Question on Wild Oregano
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Rob
Posted on: October 3, 2000

I’ve recently hear of a product that is made from wild oregano, not the same herb found in your grocery store under the same name, which is actually Mexican sage. The seller of this product claims that it is a cure-all for all types of ailments including allergies. It is from the US and sells for about $30 US for a small bottle. I’m quite skeptical of these products on the market, concerned about side effects, or at least not willing to pay for something that is overpriced.

It is true that much of the dried oregano on the market is the Mexican variety, Lippia graveolens, which we sell as "Mexican oregano." The true Greek variety is one of several Origanum vulgare varieties, including the O. vulgare hirtum which we sell as "Greek oregano". Our Greek oregano comes from the wild originally; we collected seeds from the same wild oregano that is harvested in Greece for the spice trade.

We cannot comment on whether the US $30 is overpriced or not. Essential oils come in a wide range of qualities and it is conceivable that the highest quality oils could indeed cost that much.

I suffer from postnasal drip due to allergies to dust/dust mites. I’ve received 3 years of allergy shots without much good to relieve my symptoms. This product claims that by taking 2 pill twice a day of this wild oregano plus 2 drops of wild oregano extract under the tongue every day, in about a month my symptoms will go away.

Can you confirm whether wild oregano can be helpful and if so, if I were to order some seeds, would I be able to produce a tea with the herb that could help me?

We believe that our Greek oregano is equivalent to the wild oregano that is being promoted. That is not based on trials; it is based only on the fact that our oregano is botanically and chemically similar to the wild oregano of Greece.

We carry a book called "The Cure is in the Cupboard" which was written by the man who is promoting oregano oil as a medicine. It is heavily biased toward Dr. Cass Ingram’s company’s products, but it does have useful information on the medicinal properties of oregano oil. The book is listed in the "Specials" section of the Richters website.

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