What are the Uses and Health Benefits of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)?

What is Thymus Vulgaris?

Thymus vulgaris is an herb which has been used in alternative medicine in Ayurveda from centuries. The herb is commonly known as thyme. It's a Mediterranean herb with medicinal, dietary and ornamental benefits. The herb contains numbers of antioxidant and antibacterial compounds in it which has been further used for various body ailments. The flower, leaves, and oil of thyme have such properties which treat the range of symptoms.

People have been using this herb for many centuries as a flavoring agent.

The herb is very effective for the treatment of a cough, cold, diabetes, chest infection, and digestive disorders. Due to its antiseptic properties thymus vulgaris provides a soothing effect to a sore throat and act as great astringent, anthelmintic, carminative and disinfectant. It also helps to assort the intestinal infections and eliminates the hookworm, gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and yeast. The essential oil of thymus vulgaris has been used to provide relieve from aching joints pain.

Thyme is an aromatic perennial evergreen herb belongs to a mint family i.e. Lamiaceae. The plant is native of Southern Europe and has worldwide distribution. The herb is also cultivated in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, and South Africa. The aerial part of Thymus Vulgaris has expectorant and anti-bacterial effects. Due to these properties it is the common ingredient for a cough and other bronchial problems. It is a terrestrial herb with blue, purple and white color flower arranged in bilateral symmetry. There are 5 petals and sepals in a single flower. Leaves are simple i.e. lobed and un-lobed but not separated into leaflets. Arrangements of leaves are opposite and there is an arrangement of two leaves per node.

Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
• Superdivision: Spermatophyta
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Subclass: Asteridae
• Order: Lamiaceae
• Genus: Thymus
• Species: Thymus vulgaris

What are the uses of Thymus Vulgaris?

• Toothaches
• Menstrual problems
• A cough
• Cold
• Urinary disorders
• Asthma
• Digestive disorders
• Dyspepsia
• Low Appetite
• Eye complaint
• Stomach Troubles

What are the main chemical Constituents of Thymus Vulgaris?

The herb contains chemical constituents such as thymol, cymene, carvacrol, linalool, terpinene, caryophyllene, 1, 3-Octadiene, 1, 7-Octadiene, 2, 4-Dimethyl-2, 4-heptadiene, Camphene, Sabinene, Myrcene, Limonene, β-caryphyllene.

Carvacrol, Carvacrol acetate, β-Caryophyllene, Calamenene, Cadinene, Borneol, Cimenene, Mentha-3, 8-diene, Myrcene, and para-Menthene-1.

What are the Health Benefits of thymus Vulgaris?

• Soothe a Cough and Sore Throat: Thyme essential oil obtained from leaves of Thymus vulgaris, is often used as a natural cough remedy. The herb contains antiseptic and antibiotic properties which show natural healing effects during a sore throat and acute bronchitis. The herb decreases the production of sputum in adults and children.
• Lower Blood Pressure: Due to its great antihypertensive activity thymus vulgaris, act as a great herbal choice for anyone who is suffering from high blood pressure symptoms. The herb reduces the abnormal high heartbeat of a person with high blood pressure.
• Decrease the Bad Cholesterol: The natural herb extracts of thymus vulgaris reducing the level of LDL (low density lipoproteins) in the body, LDL is bad cholesterol, when the level of LDL increase in your body, and it can start the deposition of plaque-like substance on the walls of the cardiovascular system, which ultimately blocks the natural flow of blood. This will increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Improve Bone Health: Thyme is the richest source of vitamin K, iron, calcium and manganese. Vitamin K and theses minerals play a crucial role in promoting the good health of bones by improving bone growth and development. It has also anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, anti-parasitic and antifungal properties.
• Boost Your Mood: The carvacrol a chemical compound in thymus vulgaris shows the positive mood-boosting effects. Dopamine and serotonin are two main neurotransmitters, which brings the mood changes effect in humans. The herb increases the level of dopamine and serotonin in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Carvacrol is a brain active molecule which influences the brain activity through modulation of these neurotransmitters.
• Treat Digestive Disorder: Volatile oils in thymus vulgaris can provide relief from indigestion, gas and bloating. It helps to prevent the growth of various intestinal bacteria which causes indigestion.
• Prevent Food Poisoning: Thymus vulgaris prevent the food contamination, the studies show that, herb essential oil is able to eliminate the Shigella, an infectious organism that causes diarrhea. Shigella also causes the major intestinal damage.  By adding this herb to your next meal, you can actually decrease the chance of food born-illness.
• Fight Against Skin Problems: The herb shows great antifungal effect. The thyme essential oil contains this antifungal property which eliminates the harmful fungus. Thymus vulgaris also shows the killing effect for Propionibacterium acnes, the bacterium which causes acne problem. The thyme essential oil significantly enhances the death of C. albicans, a fungus which is responsible for vaginal and mouth infection.
• Anti-inflammatory properties of thyme helps to reduce the chronic inflammation in the body.
• The herb act as a great disinfectant against dangerous air pollutant. Thyme essential oil and thymol contains many fungicidal properties.

This is the best herb for the treatment of various body disorders, which we are already mentioned in the above article.