Thyme is an aromatic Mediterranean plant used both in cooking and in herbal medicine, Myfarmdubai explains its benefits :
Thyme, from its Latin name Thymus vulgaris, likes the sun, in poor and dry grounds. This honey plant, popular with foraging insects, has a fragrant evergreen.
The thyme forms a low shrub, measuring at most 30 cm high, which can cover the soil in borders, in a rock garden, or in the vegetable patch.
In traditional medicine, thyme is used as an expectorant, cough suppressant in case of respiratory infection, as a calming agent, against stomach aches, gastrointestinal disorders, against hypertension, against microbes and parasites (antiseptic). But what does science say about it?
The molecules present in thyme :
10 g of thyme provide:
16 mg of vitamin C, or 20% of the recommended daily allowance or RDA,
24 µg of vitamin A and provitamin A, or 3% of the RDI,
1.7 mg of iron (12% of the RDI),
0.17 mg manganese (8% of the RDI).
Among the active compounds of thyme essential oil are :
Thymol, which gives the characteristic smell of thyme. Thymol was used in ancient Egypt for the conservation of mummies. Today, it is used in cosmetics, perfumery, but also in disinfectant products (1), carvacrol which is also present in other essential oils such as oregano or bergamot.
Thymol and carvacrol both have antitussive, antioxidant, antimicrobial and expectorant properties.
The benefits of thyme for the respiratory tract.
In Europe, thyme tea has been known for centuries for its coughing effects. The antimicrobial properties of thymol may explain these benefits. For respiratory problems, inhalations are an interesting option.
Some clinical studies seem to confirm these data:
In 2013, a study tested thymol in 18 healthy volunteers (2). Thanks to thymol introduced into the nostrils, the volunteers had less desire to cough.
They also said that their airways seemed less irritated.
In 2006, a German study tested a syrup containing a mixture of thyme and ivy in adults who suffered from bronchitis.
For 11 days, 182 people took the syrup and 179 took a placebo. Results: on days 7 to 9, a reduction in coughing was observed with syrup (on average 68.7%) compared to the placebo group (47.6%).
Thanks to thyme-ivy syrup, half of the participants saw a reduction in coughing two days earlier than with placebo.
Symptoms decreased in both groups, but faster with syrup. Thyme-ivy syrup therefore seems more effective than a placebo in combating the symptoms of bronchitis (3).
For cardiovascular health and For the nervous system :
In traditional Mexican medicine, thyme is used against hypertension. Experiments have shown that administering a thyme extract in rats reduces blood pressure.
For oral health :
There are toothpastes that contain thyme. Thymol is also found in mouthwash solutions due to its antimicrobial properties.
For intestinal health.
In practice :
In the kitchen, thyme will season your meats, fried vegetables, grilled meats, roasts, poultry, tomato sauces ... You will incorporate it in a bouquet garni (with bay leaf) or a marinade. Thyme is used dry or fresh. It can also be drunk as a tea and used to make homemade syrups.
We hope you found this article useful
See you soon