Does oregano oil and lemon drink work as a natural antibiotic?

Hyderabad: A post claiming that oregano oil and lemon mixed with water acts as a natural antibiotic. The claim appeared in a Facebook post published on 13 June 2022.

The viral video claims, "If your doctor tells you, you need an antibiotic! This is your nature's antibiotic." It advises people to add a few drops of lemon and four drops of oregano oil in water and sip it.

Oregano oil is a product made from the oregano plant Origanum vulgare. It contains a higher concentration of helpful compounds that occur naturally in the plant.

Can mixing four drops of oregano oil in water act as a good natural antibiotic? Let's find out.

FACT CHECK

Many studies have proven the anti-inflammatory effects of oregano oil, but these studies are mostly done on mice. It has shown its effectiveness on mice but there is visibly less effect on humans.

Moreover, we found that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not listed oregano oil in their FDA-approved drug database to use in place of antibiotics. This clearly indicates that there is no evidence to prove oregano oil can be an effective alternative to antibiotics.

According to Medical News Today, there is a different oregano oil meant for consumption. 'This oil is available to use orally, unlike oregano essential oil, which is much more concentrated and used in aromatherapy. Whether a person applies it topically or takes an oral supplement, oregano oil may be helpful for a range of conditions."

It also warned, "People should not take essential oils by mouth."

Healthline mentioned a study that looked at whether oregano essential oil improved the survival of 14 mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus. The study found "that 43% of the mice given oregano essential oil lived past 30 days, a survival rate nearly as high as the 50% survival rate for mice that received regular antibiotics." Research has also shown that oregano essential oil may be effective against some potentially antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But the article also mentioned that "more human studies on the effects of oregano oil extract are needed as it contains many of the same compounds as oregano essential oil and may offer similar health benefits when used as a supplement."

There is no doubt that oregano oil has antibiotic properties but the claim is false as human trials are still to be conducted to prove oregano oil as a supplement.