Is oil of oregano beneficial for liver health?

Oil of Oregano for Liver Health

There is no evidence from current guidelines to support the use of oil of oregano specifically for liver health, and it should not be recommended for this purpose.

Current Evidence on Liver Health Interventions

The most recent clinical practice guidelines for liver health focus on established interventions rather than herbal supplements like oil of oregano:

Dietary Approaches with Evidence

• The Mediterranean diet is strongly recommended for improving liver health, particularly for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) 1
• This dietary pattern emphasizes:
  • High intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains
  • Olive oil as the main fat source
  • Limited consumption of red meat
  • Avoidance of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages 1

Weight Management

• For patients with MASLD and overweight, guidelines strongly recommend weight loss of:
  • ≥5% to reduce liver fat
  • 7-10% to improve liver inflammation
  • ≥10% to improve fibrosis 1

Physical Activity

• Regular physical activity (>150 min/week of moderate or 75 min/week of vigorous activity) is strongly recommended to reduce liver steatosis 1

Oil of Oregano: Limited Evidence

While some preliminary animal studies suggest potential hepatoprotective effects of oregano oil in specific experimental conditions:

• A 2024 rat study showed that oregano oil may have protective effects against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury, but importantly, high doses (60 mg/kg) showed potential adverse effects on white blood cell and lymphocyte counts 2

• Another study in fish showed oregano oil increased liver glycogen deposition 3

• A study on carvacrol (a component of oregano oil) showed protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat livers 4

Important Limitations and Concerns

1. No human clinical trials: The available studies on oregano oil are limited to animal models and cannot be directly extrapolated to humans

2. Potential dose-dependent toxicity: High doses of oregano oil showed potential immunosuppressive effects in animal studies 2

3. No guideline support: None of the major liver disease guidelines (EASL, AASLD, ESPEN) recommend oregano oil for liver health 1

Recommended Approach for Liver Health

Instead of oregano oil, patients concerned about liver health should be advised to:

1. Follow a Mediterranean dietary pattern 1
2. Limit consumption of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages 1
3. Increase consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish and monounsaturated fats from sources like olive oil 1
4. Increase fiber intake from vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains 1
5. Maintain regular physical activity 1
6. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight 1

Conclusion

While oregano oil has shown some hepatoprotective effects in animal studies, there is insufficient evidence to recommend it for human liver health. Patients should instead focus on evidence-based approaches like the Mediterranean diet, weight management, and regular physical activity, which have strong guideline support for improving liver health outcomes.