Red Thyme Essential OilBotanical Nomenclature: Thymus vulgaris Thyme essential oil is distilled from the leaves and flowers of Thymus vulgaris, one of 350 species of thyme grown around the world. Also known as red thyme, this species of thyme is the common thyme found most often in garden centers and backyard herb gardens. Depending upon whom you ask, the root word from which thyme gets its name means either "to fumigate" or "courage" in ancient Greek. Either way, legend tells us that Roman soldiers bathed in thyme-infused waters before entering battle. But thyme is best known as a antimicrobial. During the Plague, herbalists recommended thyme to protect against plague, leprosy and parasites like lice and ticks. Thyme was also a "strewn" herb used to fumigate homes during times of disease outbreaks.
Characteristics of Thyme Essential OilRed thyme essential oil is reddish in color and can range from brownish-red to orange. It has a warm, herbaceous scent with hints of spice and woody undertones.Thyme made from T. serpyllum will be much lighter in color but have a similar scent. This species of thyme is usually known as "white" thyme.
Psychological AromatherapyA number of popular aromatherapy authors have written about thyme. Most agree that thyme essential oil warms the body and stimulates the flow of Qi. Thyme personalities are described as clear-headed and hard-working nature lovers.Traditional Uses for Thyme OilPerhaps thyme's best-known use was as a preventative and treatment for various respiratory infections. For centuries, thyme has been considered a protective agent against any number of diseases and, today, we know that thyme does, in fact, have antimicrobial actions.Scientific Studies on Thyme OilThyme is not a particularly pleasant-smelling essential oil but its use has been studied fairly extensively.Digestive Support Thyme oil is sometimes listed as an appetite stimulant and a 2007 study from Scotland seems to support this. When added to the normal food given to newborn chicks, thyme increased the amount of food the chicks ate and this, in turn, resulted in higher body mass. Antioxidant Actions In laboratory tests, thyme oil exhibits antioxidant actions. This was clearly demonstrated in a 2007 test in which thyme, mixed with clove oil, resulted in a 90% reduction in malonaldehyde formation when tested with human skin lipids. Antimicrobial Effects Thyme has long been regarded as an antimicrobial and this effect has been clearly demonstrated over and over in scientific tests. One of the most recent studies on thyme's germ-killing actions was a 2007 study that found the thymol content in thyme oil a potent agent against one of the most common human infections, Candida albicans. Thyme also kills various strains of bacteria, as well. A 2006 study looking at various preventatives for Listeria found thyme oil "strongly antimicrobial". And while this study didn't actually study thyme as a food additive, a 2005 study of thyme's effect on E. coli did--producing what the study's authors referred to as "interesting" while encouraging further investigation into thyme's value as a food additive to fight E. coli and other food-borne illnesses.
Safety IssuesLike most other essential oils, thyme has not been exhaustively studied for long-term safety. Popular aromatherapy texts generally list is as "non-toxic" but a potential sensitizer.To our knowledge, thyme has not been studied for use during pregnancy or lactation.
References: Battaglia, S. (2005). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Cross, D., et al. (2007). The effect of herbs and their associated essential oils on performance, dietary digestibility and gut microflora in chickens from 7 to 28 days of age. Wei, A., et al. (2007). Antioxidant activities of essential oil mixtures toward skin lipid squalene oxidized by UV irradiation. Braga, P., et al. (2007). Eugenol and thymol, alone or in combination, induce morphological alterations in the envelope of Candida albicans. Rasooli, I., et al. (2006). Ultrastructural studies on antimicrobial efficacy of thyme essential oils on Listeria monocytogenes. JuglChizzola, M., et al. (2005). Effects of Thymus vulgaris L. as feed additive in piglets and against haemolytic E. coli in vitro. Leave Thyme Essential Oil & return to Essential Oils Directory page.
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