Marjoram

Marjoram, another member of the Mint Family, can help with diabetes, high blood pressure, other cardiovascular issues, inflammation and so much more!  

Music composed and performed by V. Karaitis

Transcript

Hey!  Thanks for listening!  I’m Chris Wagenti, and this is Who Gets It, Naturally.  Music was composed and performed by V. Karaitis.  I’m not selling anything, diagnosing anything; offering any cures or replacing your doctor.  I’m just sharing my passion for natural products.  If you’re pregnant, please consult your doctor before trying anything new.  Everyone is different so you may need to tweak the recipes a bit to work for you.  Always start with the least amount of essential oils…you can always add, you can’t take away.  Remember, these remedies don’t last forever, you need to reapply as needed.  If you are allergic to any of the ingredients I use, please substitute for something you’re not allergic to.  Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it.

Happy New Year!!!  Wishing everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous 2025!  Apologies.  I kinda blew off Episode 24 of Season 3.  Life has been a bit crazy.  A LOT going on, and lots of discomfort.  When you’re in constant pain, you really don’t feel like doing anything, and no matter how hard you try, it comes through in your voice.  Between the cold air moving in and storms popping up, mostly at night, when the pain is so intense I can’t sleep, it’s been a rough few months.  There’s a new treatment I was introduced to, I’ll get into that in a later episode.  

Before I get into this episode, if you have tried any of the recipes I’ve shared, and/or tweaked them to work better for you, or even created something on your own, please share your findings by sending me an email, or a text – just click the link in an episode description.  I would love to know what’s working, and what changes you’re making to work for you.  Your input could help someone else!

 In the last episode, High Blood Pressure, which ended up being the last episode of Season 3, and 2024, I mentioned an herb called Marjoram.  Marjoram is in the Mint Family.  It’s very close to Oregano, but it’s got a milder scent and flavor.  In fact, people have been confusing the two for centuries.  Sometimes Oregano is referred to as Wild Marjoram and Marjoram is referred to as Sweet Marjoram.  Like Oregano, it grows like a shrub.  This herb is native to the Mediterranean region and cultivated in many areas of Asia, North Africa, and Europe, including, Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Egypt, Poland, and France.  In Germany, Marjoram is known as the sausage herb.  Yes, it’s used in many German sausages.  Britanica, in a video that can be found at www.britannica.com/video/marjoram-relative-oregano-video/-209343, from the transcript, QUOTE:  “Marjoram is mainly used in hearty meals and gives pork, soups and stews an intense, slightly sour taste. It also goes wonderfully with fish and potatoes. To add a sophisticated touch to mashed sweet potato, simply blend it with some fresh marjoram leaves. Marjarom's speciality, however, is flavoring sausages. Whether liver, blood or frying sausage, marjoram is always part of the basic recipe, earning it the nickname sausage herb. 
 Marjoram is one of the oldest herbs used by mankind. For thousands of years, its beneficial effects have been known. The bitter compounds and tannins in its leaves stimulate the metabolism and aid the digestion of fatty foods. Especially for infants, marjoram ointment is a common treatment for flatulence and colds. To concoct the miracle cure, heat some beeswax, add a few drops of marjoram oil and leave the finished mixture to cool off. This effective ointment also eases arthritis pain, promotes skin healing and relieves headaches. 
 Marjoram is probably native to India, from where Arab traders brought the aromatic herb to Europe. Due to its characteristic taste, they admiringly called it marjamie - the matchless one - which is probably the origin of its present name. The ancient Romans also valued its refreshing flavor. In an old Roman cookbook, marjoram is mentioned as one of the 10 most popular culinary herbs.” END QUOTE.  

The video goes on to talk about planting and growing the herb, if you’re interested.  And won’t kill it like I would.  It also offers this bit of trivia:  QUOTE:  “The Romans were especially creative with the spicy herb. Not only did they eat it, they also smoked it and used it to flavor their wine. In ancient Greece, newly weds were presented with fragrant garlands of marjoram to wear around their necks, an aromatic way to say congratulations.”  END QUOTE.  

Even though closely related, when cooking, you don’t want to substitute Oregano for Marjoram, or vice versa.  Oregano is pungent, spicey and slightly bitter, while Marjoram is floral and sweet and more delicate than Oregano, which could end up over powering the taste if substituted for Marjoram.  And in the reverse, Marjoram could end up being too subtle in a dish that calls for Oregano, leaving the dish bland or not as flavorful as it should be.  Like with other herbs, dried Marjoram is more potent than fresh.  Also, if you’re using fresh Marjoram, you’ll want to add it at the end of cooking so the flavor stays potent.  To store fresh Marjoram, wrap it in a wet paper towel and place in an airtight container, or, place some leaves in an ice cube tray, add filtered water & freeze.  When you need fresh herb, remove a cube and let it melt.  Like other herbs, dried Marjoram should be stored in a glass bottle tightly sealed and kept in a cool, dark place. 

Two of the main components of Marjoram are Carvacrol and Thymol.  They should sound familiar.  Carvacrol and Thymol are big in Oregano (Season 3, Episode 20) and are in all Mints (Season 2, Episode 8).

If you want to dig into the science, Science Direct has several articles that can be found at www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/carvacrol.  Photodynamic therapy for cancer: Role of natural products is one of the first articles that comes up.  This article states, QUOTE: 

“Carvacrol is a monoterpenic phenol (Table 4), which is found in essential oils of aromatic plants including genera Origanum and Thymus [136]. It has been demonstrated that carvacrol has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiangiogenic properties so it could be good candidate for cancer therapy [137,138].” END QUOTE 

Natural products in the treatment of pulmonary emphysema: Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action

Is another article, and states, QUOTE:  “Carvacrol, a monoterpenoid phenol, is being used in traditional medicine for numerous purposes such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and treatment of pulmonary inflammatory diseases (Sajed et al., 2013). Toxicological studies on carvacrol do not show any toxic effects of this phytochemical, but rather indicate that this phytochemical has the ability to counteract tissue toxicity (Suntres et al., 2015).” END QUOTE  

It talks about how studies show Carvacrol improved emphysema in guinea pigs.

An article named Natural products for gastric carcinoma prevention and treatment: Focus on their antioxidant stress actions in the Correa's cascade states that, QUOTE: 

“Carvacrol is a monoterpene phenol found in aromatic plants like thyme and oregano (Ahmad et al., 2021). It has been reported to possess various biological and pharmacodynamic properties, including inhibitory effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, microbial growth, and tumors (Arigesavan and Sudhandiran, 2015). In addition, some studies have confirmed that carvacrol can inhibit the growth of gastric cancer tumors and prevent their further deterioration.” END QUOTE.  

Phytochemicals: A potential next generation agent for radioprotection

discusses how Carvacrol can be used as a radioprotective agent, or something that helps protect your body from radiation, like from x-rays.  QUOTE:  “Carvcacol predominantly found in aromatic plants and spices. Owing to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and safety for consumption, the compound is used as a potential radioprotective agent. Interestingly, pretreatment of carvacrol is radioprotetcive against X ray induced cultured human peripheral lymphocytes (Arivalagan et al., 2015). Furthermore, both carvacrol and thymol at a dose of 80 mg are radioprotective in gamma radiation induced ovarian damage and plays a prominent role in counteracting the oxidative stress and cross talk between IGF-1 and TNF-alpha signalling (Mahran et al., 2019).” END QUOTE  Other articles you can find at this site talk about how Carvacrol can inhibit breast cancer, relieve issues caused by diabetes, relieve cancer pain, treat seizures, treat candida and more.

Carvacrol and Thymol have broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects, meaning they combat a bunch of bad stuff.  Some antimicrobials and antivirals combat certain viruses or specific strains of bacteria.  These two fight against a wide variety of bacteria.  They also have antispasmodic, antioxidant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.  The herb has long been used to aid digestive issues and help regulate menstrual cycles and relieve menstrual pain.  

Marjoram Essential Oils has just as many health benefits.  According to Dr. Axe.com, article found at draxe.com/essential-oils/marjoram-essential-oil/, QUOTE:  “According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was a huge fan of this herb, which led to it being used to make love potions. For centuries in kitchens around the world, its uses have been and continue to be wide-ranging.

Whether we’re talking about the fresh or dried version, it can be added to meat and vegetable dishes, salad dressings, and stews.

Marjoram can also be taken orally in a more concentrated medicinal form or used topically and in aromatherapy as an essential oil. The inhalation of marjoram essential oil actually has been shown to calm the nervous system and, in turn, positively impact your cardiovascular system by improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.

It’s been used to treat coughs, runny noses, gallbladder issues, digestive problems, depression, dizziness, migraines, nervous headaches, nerve pain and paralysis as well.”  END QUOTE

Are you starting to see the similarities in different herbs, spices and essential oils?  This is why I say you can make substitutions based on your likes and dislikes.  You may not like Spearmint, but Marjoram may be a mild enough substitute, and you’ll be able to accomplish most of the same things.  It depends on the compounds present in each herb or spice.  They don’t even have to be in the same floral family…which is why I mention some of the major compounds.  The more you hear them, the more you’ll start to recognize them and what they do.  This will help you make your own choices for substitutions, or to create your products!

The Dr. Axe article gives the following as a bit of background:  QUOTE: “Marjoram is a perennial herb originating from the Mediterranean region and a highly concentrated source of health-promoting bioactive compounds.

The ancient Greeks called marjoram “joy of the mountain,” and they commonly used it to create wreaths and garlands for both weddings and funerals.

In ancient Egypt, it was used medicinally for healing and disinfecting. It was also used for food preservation.

During the Middle Ages, European women used the herb in nosegays (small flower bouquets, typically given as gifts). Sweet marjoram was also a popular culinary herb in Europe during the Middle Ages when it was used in cakes, puddings and porridge.

In Spain and Italy, its culinary use dates back to the 1300s. During the Renaissance (1300–1600), it was typically used to flavor eggs, rice, meat and fish. In the 16th century, it was commonly used fresh in salads.

For centuries, both marjoram and oregano have been used to make teas. Oregano is a common marjoram substitute and vice versa because of their likeness, but marjoram has a finer texture and a milder flavor profile.

What we call oregano also goes by “wild marjoram,” and what we call marjoram is commonly called “sweet marjoram.”

As for marjoram essential oil, it’s exactly what it sounds like: the oil from the herb.” END QUOTE

Marjoram Essential Oil has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-anxiety and other properties.  It helps with digestive issues, cardiovascular health, hormonal issues, PMS and it’s used as an expectorant and a diuretic.  It can also help with Type 2 Diabetes management.  

Any time a natural remedy helps alleviate a major health issue, you should check with your health care provider to make sure it won’t clash with any medication you are currently taking.  Since Marjoram can reduce cardiovascular issues, you should be aware of any interference possible with blood thinners or if you have any bleeding disorders.  Also be aware of any clash with medications if you have diabetes, gastrointestinal or urinary tract obstructions, lung conditions such as asthma, ulcer, bradycardia or slow heart rate or seizures.

Marjoram Essential Oil, if therapeutic grade, can be used in the kitchen, diffused, or added to any carrier oil, hand lotion, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.  Not a fan of Oregano?  Try using Marjoram instead.  The possibilities are endless!  

I’m trying my best to keep up with two episodes a month, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be getting them released on the 1st and 16th.  I promise to get as close as I can!  

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