Discover the 10 Remarkable Health Benefits of Thyme

Thyme has an active ingredient called thymol which has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Thymol can boost your body's immune system by halting potential infections before they take hold. Your body's antibodies then have a chance to eliminate the weakened infections, keeping you healthy.

Thyme's antibacterial properties make it an excellent acne treatment: it kills the bacteria that causes acne. Thyme leaves made into tea can be used as a wash, or mix crushed thyme into face creams for clearer skin. Thyme also smells great, and you'll be glad to use something milder than most over the counter acne medications.

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus. Thyme is naturally anti-fungal, so it can treat athlete's foot. Bruise several thyme leaves on the branches, add several spoonfuls of dry thyme or thyme oil, and steep the mixture in boiling water. Let the water cool enough to soak your feet. A few applications, and you'll see improvement.

Thyme combats hair loss. Thyme essential oil stimulates hair growth by improving blood circulation to the scalp. By improving circulation, hair follicles receive vital nutrients necessary to keep hair growing. Thyme also makes hair more luxurious and shiny. Have dandruff? The antibacterial properties of thyme help eliminate flakes, as well.

Thyme is chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that promote a healthy heart. Specifically, the herb is high in manganese and potassium, two minerals that can reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Furthermore, thyme's anti-inflammatory effects can prevent chronic inflammation, which causes heart disease.

Thyme is a natural source of Vitamin A, which is great for your vision. Consuming thyme and thyme tea will help keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear. Thyme also has carotenoids which attack the free radicals in your eyes, preventing cataracts, slowing macular degeneration, and protecting against other ocular diseases.

Thyme tea is purported to calm nerves and help you fall asleep more quickly. When combined with honey, it has a soothing quality and will help you get to sleep and stay asleep. Thyme tea has no caffeine and plenty of vitamins and antioxidants, making it a healthy alternative to caffeinated drinks.

If you have anemia, you might want to consider adding thyme to your diet. One thing doctors recommend to anemia patients is iron supplements. Thyme contains 20 percent of the recommended daily allowance of iron, so you can increase your intake a lot just by adding thyme to your meals.

We've covered a lot of benefits of thyme. Still, you might be surprised to learn this herb may also be able to treat certain types of cancer. One subspecies of thyme called mastic thyme could protect the body against colon cancer. Wild thyme has been shown to attack breast cancer cells. One study shows consuming wild thyme may cause breast cancer cells to die, a process called autophagy.

Thyme is a delicious seasoning that can take the place of salt. It enhances the taste of meals, with different varieties offering different qualities. Try lemon thyme, orange thyme, caraway thyme, and oregano-scented thyme. Each of these can add interesting flavors to your meals - all without salt.