Weekly Herbal Tidbit Thyme!

Weekly Herbal Tidbit!
Thyme herb is packed with numerous health benefiting phyto-nutrients (plant derived compounds), minerals and vitamins that are essential for wellness. One of the popular among culinary herb plants, thyme originally is native to southern Europe and Mediterranean regions.

Botanically, it belongs to the family of Limiaceae of the genus of thymus, which includes many subspecies among which the most popular variety is Thymus vulgaris or French thyme.

The thyme plant is a perennial shrub with thin woody base, and square stems. It reaches about 15 to 30 cm in length, featuring very small, light green colored, paler underneath, slightly curved aromatic leaves. Tiny, fragrant rich, lilac or white color flowers appear in summer.

The other commonly grown varieties of thyme are lemon thyme (T.x citriodora), caraway thyme (T. herba barona) and wild thyme (T. septyllum). Either leaves as well as flowering tips, fresh or dried used for culinary purposes.

Health benefits of thyme herb

Thyme contains many active principles that are found to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.

Thyme herb contains thymol, one of the important essential oils, which scientifically has been found to have antiseptic, anti-fungal characteristics. The other volatile oils in thyme include carvacolo, borneol and geraniol.

Thyme contains many flavonoid phenolic antioxidants like zea-xanthin, lutein, pigenin, naringenin, luteolin, and thymonin. Fresh thyme herb has one of the highest antioxidant levels among herbs, a total ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of 27426-µmol TE/100 g.

Thyme is packed with minerals and vitamins that are essential for optimum health. Its leaves are one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and selenium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.

The herb is also a rich source of many important vitamins such as B-complex vitamins, beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin C and folic acid.

Thyme provides 0.35 mg of vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine; furnishing about 27% of daily recommended intake. Pyridoxine keeps up GABA (beneficial neurotransmitter in the brain) levels in the brain, which has stress buster function.

Vitamin C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant that is required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids like vitamin A and beta-carotene helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Thyme leaves offer significant levels of quality phyto-nutrients profile. Just 100 g of fresh leaves provides (% of Recommended daily allowance)

38% of dietary fiber,
27% of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine),
266% of vitamin C,
158% of vitamin A,
218% of iron,
40% of calcium,
40% of magnesium and
75% of manganese

Both fresh and dried forms of thyme herb are available in the herb store. Buy fresh thyme whenever possible since it is superior in nutrients and rich in flavor. The leaves of fresh thyme should feature fresh and be a light green, and free from any dark spots or yellowing.

Fresh thyme should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a slightly damp paper towel. Dried thyme can be kept in a tightly sealed glass container and stored in a cool, dark, and dry place where it will keep fresh for up to six months.

Medicinal uses

Thyme contains many important essential oils, which are found to have anti-septic and anti-fungal applications.

Throat gargling with tepid thyme water or drinking few sips of thyme tea may help relieve coughs, sore throat, and bronchitis symptoms.

In the pharmacy, thyme based formulations has been used as an anti-septic mouthwash in the treatment of caries and gingivitis.