A lot of us have a spice rack with a little bottle of thyme on it. Thyme is a common herb found in many households, but do we really know how useful this plant is? It has been used for centuries for various reasons. We can almost always find some in our kitchen, and if not, at a nearby grocery store. But in the kitchen, this little herb not only brings a twist to our foods, it also works as a disinfectant. It is great for cleaning and disinfecting many different surfaces like counters, tables, cutting boards, and any other place we would want to kill viruses, bacteria, and germs without leaving behind harsh chemicals for your family to possible ingest. It is effective against Staph (Staphalococcus aureus) and E. Coli (Escherichia coli). It also is known to be a preservative for your foods.
Besides the kitchen, it is hard to imagine where else you would be able to use thyme. How about in your medicine cabinet? You can use it in a mixture with honey to help prevent infections to small wounds. It can also be used in a tea to help aid in respiratory problems like bronchitis or asthma, as well as aid in digestion by helping dissolve and remove mucus from the intestinal tract and the parasites in the gut. The tea can also help ease menstrual cramps and when taken right before bed, can lower your cortisol levels to help you relax and decrease your chances of nightmares.
Another handy place to keep it is outside. Insects hate thyme. It makes a good insect repellant for yourself as well as your garden and flowerbeds.
I am sure there are many more uses for thyme than the few I have told you about, but this was just a peek at some of the perks of thyme. It is not only handy, but also healthy too. It is a good source of iron, manganese, fiber, and calcium on top of everything here. I hope you have learned a few uses for thyme in your life.
University of Michigan Health System
www.naturalremediesbase.com
www.health.learninginfo.org