For years, readers have been telling us that they use oil of oregano as an antifungal or antimicrobial agent. Scientists have found data to support this use. For example, oregano oil applied topically can inactivate multidrug-resistant bacteria (Frontiers in Microbiology, Oct. 5, 2018). As a result, researchers are considering its use for biomedical applications (Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, July 22, 2021). The principal constituents of this essential oil are thymol, also found in essential oil of thyme, and carvacrol, also found in thyme and bergamot as well as oregano.
Is Oil of Oregano Contaminated With Lead?
Q. Thank you for alerting your readers to the findings in a Consumer Reports article about high levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium in many major brands of spices. Since all brands of thyme and oregano, spices we use regularly, were contaminated, I wonder about oil of oregano. Our family doctor suggests it to combat colds and infections at times.
I reached out to two brands that make oil of oregano. Impressively, Natural Factors got back to me immediately, detailing extensive testing. But this brand is hard to find, so we have used one from Whole Foods more regularly. I have sent numerous emails and calls to Whole Foods in an attempt to try and get information about any testing the company does on its oil of oregano, as the last thing I want to do is poison my children with heavy metals. They have ignored all my messages, which is incredibly upsetting. Whole Foods and Amazon have tremendous power, and I find it alarming that they can get away with blatantly ignoring concerned customers who are asking important questions.
Quality Control Is Critical!
A. We agree that organizations should answer quality control questions about their products, no matter how much power they have. As we understand it, companies produce oil of oregano by putting the leaves through steam distillation. Distillation removes compounds such as heavy metals. As a result, we think heavy metal contamination of your oil is unlikely. But it surely would be good to confirm that!
