Thymes and it's Importance

History of thymes

Thymes-the most used herbal plant in almost every household. Thymes are very useful and medicinal herbs for humans. The traditional Egyptians used thyme as an embalming fluid. In Greece and some other countries, they used thyme in temples and added it to bath water before taking a bath. The flowers, leaves, oils and everything of thymes are used to treat a large range of symptoms and in medicinal uses.

In Rome, thymes are used to give flavors to cheese and alcohol. They’re also supposedly offered as a cure for people who are melancholic or shy. The Roman army introduced thymes to the British Isles once they conquered the land. Greeks used thyme as an indication of bravery.

People grew thyme in gardens and gathered it within the countryside. Scientific research doesn’t support the only specific use of thymes but their research says thymes can have several uses and people still believe in using thymes for various purposes. It originated in the southern Mediterranean but today this plant is common in the whole world and especially in North America. Experts in language tell us that thyme's name was derived from the Greek word thumos, which means smoke. In the past thyme was considered as a sign of courage. Thumos word has many meanings, it is also considered as the sign of courage or sacrifice because it was used as a perfume in temples.

Thyme -A Plant

In Egypt, folks used thyme for killing bacteria and fungus. Within the Roman era, soldiers exchanged them as a sign of bravery. They are accustomed to burning thyme in temples to purify the space and instil the sense of fearlessness.

It is a low-growing aromatic plant of the mint family. The tiny leaves are used as a culinary herb and also the plant yields a medicinal oil. In India, thyme is known in various names depending upon the actual language. In the Hindi language, it is called ajwain. In different languages, thyme has different names. It is commonly called Common thyme or Garden thyme. Thyme of commerce is obtained from dried leaves of T.vulgar, which is a low evergreen perennial undershrub(20-30 cm height).

The entire plant is aromatic including leaves, flowers and fruit. Fresh and dried leaves are consumed as a spice.

• Scientific name: Thymus Vulgaris L
• Family : Lamica(Labiatae)
• Indian name: Ajwain
• Origin: Mediterranean region
• Cultivation: Grown in Europe, USA, Australia and North Asia.

Various types of thymes

• Garden thyme
• Wild thyme
• Orange thyme
• Anise thyme
• Caraway thyme

Harvesting and processing

• Leaves and flowers are harvested for five(5) months after sowing/planting.
• Leaves are plucked.
• Dried in shade or dryer in low degrees.
• Stored in an airtight container(to prevent loss of flavor)

Uses of thyme

• Herb is used as a food flavorant. Utilized in tomato soups, fish and meat dishes.
• Thyme oil is employed in the perfumery industry.
• It is also used in Ayurveda science having medicinal properties.
• Oil of thyme is used in the treatment of bronchitis and respiratory problems.
• It is also efficient to get rid of skin problems.

Benefits of thyme

With time the worth of the plant increased. Though it absolutely was in use for ages, with time more of its uses came to light. Oil extracted from thyme is used as a preservative for food, Reducing high blood pressure etc. Let’s look at some of its uses: 

Medical use:

• The leaves are said to possess laxative, stomachic and tonic properties, are good for kidneys and eyes, control blood pressure levels, and also work as blood purifiers.
• The herb also has insect-repellent properties.
• Thyme has antiseptic, antispasmodic and carminative properties.
• The oil of thyme is used to heal many problems as well as especially for intestinal antiseptic in treating hookworms. Its oil also has some antifungal and anthelmintic properties.

Killing the tiger mosquitoes(native to subtropical areas of Southeast Asia).

• Skin problems are common worldwide. In some countries, herbal preparations are important medicines.
• Help to reduce skin problems.