8 Top Benefits & Medicinal Uses Of Thyme

thyme health benefits

I love thyme herb very very much, who will not love the fresh smell of thyme? Thyme is a perennial herb with small leaves that smells amazingly wonderful. Though I developed a fondness for thyme only as an aromatic addition for certain dishes in my cooking, over time I started using it in home remedies too.

I first started with dried thyme and then I became obsessed with growing fresh thyme. Once you have a fresh herb at home, you always tend to look for ways to use it. The health benefits of thyme is quite impressive, from treating skin problems to reducing anxiety, it does have wide uses !

Thyme Common Names:

Thyme is called Ajwain Ke Phool in Hindi, Thyme Ilai in Tamil, Thyme ila in Malayalam, Thaima in Gujarati & Bengali, Thaim in Telugu, Taim in Kannada and Thyme in Urdu (I might be wrong about the names, if I am please correct me in the comment section below).

The main volatile constituent of thyme is thymol which is responsible for it’s wide medicinal uses. You must have heard about thymol, it is widely found in commercial mouth washes as it has antiseptic properties. There are many varieties of thyme plant like lemon thyme, French thyme, English thyme, etc and the most common variety is Thymus Vulgaris.

Thyme Nutrient Content:

A tbsp of thyme contains 7 calories, it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium. Thyme is a wonderful herb to have at home as it has wide uses, it can be used for cooking, in aromatherapy as the leaves are highly aromatic, for treating respiratory problems like cold and cough, to improve immunity and for reducing anxiety. The essential oil derived from thyme also has wonderful uses. We always tend to look at thyme as an aromatic herb useful for cooking but if we get to know it’s wonderful uses we will learn to love it even more :).

Thyme Health Benefits & Medicinal Uses:

1. Thyme Benefits For Skin Care (Anti Bacterial Properties):

Thyme has wonderful anti bacterial properties which makes it wonderful for treating skin infections. You can find the link to the study that proves this claim here. I have given some of the ways thyme can be used for skin care below.

2. Thyme For Reducing Menstrual Pain (Dysmenorrhoea):

Thyme has anti spasmodic properties and the extract of thyme lessens the menstrual pain so very effectively. What is most interesting is the effect is equal to the standard medicine ibuprofen. If you are suffering from menstrual pain, I would suggest taking a cup of thyme tea, it will work wonders. You can read the study that proves this use here.

3. Thyme For Cold & Cough:

Thyme is a wonderful expectorant and helps relieve congestion, a cup of warm fragrant thyme tea mixed with honey will do wonders if you are suffering from cold and cough.

4. Thyme Benefits For Anxiety:

Another interesting thing about thyme is it is very good for reducing anxiety. This is what I love about herbs, a cup of soothing fragrant herbal tea easing our anxiety so easily but without any of the side effects. If you are suffering from anxiety, try taking a cup of thyme tea. You can find the research that proves this use here.

5. Thyme As an Antioxidant :

Thyme has wonderful anti oxidant properties, it helps reduce oxidative stress and also improves immunity. It is very very important that we consume antioxidant rich foods to fight off free radicals which are the major cause of premature ageing of our hair and skin.

6. Thyme For Inflammation:

Thyme has wonderful anti inflammatory properties, it is because of it’s anti inflammatory properties that it is so very effective for treating sore throat. Thyme used as a gargle or taken as a tea treats sore throat very effectively. You can read the research the proves it’s anti inflammatory properties here.

7. Thyme As a Mosquito Repellent:

Thyme has wonderful larvicidal properties which makes it an amazing ingredient for adding in homemade mosquito repellents. You can read the research that proves this use here. At home I make a simple mosquito repellent using neem oil, you can add thyme essential oil to it to make it more effective.

8. Thyme Anti Fungal Properties:

Thyme has got powerful anti fungal properties too, it can be used to treat all fungul infections well. Thyme can also be used to clean moldy walls, mixing few drops of thyme essential oil in water is a good at home treatment for a moldy wall.

Thyme Side Effects:

If you are taking blood clotting medications please be careful about taking thyme daily. Thyme added to cooking in small amounts will not cause any adverse effects to anyone but if taken in very large doses as a tea, it might cause stomach problems.

How To Dry & Store Thyme Sprigs?

Collect fresh thyme sprigs, air dry by hanging the branch upside down in an airy place using a string and once completely dry, cut into small pieces and store in airtight bottles.

Where To Buy Thyme?

Thyme is available is all herb nurseries in India, most of the nurseries in major cities stock them. Fresh thyme leaves are also cut and sold in major departmental stores, you can find them in the herb section.

Medicinal Uses & Health Benefits Of Thyme | Thymus Vulgaris:

1. Thyme Tea Recipe For Cough:

thyme tea recipe for cough

Collect fresh thyme leaves or take dry thyme leaves in a cup. Pour boiling water on top and let it steep for few minutes, strain and add honey to taste. This wonderful tea is rich in antioxidants and is a good remedy for cough and cold. It also has anti spasmodic properties and is an amazing home remedy for treating menstrual pain.

2. Thyme & Fennel Seed Toner:

thyme leaves benefits

This toner is very very good for acne prone skin. To make the toner, boil 1 tsp of fennel seeds in 1/2 cup of water till the color changes and switch off. While it is still hot, add 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar and fresh thyme sprigs and let it steep till it comes to normal temperature and then strain.

3. Thyme & Epsom Salt Foot Soak For Toenail Fungus:

thyme uses

Thyme has anti fungal properties which makes it very very effective for treating toe nail fungus. For the foot soak, boil a liter of water with fresh or dried thyme sprigs and switch off, add epsom salt to it and mix well. Once it comes to lukewarm temperature, immerse your legs in it.

4. Thyme & Ajwain Gargle For Sore Throat:

thyme leaves benefits
Boil 2 cups of water along with a handful of thyme sprigs and 2 tsp of ajwain seeds in water till the color of the water changes. Strain and use it for gargling. I personally use ajwain seed water gargle for treating sore throat, it gives amazing results. Adding thyme leaves to it makes it even more effective as it has anti inflammatory properties.

5. Thyme Hair Rinse:

thyme herb for hair and skin

Thyme hair rinse gives a nice shine to our hair. For making the rinse, boil fresh thyme leaves in a liter of water and strain. Add lemon juice to it and use it a final hair rinse. You can also use thyme essential oil mixed with any unrefined oil for massaging the hair. Thyme will treat all the scalp problems very very well.

thyme nutrition

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