Health Benefits of Thyme

The health benefits and uses of thyme leaves.

1. Thyme is a common herb used in cooking throughout the world for its delicious flavour. These leaves also have a great range of health benefits for the human body.  

2. It has been used since ancient times for improving health and treating various bodily problems. The ancient Egyptians used this for embalming, whilst the Greeks used this as an incense in temples.  

3. Even the Romans used thyme to add a wonderful flavour to Cheese and fight breathing problems and lung diseases.  

4. Nowadays thyme is used to make herbal teas. This can be achieved by simply steeping the herb in hot water and then drinking to enjoy its benefits.  

5. Thyme leaves contain a powerful compound called Thymol. This destroys harmful bacteria and organisms.   Consuming thyme regularly helps to protect your body against cold or flu viruses.  

6. Thyme essential oil is made from the leaves and is one of the best natural remedies for throat infections.   When suffering from a painful sore throat, add thyme leaves as a flavouring to your healthy stews with bone broth. This quickly heals the infection and relieves pain.  

7. Thyme leaves were also used by the Romans to prevent food poisoning. Adding thyme to your meals destroys harmful bacteria which could cause food poisoning.  

8. The wonderful flavour and aroma of thyme adds a unique taste to meals and works well when sprinkled over salads or added to meat dishes.  

9. It has been shown in scientific studies to improve your mood and well-being by elevating serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. These are considered “happy hormones” and keep you feeling great.  

10. Thyme is also rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. These improve the health of your immune system and eyesight, amongst their many other benefits.  

11. The leaves also contain healthy minerals including iron, copper, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.  

12. They also contain carvacrol, borneol, and geraniol which work with the thymol to destroy fungi and bacteria.  

13. Thyme oil can be applied to skin infections such as athlete’s foot or ringworm as a fast acting natural cure.  

14. Studies have shown that thyme leaves can destroy the hospital “superbug” known as MRSA. It helps to treat infections of strains that are resistant to antibiotics.  

15. Thyme was also studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and was shown to be more powerful at destroying acne than prescription creams.  

16. Thyme can be grown easily at home or can be purchased in dried form. We recommend adding this to sautéed vegetables, fish dishes and soups.  

17. Studies have also shown that thyme can prevent colon cancer, and also be used to help fight active breast cancer.  

18. There are varieties of honey which you can purchase, where the bees have used thyme nectar to make the honey. This is delicious and provides some enormous health benefits.  

19. You can chop thyme very finely and add this to a salad dressing. Mix extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and finely chopped thyme to produce a rich, tasty and healthy dressing.  

20. Thyme oil can be inhaled by adding to a bowl of steam. This eases bronchitis and whooping cough.