What Are the Different Benefits of Thyme Including Health Benefits?

What Are the Different Benefits of Thyme Including Health Benefits?
Page content

Thyme has been used over the centuries for healing of the mind and body. The ancient Romans used thyme to combat melancholy. Thyme was used as incense by the ancient Greeks to nurse the spirit. Thyme was also added to roses to provide additional fragrance to scent the home and lift the mood.

Today, thyme essential oil is used in aromatherapy for relaxation and pain relief. Additionally, it is often added to baths to help ease aches and joint pains.

Thyme’s health benefits go beyond relating to mind and spirit, though. Let’s take a look at the different benefits of thyme, which is free of cholesterol content, when it is included in your diet.

Nutrition Facts of Thyme

Here’s the nutrition data for fresh thyme per serving (100g) as provided by USDA National Nutrient Database.

  • Energy provided is at 101 Kcal - 5% of RDA
  • Carbohydrate content is at 24.45 g - 18% of RDA
  • Protein content is at 5.56 g, which forms 10% of RDA
  • Total Fat is at 1.68 g, which makes up 8.4% of RDA
  • Dietary Fiber supplied is at 14.0 g, representing 37% of RDA

Thyme is also a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A content is at 4751 IU, which represents 158% of RDA. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is at 160.1mg, and that’s a whooping 266% of RDA.

On the mineral front, it’s rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese. Calcium content is at 405mg, which represents 40.5 % of RDA. Iron stands at 17.45mg, which represents 218% of RDA. Magnesium contributes 160mg, which is 40% of RDA and manganese is at 1.719mg, which makes up 75% of RDA.

Health Benefits

Thymol

If anything, thyme is well-known for it’s the thymol content. It’s the main volatile oil component of thyme. It is a powerful antiseptic and disinfectant. Studies have shown that it safeguards and improves the level of healthy fats in the body. It has also been found to raise the level of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid in the brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes.

Flavonoids

Among the flavonoids that come with thyme are thymonin, luteolin, apigenin and naringenin. These flavonoids boost the antioxidant powers of thyme to combat effectively free radicals that are responsible for life-threatening diseases like cancer.

Digestive System

The impressive fiber content in thyme makes it an excellent herb to be included in the diet of those suffering from ailments of the stomach and bowel. It’s also excellent for those who often complain of recurring stomach cramps, diarrhea, and constipation, among others.

Diuretic

A high level of sodium and toxins in your body is detrimental to your health. Sodium is responsible for water retention in your body. Thyme which is an excellent diuretic helps expel excess fluid from the body. Excess fluid in the body is detrimental to the heart and has been known to cause congestive heart disease. Drinking thyme in the form of tea helps expel excess fluid in the body.

References

https://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/thyme.php - ancient usage of thyme

https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi-bin/list_nut_edit.pl - USDA National Nutrient Database – fresh thyme nutrition facts

https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77 –health benefits of thyme

https://healthmad.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-thyme/ - additional health benefits of thyme