Thyme

Antifungal, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, antiviral, tonic and carminative, deodorant, diaphoretic, disinfectant, expectorant, sedative

Thymol, an antiseptic, is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes.  ^[1] Thymol has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails.

Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers.

A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis

Thyme is taken by mouth for bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat, colic, arthritis, upset stomach, stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bedwetting, a movement disorder in children (dyspraxia), intestinal gas (flatulence), parasitic worm infections, and skindisorders. It is also used to increase urine flow (as a diuretic), to disinfect the urine, and as an appetite stimulant.

Some people apply thyme directly to the skin for hoarseness (laryngitis), swollentonsils (tonsillitis), sore mouth, and bad breath.

Thyme oil is used as a germ-killer in mouthwashes and liniments.

Common thyme has a very long history of folk use for a wide range of ailments. It is very rich in essential oils and these are the active ingredients responsible for most of the medicinal properties. In particular, thyme is valued for its antiseptic and antioxidant properties, it is an excellent tonic and is used in treating respiratory diseases and a variety of other ailments. The flowering tops are anthelmintic, strongly antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, deodorant, diaphoretic, disinfectant, expectorant, sedative and tonic. The plant is used internally in the treatment of dry coughs, whooping cough, bronchitis, bronchial catarrh, asthma, laryngitis, indigestion, gastritis and diarrhoea and enuresis in children. It should not be prescribed for pregnant women. Externally, it is used in the treatment of tonsillitis, gum diseases, rheumatism, arthritis and fungal infections. The plant can be used fresh at any time of the year, or it can be harvested as it comes into flower and either be distilled for the oil or dried for later use. Thyme has an antioxidant effect, thus regular use of this herb improves the health and longevity of individual body cells and therefore prolongs the life of the body. The essential oil is strongly antiseptic. The whole herb is used in the treatment of digestive disorders, sore throats, fevers etc. The essential oil is one of the most important oils used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is ‘Bacterial’. It is used especially in cases of exhaustion, depression, upper respiratory tract infections, skin and scalp complaints etc. The oil can cause allergic reactions and irritation to the skin and mucous membranes.

In some Levantine countries, and Assyrian, the condiment za’atar (Arabic for thyme) contains thyme as a vital ingredient. It is a common component of the bouquet garni, and ofherbes de Provence.

Leaves and flowering tops – raw in salads, used as a garnish or added as a flavouring to cooked foods, going especially well with mushrooms and courgettes. It is an essential ingredient of the herb mix ‘bouquet garni’. It retains its flavour well in long slow cooking. The leaves can be used either fresh or dried. If the leaves are to be dried, the plants should be harvested in early and late summer just before the flowers open and the leaves should be dried quickly . A nutritional analysis is available. An aromatic tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves. Pungent and spicy

Thyme and bees

It is well known that bees have a great affection for thyme, and the fine flavour of the honey of Mount Hymettus near Athens was said to be due to the wild thyme with which it was covered (probably T. vulgaris), the honey from this spot being of such especial flavour and sweetness that in the minds and writings of the Ancients, sweetness and thyme were indissolubly united.

There are two possible origins of the name thyme, both from the Greek. One alternative is as a derivative of a word which meant ‘to fumigate,’ either because they used it as incense, for its balsamic odour, or because it was taken as a type of all sweet-smelling herbs. Others derive the name from the Greek word thumus, signifying courage, the plant being held in ancient and mediaeval days to be a great source of invigoration, its cordial qualities inspiring courage.

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Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage. It was also placed on coffins during funerals, as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.

The antiseptic properties of thyme were fully recognized in classic times: Virgil’s Georgics contains a reference to its use as a fumigator, and Pliny tells us that, when burnt, it puts to flight all venomous creatures. Lady Northcote (in The Herb Garden) says that among the Greeks, thyme denoted graceful elegance; ‘to smell of thyme’ was an expression of praise, applied to those whose style was admirable. It is thought the Romans spread thyme throughout Europe, as they used it to purify their rooms and to “give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs”.

In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thus regarded as an emblem of activity, bravery and energy, in the days of chivalry ladies often embroidered a bee hovering over a sprig of thyme on the scarves they presented to their knights.

Southern Europe

Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well. The plants can take deep freezes and are found growing wild on mountain highlands. Along the Riviera, it is found from sea level up to 800 m.

Thyme is of the genus Thymus of the mint family (Lamiaceae), and a relative of the Oregano genus Origanum.

Garden (or common) thyme is a generally upright, woody-based perennial which is primarily grown as a culinary herb in herb gardens. Numerous, somewhat woody stems grow upward to form a foliage mound 6-12″ tall. Stems are clothed with tiny, linear to elliptic, pointed, gray-green leaves which are distinctively revolute (leaf margins are rolled under). Leaves are highly aromatic (reaching their peak just before plants flower) and are frequently used fresh or dried as a seasoning in a variety of culinary applications including soups, stews, sauces, meat and fish dishes. Whorls of tiny, tubular, lilac flowers appear on the stem ends in late spring to early summer. Flowers are attractive to bees. Plants are evergreen in mild winters.

• Thymus citriodorus — various lemon thymes, orange thymes, lime thyme.
• Thymus herba-barona (caraway thyme) is used both as a culinary herb and a ground cover, and has a very strong caraway scent due to the chemical carvone.
• Thymus praecox (mother of thyme, wild thyme), cultivated as an ornamental
• Thymus pseudolanuginosus (woolly thyme) is not a culinary herb, but is grown as a ground cover.
• Thymus serpyllum (wild thyme, creeping thyme) is an important nectar source plant forhoneybees. All thyme species are nectar sources, but wild thyme covers large areas of droughty, rocky soils in southern Europe (Both Greece and Malta are especially famous for wild thyme honey) and North Africa, as well as in similar landscapes in the Berkshire and Catskill Mountains of the northeastern US. The lowest-growing of the widely used thyme, it is good for walkways.
• Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, English thyme, summer thyme, winter thyme, French thyme,[10] or garden thyme)[11] is a commonly used culinary herb. It also has medicinal uses.

thymol, which contains p-cymene, myrcene, borneol and linalool, and carvacrol, rosmarinic acid