Carvacrol is one of those organic compounds that we can extract from aromatic plants. It’s also one of the main ingredients in some essential oils, especially oregano oil. If you’ve been searching for the health benefits of using essential oils, you might have come across the name of carvacrol. This is because the ingredient is known and used for its beneficial bioactivities and antioxidative properties when consumed.
While carvacrol may not be a common household name just yet, a lot of us are familiar with oregano as a pantry staple. According to research, oregano is much more than just an herb you sprinkle over pizza or pasta; with its active ingredient carvacrol, oregano can actually give us a lot of health benefits. It can protect the liver, act as an antioxidant, and fight off harmful organisms within the body. Here are just a few facts about carvacrol that can help us use it in the best way possible:
1. The Potential to Fight Off Cancer Cells
While a cure for cancer is still in the future, several studies have shown that carvacrol just might be able to speed up the death of cancer cells. It’s been tested on cells of breast cancer and has yielded some promising results. At the same time, it’s a natural ingredient and isn’t toxic. These findings just might lead to some great strides forward in cancer research and treatment.
In fact, carvacrol has also been tested against oral cancer cells, lung cancer cells, and even malignant tumors in the brain. While the findings are heartening, they’re still only explanatory.
2. A Good Cleaner
While many people like to use bleach for properly cleansing their homes, some may want a more natural way to clean their produce. According to at least one study, carvacrol might act much like chlorine dose for cleaning produce such as grape tomatoes. The purpose of this cleaning was to do away with any salmonella traces in the fruit. With the use of carvacrol, the washing solution was able to reduce the salmonella significantly while also retaining the nutritional value, look, taste, and antioxidant content of the grape tomatoes.
It’s not just about cleaning produce either. Carvacrol is also suitable for cleaning surfaces. We can conduct an experiment with various oregano oil concentrations and see how they work on several kinds of services including stainless steel and plastic. Someone has also tested the cleaning results from oregano oil and found that it managed to do away with the Listeria biofilms from different services. This conforms that carvacrol can act as a cleaning agent even outside the body.
3. Might Reduce Swelling and Redness
When we face an injury, redness and swellings usually follow right after. According to some pieces of clinical evidence, we might say that carvacrol would defend the body against painful swellings as well as the redness that occurs alongside it.
The working behind this phenomenon is that carvacrol helps to suppress COX-2 expression. The latter is the main reason why the body experiences redness. Different types of essential oils also have such properties, but oregano oil is the most helpful of the lot in this regard.
4. Can Work Against Damaging Organisms
There are several organisms that can work to damage our bodies if they enter our systems. Just a few of the most harmful organisms include listeria, salmonella, e. Coli, and Campylobacter jejuni. Some strains of salmonella are even resistant to antibiotics now, so we have to look at more effective ways to fight off such damaging elements.
At least one study observed that carvacrol could clear away and eliminate salmonella colonies also immediately on certain surfaces. If used in the right manner, we might soon see carvacrol being used in many ways to keep our food away from the danger of harmful organisms. Again, since this ingredient isn’t toxic and has natural sources, we don’t have to worry about consuming traces of it on our produce.
5. Might Fight Off Candida
Candida albicans is what usually causes yeast infections in many people. These infections may take place in the genital area, the mouth, the digestive tract or anywhere in the body that sustains the fungus. Carvacrol might come to the rescue here yet again. As research shows how this ingredient can be effective in fighting off such infections. If such issues come about, here are the best ways to use oregano oil for candida.
6. Helps to Balance Blood Sugar Levels
A lot of people are suffering from blood sugar issues today, which is why they might be willing to try out carvacrol to attain better health. An herb-based method including carvacrol along with other compounds has been found to be therapeutic for anomalies in blood sugar levels. When this combination was utilized in a few trials, it was noted that blood sugar levels were lowered and more in control without any negative side effects.
7. An Effective Antioxidant
With pollution levels rising in most parts of the world, many of us might have a lot of oxidative stress buildup and free radicals in the body. These leach the strength from our bodies and make us more vulnerable to diseases, illnesses, etc. Oxidative stress could result in the death of body cells and damage to the DNA. It may also contribute to health issues such as certain cancers and arthritis. At the same time, free radicals can cause several chronic health issues such as inflammatory and heart disease, cancers, and cataracts.
To reduce oxidative stress and free radicals, antioxidants like carvacrol can be of great use. While further research is required, we may ask our doctor about trying our safe and regular doses for better health.
8. Other Benefits
Carvacrol is also known to give its users several other benefits in everyday life. If used in the proper way and a safe amount, it might help to relive pain, reduce inflammation, speed up healing of wounds, repel insects, and even assist in natural weight loss.
Forms of Carvacrol
If we want to utilize carvacrol, oregano oil is usually our best bet. This comes in the form of capsules as well as liquid, and can be bought in many stores that sell healthy food. If you can’t find it anywhere in a physical store, an online platform might help.
The capsule form is best for those who don’t like the way oregano tastes. It’s also a convenient form for people who are always on the go. The various forms might be different in terms of strength and potency, so the manufacturer’s guidelines should always be followed. If we’re consulting a doctor in this regard, we should trust them to give us the most effective and safest dose.
Are There Any Risks in Using Carvacrol?
While oregano oil and its ingredient carvacrol are useful for a number of health issues, they should be used with caution. Oregano oil has several compounds within it, with the main and most active one being carvacrol.
This makes the oil a very potent one, so we should use it sparingly and preferably in a diluted form. A carrier oil is usually recommended with essential oils in any case. With oregano oil and carvacrol in particular, it’s best to go ahead after getting guidance from a healthcare practitioner.
If we take the oil orally, there’s a chance of burning some internal tissue. This is why we should always get our carvacrol or oregano oil from a trusted manufacturer and follow the directions on the packaging.
Also, oregano oil is not suitable for minors, infants, pregnant women, lactating women, or diabetic patients. If the benefit is deemed to be more than the potential harm, a doctor may recommend the use of such ingredients in a specific dosage.
We also have to keep in mind that oregano oil might clash with the medications we’re already taking, especially diuretics and lithium. There are also allergies to think about, which is why medical guidance is necessary before using carvacrol or oregano oil in any form.
In any case, overusing oregano oil is never a good idea. Read here about the side effects of using too much oregano oil.
Conclusion
Overall, carvacrol is a potent compound that can help us out with several health problems. However, it should usually be treated as a sort of antimicrobial remedy and not the sole treatment for any issue. Most of the beneficial elements of carvacrol are not set in stone just yet; a lot more research is required here. We can’t ignore the upsides of carvacrol either, though, so it might be a good idea to always have some oregano oil on hand.