ORIGIN: Egypt, Mediterranean, Spain

PARTS USED: flowering tops, leaves

FRAGRANCE: herbal, intense, medicinal

BLENDS: bergamot, cade, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, marjoram, rosemary.

AROMATIC BENEFITS: cleansing, energizing, fatigue, inspiring, invigorating, memory loss, refreshing, stimulating, warming.

MAGICAL USES: conscious mind (stimulates), courage, health (maintain), purification.

PHYSICAL USES: abrasions, acne, alopecia, analgesic, animal bites, antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, antiinfectious, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antiviral, arteriosclerosis, athlete's foot, boils, bronchitis, carminative, catarrh, cellulite, chlamydia, circulatory stimulant, cold sores, colds, constipation, cystitis, dandruff, deodorant, detoxifying, disinfectant, diuretic, dysmenorrhea, emmenagogue, female infertility, fibrositis, gout, immunity stimulant, influenza, insect bites, insect repellent, laryngitis, lower abdominal pain, male infertility, menopause, muscular aches, neuralgia, oily hair, osteoporosis, pneumonia, raises blood pressure, rheumatism, seborrhea, sinusitis, sprains, thrush, warts, whitlows, whooping cough, wrinkles.

Health Benefits of Thyme

The health benefits of Thyme Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like anti spasmodic, anti rheumatic, anti septic, bactericidal, bechic, cardiac, carminative, cicatrisant, diuretic, emenagogue, expectorant, hypertensive, insecticide, stimulant, tonic and vermifuge.

Thyme is a common herb and is generally used as a condiment or spice. Besides that, thyme is also used in herbal and domestic medicines. Thyme is botanically known as Thymus Vulgaris. The medicinal properties of thyme come mainly from its essential oil which is extracted through steam distillation of fresh flowers and leaves. The chief constituents of its essential oil are Alpha Thujone, Alpha Pinene, Camphene, Beta Pinene, Para Cymene, Alpha Terpinene, Linalool, Borneol, Beta Caryophyllene, Thymol and Carvacrol.

Its medicinal properties can be summarized as the following:

Anti Spasmodic: Millions of people around the world suffer from coughs, cramps and aches due to spasm. Spasm is unwanted and excessive involuntary contraction which may take place in respiratory tracts, nerves, muscles, intestines and other organs and may result in coughs, convulsions, epileptic or hysteric attacks, cramps and muscular aches, abdominal and intestinal aches and even spasmodic cholera.

Anti Rheumatic: There are two main reasons behind rheumatism, arthritis and gout. The first is improper or obstructed circulation and the second one is growing concentration of toxins like uric acid in the blood stream. Thyme Essential Oil can sort out both of these problems. Being a diuretic, it increases urination and helps removal of toxins. Being a stimulant, it stimulates or activates circulation and thereby sorts out this problem too. Both ways, it helps cure rheumatism.

Anti Septic: It is a good anti septic and safeguards wounds and sores against infections. This is mainly due to presence of components like Caryophyllene and Camphene in this essential oil.

Bactericidal: The same Caryophyllene and Camphene, along with a few other components, give Thyme Essential Oil anti bacterial properties. This inhibits bacterial growth in and outside the body. It kills bacteria as well as keeps them away. This is particularly beneficial in curing bacterial infections like B-Colitis, renal colic, bacterial infections in the genitals and urethra, intestines, respiratory system etc. as well as on wounds.

Bechic: If you are suffering from coughs for a long time and antibiotics cannot help you anymore, then you may give this essential oil a try. Unlike when using potent antibiotics, you need not risk your kidneys, heart, liver, stomach and eyes with this oil. This is capable of curing infections in the chest (lungs, bronchi, larynx and pharynx) and stopping coughs.

Cardiac: This is a very important and useful property of Thyme Essential Oil in today’s context, when heart troubles are growing at an alarming rate. This oil is very beneficial for the heart. It keeps its valves functioning properly; being an anti spasmodic, it relaxes the arteries and veins and thereby reduces blood pressure as well as the stress on heart; strengthens cardiac muscles and tones up the heart, being a tonic. So, it is very good from the point of view of all round development of the heart.

Carminative: Gases, building up in the stomach and intestines, are not as innocent as they appear. Their effect is not limited to bad air alone. They can take your appetite and sleep away, raise your blood pressure, pose a threat to your heart, give you severe stomach aches, cramps, vomiting, headaches and nausea and in extreme cases, put your life in danger too. So, gas must be handled with care (not the cooking gas alone) and treated in time. The Thyme Essential Oil, being a carminative and an anti spasmodic, forces removal of the gases through a downward movement (the upward movement is very dangerous) and does not let them build up again.

Cicatrisant: This is a beautiful property of the Thyme Essential Oil and it adds to beauty too. This property makes the scars and other ugly spots on your body vanish. These include the surgical marks, marks left by accidental injuries, acne, pox, measles, sores etc.

Diuretic: Those who are suffering from accumulation of water in the body due to chronic renal failure or other reasons or from growing concentration of toxins and sodium salts in the blood are sure to gain from this oil. It increases urination and helps removal of excess water, salts and toxins from the body. This helps reduce weight, lower blood pressure, reduce fats and improves digestion too.

Emenagogue: Women must be interested in this property of Thyme Essential Oil. They have always been searching for something that could give them relief from obstructed and painful menstruations, irregular periods and untimely menopause. So, they have their answers in this oil. It opens obstructed menses, gives relief from the symptoms like abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, depression and low blood pressure etc. associated with menstruations and push away menopause too, thereby keeping women healthy, happy and fertile. This it does by stimulating production of certain hormones like estrogen.

Expectorant: Where there is cough and cold, there is an expectorant needed. Here is one! The Thyme Essential Oil. It helps cure infections causing cough and cold and opens congestion, thereby giving relief from cough and cold.

Hypertensive: You might raise your eyebrows about this medicinal property and raise a question about its benefits. But this property is no doubt beneficial, for those who are suffering from low blood pressure. They run the risk of falling unconscious anytime. This oil can normalize their blood pressure by raising it.

Insecticide: It keeps away insects, pests and kills them. It can be effectively used to keep away parasites on human body like mosquitoes, fleas, lice, bed-bugs, flies etc. as well as insects from the food grains and clothes like beetles, moths etc.

Stimulant: It stimulates circulation, digestion, nervous responses and secretion of hormones and thereby stimulating the whole metabolism.

Tonic: Tones up the circulatory system, heart, digestive system, nervous system, muscles and skin, fortify them and boosts immunity.

Vermifuge: Kills worms. You can try it on the intestinal worms (round worms and tape worms), maggots in sores and even hook worm (which does not go easily).

Other Benefits: Acts as a memory booster and anti depressant and helps to concentrate and helps cure sinusitis, bronchitis, anorexia, cellulite, eczema, athlete’s foot, dermatitis, insect and animal bites, stings, laryngitis, pharyngitis and other infections. Can be used to keep off bad breath and body odor.

Safety Warning: Thyme linalol is considered a safer oil. Avoid is pregnant or if history of high blood pressure. Moderate toxicity. Skin irritant. Never ingest essential oils without a prescription. Use carrier oil when applying to skin.

Thyme Essential Oil