OREGANO is the Highest Known Source of Antioxidants

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have determined that herbs are higher in antioxidant levels than fruits, vegetables and even spices such as garlic. Shiow Y. Wang, a biochemist at the USDA's Beltsville Agricultural Center in Beltsville, Maryland, stated in the November issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that the herb "oregano had 3 to 20 times higher antioxidant activity than the other herbs studied."' Additionally, oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 30 times more than potatoes, 12 times more than oranges and 4 times more than blueberries Additionally, recent ORAC testing, which demonstrates the scavenging capacity of antioxidants against free radicals, conducted by Brunswick Laboratories found that oil of oregano has the highest known level of antioxidant activity (please see chart on reverse). This is an amazing discovery when considering the health benefits derived from consuming herbs like oregano.

So what does this all mean for the general public? Antioxidants have become a synonym for good health in recent years. This is because antioxidants are a class of components that fight off the charged molecules known as free radicals that cause chemical damage in the human body. Free radicals are known to be produced by pesticides, smoking and exhaust fumes. According to researchers at the USDA the destruction of free radicals "may help fight the occurrence of heart disease and stroke."3

But the benefits of a diet rich in herbs does not end there. In addition, according to Dr. Wang, herbs are an "easy way to get a concentrated source of antioxidants-without all the extra calories of whole foods."4 This is potentially crucial for people that have calorierestricted diets or cannot eat many types of fruit due to the high natural sugar content (such as diabetics). Overall, it is increasingly emerging that the natural wonders of the herb oregano may be the answer to fighting off free radicals and helping everyone lead a healthier, and consequently happier, life.

North American Herb and Spice has introduced the world to Oreganol P73 and Oregacyn P73: the most concentrated and effective source of antioxidants, period. The proven abilities of oregano's antimicrobial properties have been extensively published. The recent discovery that oregano has the highest level of antioxidants further adds to its preeminence in the field of natural medicine. These critical revelations have led Dr. Cass Ingram, Medical Researcher for NAHS, to the pose the question, "If Oreganol P73 and Oregacyn P73 can be proven by the U.S. Government to kill bacteria, fungi and viruses equally as well in humans as they have in laboratory studies, wouldn't this be a monumental accomplishment for mankind?"

These findings are supported by extensive research at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington D.C., Cornell University,' the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Food Safety Initiative, which is jointly funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station.6

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry states in their research that "oregano is 3 to 20 times higher in antioxidant activity than any other herb." In Brunswick Laboratories ORAC testing, oil of oregano rated 3,040. Blueberry ranked 32.

Lipophilic ORAC Value per Gram
Beta Carotene…………………………..190
Vitamin E……………………………..1700
Vitamin A……….…………………….2800
Oil of Cumin…………………………..2818
Oil of Oregano P73……………………3040