Thyme has long been valued for its healing properties**, used over the centuries to treat everything from colds and flu to seizures.
Back in the Middle Ages, people would combine thyme with lavender in equal parts and scatter the mix on church floors to eliminate bad odors. It was also a go-to remedy for wounds — crushed and applied directly to the skin to help fight infection and promote healing.
Thyme’s essential oils are packed with powerful benefits — they have antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiseptic, and anti-rheumatic effects.
When used regularly, thyme helps reduce the body’s viral load, making it especially useful for managing conditions like lupus, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, vertigo, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Simply drinking a cup of thyme tea each morning may help support your body in these conditions.
Nutritionally, thyme is loaded with important vitamins and minerals — like iron, calcium, and potassium — which help produce red blood cells, balance blood pressure, and transport antioxidants throughout the body. It also provides folic acid and vitamins A, B, and C.
In addition, thyme contains potent bioflavonoids and essential oils such as thymol, a strong antioxidant.
It’s also considered helpful in cancer prevention due to its high levels of terpenoids like rosmarinic and ursolic acid. Some research even suggests that regular thyme consumption can boost DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) levels in the brain, heart, and kidneys.
Because its essential oils work as expectorants and have antispasmodic effects on the bronchi, thyme is often used to treat and prevent:
- gingivitis
- laryngitis
- asthma
- sore throat
- throat infections
- bronchitis (acute and chronic)
- mouth inflammation
- and coughing