows in Russia: common oregano, white oregano, Rainbow, decorative.
Oregano white
White oregano has white flowers that are larger than that of oregano
This variety is added to home remedies.
Rainbow
Rainbow differs from oregano in larger purple flowers
The view is no more than half a meter high, it is used to treat various diseases.
Decorative oregano
Decorative oregano is bred exclusively for decorating flower beds, borders, lawns
The variety is unsuitable for human consumption and is not a medicinal plant, it is intended for domestic use only.
The last three varieties were artificially bred by breeders, only oregano can be found in nature.
Useful properties of oregano
The herb is endowed with many beneficial properties. The following are used to treat various diseases:
- anti-inflammatory;
- antiseptic;
- calming;
- antimicrobial;
- expectorant.
In addition to folk and traditional medicine, the herb is also used in cooking (for example, it is added to ordinary tea, which will give it a unique aroma).
In cosmetology, lotions, masks, etc. are made on the basis of oregano.
Indications for use
Oregano can be used for the following ailments:
- nervous disorders;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- skin diseases;
- lesions of the mucous membranes;
- fungal diseases.
Herbal medicines also help:
- women with gynecological diseases;
- men with prostate cancer;
- children with night fears and enuresis.
For the preparation of medicinal potions, both dry and freshly harvested plants are used.
Contraindications for use
Oregano treatment is not recommended in the following cases:
- during pregnancy, the herb can provoke a miscarriage;
- during the menstrual cycle in women, which increases blood flow;
- in acute diseases of the cardiovascular and digestive systems;
- do not use for men in large quantities, otherwise the production of female hormones begins and libido decreases;
- with diabetes mellitus;
- with allergies;
- with hypotension.
Possible side effects:
- dizziness;
- weakness;
- burning sensation in the stomach;
- allergic reactions;
- nausea;
- vomiting.
The herb is not as harmless as it looks, and while it is not poisonous, certain precautions are worth taking. Treatment also should not be carried away excessively, all funds should be taken only in accordance with the instructions in the recipe. If you want to undergo a course of treatment for oregano, it is imperative to consult a doctor!
Home remedies for women and men
For the preparation of medicines, only the tops of the stems and branches of the plant are collected. The roots and stem of oregano are never used to make medicines.
Water infusion
The plant in the infusion retains all its beneficial properties, since no heat treatment is used during the preparation
The infusion is used cold. It is better to store the product in the refrigerator, but it must be applied within 2 days, otherwise it will already lose its beneficial properties.
Prescription for indigestion
Preparation:
- Mix dried flowers with water at room temperature in a 1: 1 ratio.
- Leave to infuse in a dark place for a week.
Drink a tablespoon of tincture every day or add a few drops to regular tea.
Infusion for the treatment of the nervous system
Preparation:
- Mix a third of a glass of dried herbs and a third of a glass of any dried berries (blueberries, blueberries, etc.).
- Pour the mixture with a glass of water at room temperature and leave for a week.
Eat the finished product in a tablespoon a day or add a few drops to drinks.
The tincture should not be drunk like any other drink, as it turns out to be concentrated.
Alcohol infusion
Alcohol tincture does not harm the body, as many people think, it is very useful.
Preparation:
- Pour 20 g of dried herb oregano with alcohol of at least 70 degrees.
- To stir thoroughly.
- Leave to infuse for a week.
- Avoid exposure to sunlight, shake 2 times a day.
- Strain.
- Store in a dark glass container.
The resulting product is good for rubbing with chronic colds, in the chest area: this is done once a day, at night.
The tincture also helps:
- with female diseases (with a prolonged absence of menstruation, 10 drops of the drug are drunk in the morning and evening, washed down with water);
- with cystitis (25 ml is added to a warm bath, in which you need to lie down for 20 minutes);
- for acute inflammation in the throat (mix part of the tincture with 10 parts of water, rinse in the morning and evening);
- for problems with the thyroid gland (add 10 ml of the product to 500 ml of tea from lungwort or gentian);
- with constipation (take 3 times a day for 1/2 tsp. tincture);
- to relieve toothache (drip a couple of drops on cotton wool and apply to the gum).
Tea
A useful remedy for disorders of the nervous system, insomnia, menopause, colds, prostate diseases in men
Preparation:
- Pour a tablespoon of dry herb with two glasses of boiling water in a teapot, close the lid.
- Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
- Strain through a tea strainer.
Sweeteners can be added if desired: sugar, xylitol. This tea can be given to children if they are afraid of the dark or suffer from bedwetting.
Decoction
Oregano broth can be drunk both cold and hot
Oregano decoction is used to treat skin and colds. The product is suitable for use within 2 days, then a new one must be prepared.
Broth for rubbing with skin problems
The tool helps with problem skin of the face: rosacea, inflammation.
Preparation:
- Pour 3 tablespoons of dried herbs with a liter of water.
- Simmer over a fire for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, let cool.
- Strain and refrigerate.
It is necessary to wash with broth 2 times a day, preferably in the morning and in the evening. To achieve a result, it is better to undergo a course of treatment per month, with a break every 3-4 days.
Decoction for colds
Preparation:
- Pour 2 tablespoons (with top) of dry oregano herb into 250 ml of water.
- Bring to a boil over a fire.
- Remove from stove, cool.
It is better to drink the broth warm, a glass a day, but not hot, otherwise there is a great risk of getting burned. For children, you can add a little berries or sugar.
Butter
Daslo oregano is useful for stomach diseases, skin problems, mucous membranes
Preparation:
- Pour 2 tablespoons of dried herbs into 500 ml of sunflower or olive oil.
- Leave to infuse for a day.
The oil is not used in cooking, as it has a specific unpleasant taste. It is used for medicinal purposes:
- It can be added to baths by 10-15 drops, it has a strengthening effect on scrofulous-rickety children, on adults during the recovery period after a serious illness.
- It is added 3 drops to tea for constipation or diarrhea.
- In case of inflammation on the skin, lubricate the affected areas with a cotton swab 2 times a day.
- For stomatitis, the oil is applied with a cotton swab to problem areas 3 times a day.
The oil is stored in a refrigerator in a tightly closed glass container. Product shelf life: 3 months.
Procurement and storage rules
Collection rules:
- The best time to harvest: May or the end of September, since at this time the grass has a high content of nutrients, it still or does not spend them on flowering.
- Collect in the morning.
- Use scissors or a garden pruner to harvest, as picking the stem off with your hands can cause injury.
- It is imperative to pay attention to the quality of the raw materials, the benefits of the future finished product depend on it: a healthy plant should not have any stains, deposits, edges nibbled by insects.
Procurement rules:
- For drying, a room with good ventilation is suitable, not damp.
- Hang the raw materials in small bunches or spread them on a newspaper (paper, burlap).
- Avoid direct sunlight.
- It is imperative to check the condition of the oregano in the morning and in the evening, to select the rotten or yellowed parts.
- The herb will be ready in 2–3 days.
Storage rules:
- Grind the finished product through a sieve, which will get rid of the hardened parts.
- Store in paper or linen bags, in a cool dry place.
- Shelf life: 5 years.
Reviews
Oregano is my favorite tea since childhood, which is not only very tasty, but also has a bunch of properties that will only give strength to our body. This herb acts as an excellent sedative and sleep-normalizing drug. If you have bronchitis, then this herb will act as an expectorant.
I got acquainted with oregano, or local mother, a long time ago, it was part of homemade broths for gargling, there were inhalations and teas with it, it was even added to baby baths as an antimicrobial agent.It is difficult to overestimate its healing effect on the body - it relieves stomach colic and cramps (the action is akin to no-shpa), helps with gastritis, an excellent diuretic, and noticeable relief with cystitis.
I know oregano since childhood. At home, we brewed tea with oregano, and my mother added flowers and oregano leaves to meat during stewing and other dishes. The dish with oregano turned out to be very aromatic and always made me hungry. The beneficial and medicinal properties of oregano are known to many. We use it for coughs, as an expectorant, for pain in the stomach and intestines.
Oregano benefits
You should never get carried away, otherwise your body can be harmed by such a completely harmless herb as oregano, of course, very useful, but if you know the measure of its use. The plant can be bred independently. It is unpretentious and does not require special growing conditions. But there will always be a useful and necessary medicine next to you!
