Thyme is an important herb belongs to mint family. Leaves, flowers and essential oil of thyme are extensively used for various medicinal purposes

Some important information regarding thyme

• It has been traditionally used by ancient Egyptians as an embalming fluid
• It has been also used by Romans as a flavouring agent and widely used to flavor alcoholic beverages as well as cheese
• Hippocrates also known as “the father of Western medicine,” recommended thyme as an important remedial action for respiratory disorders
• It has a distinctive taste

Biological activity                       

Antioxidant activity

• It is packed with micronutrients and phytonutrients that act as potent antioxidant and help to protect the body from oxidative damages
• It plays vital role in neutralizing free radicals thus helps in reducing oxidative stress

Antimicrobial activity

• It exerts potent antimicrobial activity that helps to prevent the growth of microbes within host as a result helps in lowering the risk of developing infectious diseases

• It has seen that it is extremely effective against 60 different strains of bacteria especially Enterococcus, Staphylococcus and Escherichia
• It is very effective against fungus as well. It significantly improves the symptom of yeast infections caused by Candida albicans

Anti-carcinogenic activity

• It plays significant role in reducing the prevalence of cancers by exhibiting powerful anti-carcinogenic activity
• It is closely related with inducing apoptosis and thus helps in hindering the growth of malignant cells
• It helps to prevent metastasis as well
• It is extremely effective for reducing the prevalence of breast and colon cancers

Hypotensive activity

• Individual suffer from hypertension should include thyme in their diet as it helps to prevent hypertension and also aids in maintaining a healthy blood pressure
• It is also associated with decreasing heart rate
• It helps in vaso-dilation and also promotes circulation, which are thought to be the most important hypotensive features of thyme

Health benefits

Role on immunity

• Consumption of thyme is very effective for boosting up the overall immune system of the body as it is packed with various immune supportive nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin A, phytonutrients and many others
• It helps in stimulating the synthesis of WBC, which ultimately makes the body able to fight against infections

• Whereas it also helps in promoting the activity of immune cells by protecting them from oxidative damages as a result helps to improve our resistance power
• Consumption of thyme is really very useful for preventing common cold and flu
• It is better to include thyme-infused meal at least once in a day in order to lessen the susceptibility of becoming ill as it plays vital role in strengthening our defense mechanism

Role on digestive health

• It is very useful for promoting the overall health of digestive system
• It plays important role in treating upset stomachs
• It also helps to decrease the susceptibility of developing gastrointestinal infectious diseases by combating intestinal parasites as a result promotes a healthy digestive tract
• It is also very effective for preventing abdominal muscle cramping

Role on respiratory health

• Thyme has been traditionally used as an imperative preventive measure for respiratory illness
• It acts as an important expectorant, which ultimately helps to decrease the prevalence of acute and chronic respiratory diseases
• It helps to prevent the inflammation of air way thus helps in treating asthma
• It helps to improve the symptoms of acute bronchitis as well
• It is widely used as an important remedy for coughing too
• It is very effective for getting rid of mucous and blockages along the air way

Role on mental health

• Carvacrol is an important component of thyme helps in combating stress thus consumption of thyme is thought to be very effective for promoting mental health as well as mind
• It gives our mood a boost
• One can maximize the anti-stress benefits of thyme by drinking fresh thyme tea or by surrounding themselves with the soothing aroma of thyme essential oil

Role on muscular health

• It plays vital role in preventing muscle spasm by exerting potent anti-inflammatory activity
• It helps in relaxing and soothing tight muscles
• It helps to prevent muscle ache as well
• It is better to apply the oil of thyme plant on spasm, which ultumately helps to provide quick relief

Role on oral health

• Thyme has been extensively used for promoting oral health and hygiene
• It has seen that it helps to destroy various microbes, which are responsible for oral infections
• It also helps in preventing bad mouth odour
• It is better to extract the oil from thyme plant and store it safely within a glass vial and sprinkle the oil on the tooth paste before brushing the teeth. This practice significantly improve the overall oral health

Role on circulation

• One can improve their circulation in many folds by simply consuming thyme
• Thyme contains adequate amount of iron that helps to stimulate the production of RBC and hemoglobin that ensures healthy circulation
• Healthy circulation is directly linked with promoting overall well being as it helps to promote the supply of oxygen, nutrients and various other important substances throughout the body and thus helps the body to function properly
• One can get the maximum circulation benefit of thyme by engaging themselves in physical activities as it helps to keep proper blood flowing throughout the body

Role on wound healing

• As mentioned above thyme has powerful antimicrobial activity thus uses of thyme extract on wounded area is thought to be extremely effective for disinfecting the wounds and abrasions
• It helps to prevent infections from starting as well as from spreading at the site of wound

Role on skin

• Thyme has been widely used as an imperative remedial action for dermal disorders
• Its antimicrobial activity plays vital role in decreasing the susceptibility of developing skin infections
• Its antifungal as well as antibacterial activity makes it a supper therapeutic substance for eczema and acne
• It is also associated with providing a pimple free skin

• Its antioxidant activity plays vital role in protecting the skin from free radical induced oxidative damages, which is also considered as one of the important remedial actions for dermal disorders
• It helps to prevent premature aging as well

Therapeutic uses

It has been traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes, which include –

• It is widely used as an important anti-inflammatory substance as it helps in preventing inflammation
• It helps in decreasing the susceptibility of eye infections
• Its Vitamin C content helps in promoting the health and functionality of connective tissue
• It helps to improve the symptoms of sore throat as well
• It plays significant role in preventing menstrual cramp
• It is very effective for preventing food from spoiling as a result decreases the susceptibility of developing food borne bacterial infections
• It helps in preventing dizziness as well
• It is also very effective for improving the symptoms of dyspraxia or movement disorders

General consideration of using thyme

• Leaves of thyme can be used for preparing tea
• Oil extracted from thyme are also used for preparing soap and deodorant
• Thyme oil can also applied topically
• It is also widely used for preparing pesto sauce
• It can be used as an antiseptic as well as insect repellent

Risk factors

Over consumption of thyme may cause headache, dizziness and stomach upset

Dauqan, E.M. and Abdullah, A., 2017. Medicinal and functional values of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) herb. Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology, 5(02), pp.017-022.

Fine, D.H., 2010. Listerine: past, present and future–A test of thyme. Journal of dentistry, 38, pp.S2-S5.

Lorenzo, Jose M., Amin Mousavi Khaneghah, Mohsen Gavahian, Krystian Marszałek, Ismail Eş, Paulo ES Munekata, Isabel CFR Ferreira, and Francisco J. Barba. "Understanding the potential benefits of thyme and its derived products for food industry and consumer health: From extraction of value-added compounds to the evaluation of bioaccessibility, bioavailability, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities." Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 59, no. 18 (2019): 2879-2895.

Pappas, G., Market, O.G., Pappas, G.C., Ad-Free, R. and Subscriber, F.A.Q., Why You Should Never Run Out of Thyme.

Singletary, K., 2016. Thyme: history, applications, and overview of potential health benefits. Nutrition Today, 51(1), pp.40-49.