Other than its use as a spice, thyme has a long history of use for the treatment of dry, spasmotis coughs as well as bronchitis. Iys antispasmodic actions have made it a common traditional recommendation for whooping cough. Thyme has also been used to ease an irritated gastrointestinal tract. The oil has been use to treat topical fungal infections and is also used in toothpastes to prevent gingivitis.
The primary constituents are the volatile oils, which include the phenols, thymol and carvacrol. These ar complimented by the actions of flavonoids. Due to the low toxicity of the herb, it has become a favorite in treating coughs in small children.
For cough a cup of tea made from 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of the herb taken several times a day is usually recommended. A fluid extract, 1/4-3/4 teaspoon 3 times a day, can also be used.
SIDE EFFECTS
The use of thyme by pregnant or breast-feeding women is considered to be safe. Thyme oil should be used topically, as internally it may lead to dizziness, vomiting and breathing difficulties. Some people may be sensitive to use of thyme oil topically on the skin or as a mouth rinse.
Five monoterpenes (carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, a-terpinene, and thymol) derived from the essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) were examined for their repellency against the mosquito Culex pipiens pallens. All 5 monoterpenes effectively repelled mosquitoes based on a human forearm bioassay. a-Terpinene and carvacrol showed significantly greater repellency than a commercial formulation, N,N-diethyl-m-methylbenzamide (deet), whereas thymol showed similar repellency to that of deet. The duration of repellency after application for all these monoterpenes was equal to or higher than that of deet. These findings indicate that a spray-type solution containing 2% a-terpinene may serve as an alternative mosquito repellent.