Can you believe the season change is already upon us?  Hopefully you are focusing on eating lots of veggies, fruit, and taking immune boosting supplements!  Because dear friends, you want to focus on PREVENTION of the dreadful colds and viruses!  However, life can happen, sickness can happen, so if or when that happens, take a look into these two very powerful herbs that will be highly beneficial in ridding the body of almost any ailment– OREGANO and OLIVE LEAF!

Oregano Oil

We use this popular herb to season our food– especially Italian food. But what about it’s health benefits vs flavor notes? In supplement form, it is common to find it in an oil base, making it concentrated and powerful.  Many people use it as an alternative of an antibiotic because it is a fast acting bacteria fighter without the harshness of a pharmaceutical.  But what makes it more effective than an antibiotic is it is also ANTIVIRAL.  Here’s a breakdown of benefits:

• Powerful antioxidant containing the following polyphenols:
  • Carvacrol- Responsible for stopping the growth of many different types of bacteria, fungus, and viruses
  • Thymol- Also a bacteria fighter and helps support the immune system
  • Rosmarinic acid: A powerful antioxidant that helps protect against damage caused by free radicals
• Helps lower cholesterol and supports a healthy cardiovascular system
• Powerful nutrient to help fight yeast (candida) infections as well as other harmful fungus infections
• Helps minimize inflammation in the body.
• Excellent to relieve sinus infections (the oil is so potent just a couple of drops under the tongue is sure to fire up the sinus cavities to help assist in draining them)
• Has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth and causes cell death in lung, liver and breast cancer cells.
• May help aid in weight loss due to it’s high quantities of carvacrol, which helps minimize the development of fat cells (no wonder it is so popular in Italian food!)
• Can be used topically when diluted with olive oil to help address fungus, rashes, bruises, or other skin ailments.

Olive Leaf Extract

This herbal extract also contains powerful polyphenols (micro-nutrients) that provide many therapeutic properties. Just like olive oil, olive leaf is a powerful antioxidant.  Let’s breakdown some of it’s many known benefits:

• Great for fighting viruses!
• Fantastic for all things heart related because of its antioxidant properties
  • Helps lower blood pressure
  • Supports healthy cholesterol levels
  • Improves blood vessel health in the heart
• Prevents DNA damage (which can occur from bad diet, stress, or dis-ease)
• Has been shown effective in fighting bone cancer cells and helps increase healthy bone cell formation
• Beneficial for diabetes– helps reduce high blood sugar levels
• May help with weight loss– reduces fat cell formation
• Supports healthy cognitive function and can be helpful to prevent the onset of brain degenerative dis-eases such as Alzheimer’s
• Helps minimize inflammation from the body– especially in the eyes, liver and kidneys
• Supports gut health and rids the body of parasites
• Beneficial for fighting many types of bacteria and fungus

As you can see both of these herbs are very useful during cold and flu season because they both address bacteria and viruses!  Try taking a supplement with them coupled together and you reap all the benefits!  Herbs tend to work better together– just like we do.  Do not suffer through your sickness- nip it in the bud with Oregano Oil and Olive Leaf Extract!

As always, do what you feel is best for YOUR body– if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor.  We are health ENTHUSIASTS not licensed practitioners.