Also Known As:

Common Thyme.

Scientific Name:

Thymus vulgaris; Thymus zygis.

Family: Lamiaceae/Labiatae. 

People Use This For:

Orally, thyme is used for bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat.

Topically, thyme is used for laryngitis, tonsillitis, stomatitis, and halitosis. 

Safety:

Possibly Safe when used orally.^145,146 Thyme has been used safely for 10 days.¹⁴⁶

Pregnancy and Lactation: Refer to a Medical Herbalist

Effectiveness:

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to COMMENT

Bronchitis. Clinical research suggests thyme, in combination with cowslip (Bronchipret), relieves symptoms of bronchitis such as coughing, fever, and increased production of sputum.¹⁴⁶ 

Mechanism of Action:

The applicable parts of thyme are the leaf, flower, and oil. Thyme contains the essential oils and several other constituents It also contains flavonoids, polyphenolic acids and other constituents.^147,148 

Thymol, the primary constituent of thyme is rapidly absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Preliminary research suggests that thyme has antimicrobial activity and modest antibacterial effects.^149,150 It also seems to have antiviral activity.¹⁵¹  Other preliminary research suggests thyme has activity against fungi such as Candida albicans and other Candida species.

Thymol is active against fungal microorganisms that cause fungal nail infections.¹⁵² 

Thyme and its constituents may have antioxidant effects.^149,153,154 The antioxidant effect of thyme may increase the production of nitric oxide and improve atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction.¹⁵⁵ 

Research suggests thyme has antispasmodic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and antiallergic activity.^{156,157,158,159} Additionally, thyme might improve wound healing.¹⁶⁰ 

Adverse Reactions:

Orally, thyme is generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal adverse effects occur occasionally.¹⁴⁶ Allergic reactions are uncommon.¹⁴⁸

Interactions with Herbs & Supplements:

None reported

Interactions with Drugs:

None reported

Interactions with Foods:

None known. 

Interactions with Lab Tests:

None known. 

Interactions with Diseases or Conditions:

None reported

Dosage/Administration:

Dr Clare’s Blends: 1 gm per day (3mls 1:3 Thyme tincture/day)

Oral: For the treatment of bronchitis, a combination of thyme 160 mg and cowslip 54 mg (Bronchipret) has been used three times daily.¹⁴⁶

Specific References: THYME

145. Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD. Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata. Arch Dermatol 1998;134:1349-46.

146. Ernst E, Marz R, Sieder C. A controlled multi-centre study of herbal versus synthetic secretolytic drugs for acute bronchitis. Phytomedicine 1997;4:287-93.

147. Kitajima J, Ishikawa T, Urabe A, Satoh M. Monoterpenoids and their glycosides from the leaf of thyme. Phytochemistry 2004;59:3279-87.

148. Spiewak R, Skorska C, Dutkiewicz J. Occupational airborne contact dermatitis caused by thyme dust. Contact Dermatitis 2001;38:235-9.

149. Proestos C, Chorianopoulos N, Nychas GJ, Komaitis M. RP-HPLC analysis of the phenolic compounds of plant extracts. investigation of their antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity. 

J Agric Food Chem 2005;47:1190-5.

150. Hersch-Martinez P, Leanos-Miranda BE, Solorzano-Santos F. Antibacterial effects of commercial essential oils over locally prevalent pathogenic strains in Mexico. Fitoterapia 2005;76:453-7.

151. Kohlert C, Schindler G, Marz RW, et al. Systemic availability and pharmacokinetics of thymol in humans. J Clin Pharmacol 2002;36:731-7.

152. Ramsewak RS, Nair MG, Stommel M, Selanders L. In vitro antagonistic activity of monoterpenes and their mixtures against 'toe nail fungus' pathogens. Phytother Res 2003;17:376-9.

153.  Aydin S, Basaran AA, Basaran N. Modulating effects of thyme and its major ingredients on oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes. J Agric Food Chem 2005;47:1299-305.

154. Agbor GA, Oben JE, Ngogang JY, et al. Antioxidant capacity of some herbs/spices from cameroon: a comparative study of two methods. J Agric Food Chem 2005;47:6819-18.

155. Grande S, Bogani P, de Saizieu A, et al. Vasomodulating potential of mediterranean wild plant extracts. J Agric Food Chem 2004;46:5021-6.

156. Meister A, Bernhardt G, Christoffel V, Buschauer A. Antispasmodic activity of Thymus vulgaris extract on the isolated guinea-pig trachea: discrimination between drug and ethanol effects. Planta Med 1999;59:512-6.

157. Okazaki K, Kawazoe K, Takaishi Y. Human platelet aggregation inhibitors from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). Phytother Res 2002;16:398-9.

158. Vigo E, Cepeda A, Gualillo O, Perez-Fernandez R. In-vitro anti-inflammatory effect of Eucalyptus globulus and Thymus vulgaris: nitric oxide inhibition in J774A.1 murine macrophages. J Pharm Pharmacol 2004;50:257-57.

159. Watanabe J, Shinmoto H, Tsushida T. Coumarin and flavone derivatives from estragon and thyme as inhibitors of chemical mediator release from RBL-2H3 Cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2005;69:1-6.

160. Dursun N, Liman N, Ozyazgan I, et al. Role of thymus oil in burn wound healing. J Burn Care Rehabil. 2003;18:395-9.