Thyme has many benefits for health with few concerns.
Thyme was associated with courage, bravery and strength during the time when the Roman Empire was growing in size. Roman soldiers exchanged this herb as a sign of respect. The plant contains the compound Thymol, which has strong anti-bacteria and anti-septic properties.
Immune Health
During the black death thyme was used for plague blistered skin and this leads into the first benefit as it has antiseptic abilities and can fight off unwanted bacteria.
In a study in the publication “Medical Chemistry” 120 strains of bacteria were tested with thyme. It was found that this herb was highly effective at eradicating nearly all these bacterial strains. Even bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics like a mercer infection, which is a super bug that is hard to kill and can be life-threatening.
Cancer
There is a also a link between the immune system and cancer.
In the 2012 issue of Molecules researchers tested various essential oils on breast cancer cells. The essential oil chamomile killed up to 93% of them, however there was an essential oil that was even more impressive and can you guess what that was? Yea, thyme oil had a 97% kill rate.
That is fairly impressive, however the research was performed in little petri dishes and not in its normal biological context so if you have breast cancer it may not be a 97% kill rate.
Acne
Next up there is some evidence it can help with acne. Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University in the U.K. tested thyme on Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)a bacteria that caused acne. Thyme was extremely effective and was even more powerful than standard concentrations of benzoyl peroxide which is the active ingredient in many acne products. Benzoyl peroxide can also have a burning effect on the skin while thyme is considered to have less side effects.
High Blood Pressure
Lastly, thyme can help with high blood pressure.
Researchers at the University of Belgrade, Serbia, reported in the journal “Plant Foods for Human Nutrition” that this herb reduced blood pressure in an animal experiment on laboratory rats.
Thyme has few contraindications; one is that some people may experience an allergic reaction. This could be chest pains, shortness of breath, a skin rash, swelling or joint pains. If you experience this than you should stop using thyme.
Another risk is the effects are not known for women who are pregnant, though pregnant women are cautioned to be wary of contradindications for many herbs or supplements. Despite these two concerns, the benefits of thyme are many for most people.
Thyme can be taken by mouth for conditions like bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat, colic, arthritis, upset stomach, stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bedwetting(dyspraxia) , a movement disorder in children , intestinal gas (flatulence), parasitic worm infections, and skin disorders. It is also used to increase urine flow (as a diuretic), to disinfect the urine, and as an appetite stimulant.
