Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

Other names : Thymus vulgaris, Common Thyme, Farigoule, Farigoulette, French Thyme, Frigoule, Garden Thyme, Huile Essentielle de Thym, Huile de Thym, Huile de Thym Blanc, Huile de Thym Rouge, Mignotise des Genevois, Oil of Thyme, Pote, Red Thyme Oil, Rubbed Thyme, Serpolet, Spanish Thyme, Thym, Thym Citron, Thym Commun, Thym des Jardins, Thym Maraîcher, Thym Vrai, Thym Vulgaire, Thyme Aetheroleum, Thyme Essential Oil, Thyme Oil, Thymi herba, Thymus vulgaris, Thymus zygis, Tomillo, Van Ajwayan, Vanya Yavani, White Thyme Oil.
Thyme is a perennial garden herb that has been employed since ancient times for medicinal and culinary uses. The World's Healthiest Foods notes that thyme has traditionally been associated with courage, with medieval women giving sprigs of thyme to knights going into battle; it has also been used as an herbal remedy for a host of ailments. Thyme tea, rich in volatile oils, minerals, beneficial phenols and flavonoids, is a healthy beverage choice.
See also : Thymol

Special Precautions of Thyme

• Thyme is safe when consumed in foods and taken as medicine for short periods of time. It can cause digestive system upset.
• Thyme oil also seems to be safe when applied to the skin. In some people, applying the oil to the skin can cause irritation. But there isn’t enough information to know whether thyme oil is safe to take by mouth in medicinal doses.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Thyme oil or supplements should be avoided during pregnancy. Thymol has estrogen-like effects that can influence menstruation and increase the risk of miscarriage. The use of thyme in cooking poses no such risk.
• Allergy to thyme oil is also common, especially in people sensitive to plants in the mint family (including oregano, lavender, and sage). An allergy can manifest with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting when consumed. When applied to the skin, allergic contact dermatitis may occur. Allergies: People who are allergic to oregano might also be allergic to thyme.
• Surgery: Thyme might slow blood clotting, so there is some concern that it might increase the risk of extra bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using thyme at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
• Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with thyme.

Chemotypes

Thyme is an example of an herb with over 300 varieties and various chemotypes, which are plants with the same appearance, but which have different chemical compositions. Each chemotype yields different oils with corresponding therapeutic benefits. This occurs when the plant is grown in different environments, climates and soil. Depending on which chemotype it is derived from, the oil of thyme produced will have a distinct chemical structure. The known chemotypes 8 are:

• Thymus vulgaris thymol : This chemotype has strong antiseptic activities and is 60 to 70 percent thymol. It goes by the name of “thyme” and “red thyme,” and is harvested during the fall.
• Thymus vulgaris linalool : This is the most gentle of all thyme chemotypes. Referred to as “garden thyme,” this variation has potent antiparasitic and antifungal properties, and is grown in high altitudes.
• Thymus vulgaris carvacrol : As its name suggests, this type contains the chemical constituent carvacrol. Its amount will depend on when it is harvested. When collected in the spring, it will contain 30 percent carvacrol, and 60 to 80 percent when harvested right after flowering or during the fall. T. vulgaris carvacrol is known for its antiseptic properties.
• Thymus vulgaris thujanol : Found only in the wild, this plant contains 50 percent thujanol and is known for its beneficial effects on the immune system and hormones. It is often called “sweet thyme.”
• Thymus vulgaris alpha-terpineol : This type is harvested during the early spring and has a pepper-like smell.
• Thymus vulgaris geraniol : The geraniol chemotype has a lemon-like fragrance and is grown in high altitudes. It is often picked during autumn.
• Thymus vulgaris 1,8 cineole : This contains 80 to 90 percent cineole and has diuretic, anticatarrhal, expectorant and analgesic properties.
• Thymus vulgaris p-cymene : This should be obtained within spring or else it becomes a different chemotype.
• Thymus vulgaris phenol­ : These are thyme plants that grow in high altitudes and contain up to 90 percent of phenol compounds.

The benefits of Thyme are

Thymus vulgaris has been used for centuries by traditional healers for fevers, colds, flu, headaches, fatigue and digestive issues. Thyme’s ability to deter infections has been one of its most referenced capabilities.

• Antioxidant Properties : A cup of thyme tea has a lot more to offer than its pleasant taste; thymol, one of the volatile oils in thyme, is a potent antioxidant. According to The World's Healthiest Foods, thymol may help to increase omega-3 fatty acids, or healthy fats, in brain cells. In a clinical study conducted by K.A. Youdim and colleagues and published in the April 19, 1999 issue of "Biochemical and Biophysical Research," researchers found that thyme oil helped to protect against age-related changes in the brain cells of rats. Studies are ongoing to determine whether thyme can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. In addition to thymol, thyme tea contains the antioxidant flavonoids apigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin.
• Soothes Coughs : The next time you have a cold or cough, try a cup of thyme tea. The University of Maryland Medical Center says it can help treat bronchitis and relieve coughs, and states that thyme has been approved for this use by the German Commission E, which evaluates safety and efficacy of herbal preparations in Germany. Drugs.com, a website which offers peer-reviewed information to consumers, concurs, saying that extracts from thyme have shown relaxant and bronchodilatory effects.
• Respiratory Diseases : as a lung remedy consumed since antiquity it is used extensively to day to prevent and treat respiratory tract infections and bacterial infection pneumonia. Thyme is very powerful in the fight against chest congestion. It produces powerful antiseptic essential oils which are classified as naturally antibiotic and anti-fungal.
• Relieves Indigestion : Thyme tea is often recommended by herbal healers to promote good digestion and relieve gas and bloating. According to "Aromatherapy for Professionals," by herbalists Shirley and Len Price, the volatile oils in thyme give it carminative --or gas-reducing-- properties, while its phenols allow it to work as an antispasmodic, helping to relieve intestinal cramping
• Provides Antiviral Protection against Herpes, Newcastle and other viruses.
• Anti-rheumatic and nervous system : The volatile essential oils in thyme are loaded with anti-rheumatic, anti-parasitic, anti-septic, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. If taken on a regular basis it can significantly help to reduce the viral load in the body which makes it very beneficial in dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Vertigo, Tinnitus, and Multiple Sclerosis
• Provides Essential Minerals : When you think of a food rich in iron, thyme is probably not the first thing to come to mind. But 2 tsps. of dried thyme --about the amount used in a cup of thyme tea-- delivers 3.56mg, or 19.8 percent of the recommended daily value of iron, causing The World's Healthiest Foods to list it as an excellent source. Thyme tea is also an excellent source of vitamin K, vital to normal blood clotting, with 2 tsps. supplying 48.01mcg, or 60 percent of the DV. Thyme tea is also a very good source of manganese, supplying 12 percent of the DV, and calcium, providing 5.4 of the DV in 2 tsp.
• Lung Cancer, Oral Cancer and Ovarian Cancer : Oil from the common herb thyme was discovered to kill up to 97% of human lung cancer cells. Recent research has shown that if you mix thyme and olive oil it will enhance the availability of hydroxytyrosol, olive oil’s most potent anti-cancer compound.
• Prostate Cancer : Contains carvacrol. This compound is found in an array of plants and herbs including Wild Bergamot, thyme, pepperwort and especially Oregano.
• Breast Cancer : In lab tests Wild Thyme caused cell death in the breast cancer cells.
• Sore Throat : used in the following recipe is a classic gargle, but other herbs such as marjoram, Sage or hyssop can replace it.1 cup boiling water + 2 teaspoons fresh or dried leaves + ¼ ounce salt

Main Combinations

Herpes (prevention of recurrences) : Echinacea + Propolis + Thyme