Scientifically known as Thymus vulgaris, Thyme is a savoury herb widely used in some countries of the world to flavour meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. Some of the essential properties in this evergreen herb include fibre, carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and the host of others.
Beyond being an aromatic herb, it will interest you to know that thyme is linked with a wide range of health benefits, which we shall be discussing in this article.
Here are some health benefits of thyme:
Health Benefits of Thyme
1. Improves Heart Health
Thyme is an excellent source of potent properties, including antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, potassium and manganese-all of which are beneficial to the human heart and overall well-being.
In recent studies, it was revealed that consuming thyme might help reduce the risk or effect of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular-related problems because of the important properties it contains. For instance, the potassium in thyme acts as a vasodilator, which means it is effective in relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, as well as cholesterol levels.
In addition to the above, moderate consumption of thyme is also linked with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, atherosclerosis, heart attack, coronary heart disease, among others. [1]
2. Prevents Cancer
Cancer is a very serious health condition and it is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, if you are looking for how to prevent cancer then you should consume thyme regularly.
To start with, thyme contains oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, lutein, beta-sitosterol, etc., and numerous studies are claiming that the aforementioned properties are capable of reducing the risk of cancer, especially cancer of the colon.
Furthermore, studies show that carvacrol, one of the major component of thyme essential oil is effective in inhibiting the growth and migration of cancer cell lines in the body. The compound is also believed to demonstrate certain therapeutic effects when it comes to treatment and prevention of cancer of the colon.
Having said that, it might interest you to know that thyme is also prepared locally in certain countries of the world for treating breast cancer, which shows how powerful it is.
3. Treats Inflammation
There are a lot of reasons you might experience inflammation in any part of your body, but regardless of that, the great news is that thyme has been proven to be a handy solution for this.
Thyme contains powerful compounds, such as carvacrol and thymol which goes a long way in treating inflammation. Part of the roles of these compounds in the body includes the suppression of Cox-2, an inflammatory enzyme associated with several inflammatory ailments.
It is equally important to let you know that thyme oil is also effective in relieving painful symptoms of arthritis, gout, and some other related conditions.
4. Boosts Immune system
Nothing can be compared with a sound immune system, especially when because it shields you against myriads of health conditions. Thankfully, thyme is a go-to option when it comes to herbs that can help boost your immunity.
First off, thyme is an excellent source of Vitamin A & C, both of which plays a major role in enhancing the defense level of your immune system. Vitamin C in thyme helps in stimulating the production of white blood cells to give your immune system a huge boost. It also contributes largely to the production of collagen, one of the essentials your body needs to create and repair cells muscles, tissues, and blood vessels.
That’s not all, have I told you that thyme can help you with cold and congestion? Yes, it has mild scent and flavour, making it an ideal choice for health conditions like that. The natural immune booster is also found to be great in healing wounds, as it helps accelerate the whole process.
5. Prevents/Treats Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, otherwise regarded as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurological disorder in childhood that causes difficulty in movement, coordination, judgment, processing, memory, and some other activities that require cognitive skills.
More importantly, one of the best ways mothers can shield their babies against this disorder is to consume thyme in a moderate manner as multiple studies are backing this claim.
6. Improves Digestive Health
Increasing your thyme intake isn’t just limited to the aforementioned benefits alone as the herb also plays a significant role in improving the digestive system. How?
Thyme, when ingested helps in inhibiting the multiplication of harmful gases in the stomach, which in turn gives the digestive health a huge boost. In addition to that, thyme also exhibits antispasmodic effects and might help relieve intestinal cramps.
7. Reduces the Risk and Effect of Respiratory Ailments
Respiratory ailments are quite widespread across different countries of the world, and they might result in serious health problems or even death if not well handled. These are diseases like bronchitis, chronic asthma, congestion, colds, flu, blocked sinuses, etc.
That being said, would you like to prevent or treat any of the aforementioned respiratory ailments? Thyme might help you with that!
Thyme exhibits expectorant and anti-inflammatory effects, which helps in getting rid of phlegm and mucus from the respiratory tracts in order to keep it healthy. It also relieves inflammation, shield against microbial development that may result in illness, among other things.
There are a lot of ways you can use thyme for respiratory ailments. For instance, you can prepare it as a tea and drink, you can extract its oil and blend it with ivy leaves, to mention but a few.
8. Improves Blood Circulation
Thyme contains a high amount of iron ( about 20% of the recommended daily value) and other essential minerals, which helps in stimulating the production of red blood cells. This further helps in improving blood circulation and oxygenation to the essential organs of your body and thus boosting your overall health.
Others Health Benefits of Thyme
- Helps Relieve Menstrual Issues
- Improves Skin Health
- Improves Vision Health and reduces the risk of cataracts as well as other vision-related conditions
- Soothes pain and relieves inflammation
Bottom Line
Having discovered some of the health benefits of consuming thyme, which of the aforementioned points surprised you most?
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