Study: Thyme Plant extract revealed to be more effective than ibuprofen

Significant research has found thyme essential oil and its constituent thymol to be antiseptic. In fact, many mouthwashes and antiseptic wipes often contain thymol.

New research is also finding that thyme oil also reduces pain. Who would have thought?

Well, traditional medicines have been using thyme oil and other essential oils to help relieve pain for centuries.

Study finds Thyme Oil beats out Ibuprofen for pain relief

Researchers from Iran’s Babol University of Medical Sciences has confirmed that thyme is not only an excellent pain-relieving herb. It also reduces the pain of difficult menstruation better than ibuprofen.

The researchers tested 84 women university students who had reported difficult menstruation. The young women were aged between 18 and 24 years old. All were suffering from primary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea is usually defined as painful cramping that may or may not come with other symptoms such as backache, nausea, headaches, and dizziness. Secondary dysmenorrhea usually indicates menses pain that is related to another underlying condition.

Here the researchers added to the definition of primary dysmenorrhea that it appears within two years of the beginning of menses (menarche) and no pelvic pain during the other parts of the monthly cycle. This is logical because painful menses is more frequently seen among younger women within the first few years of the beginning of menses.

The results suggest that thymus vulgaris, as well as ibuprofen, can be effective in reducing the severity of pain and spasm in primary dysmenorrhea.

OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS OF THYME OIL

Antiseptic: Thyme essential oil is a good antiseptic and safeguards wounds and sores against infections. This is mainly due to the presence of components like Caryophyllene and Camphene in thyme.

Tonic: Thyme essential oil also tones up the circulatory system, heart, digestive system, nervous system, muscles, and skin while fortifying them and boosting immunity.

Hypertensive: You might raise your eyebrows about this medicinal property and may not see it as a benefit. However, this property is very beneficial for those who are suffering from low blood pressure. Those type of people run the risk of falling unconscious at any time and feeling sluggish. This oil can normalize their blood pressure by raising it, which is just as important sometimes as lowering it.

Antirheumatic: There are two main reasons behind rheumatism, arthritis, and gout. The first is improper or obstructed circulation, and the second one is an increasing concentration of toxins like uric acid in the bloodstream. Thyme essential oil can sort out both of these problems. Since it is a diuretic, it increases urination and helps in the removal of toxins from the body. Being a stimulant, it stimulates or activates circulation and thereby sorts out this problem in a separate way. Both ways help cure rheumatism and related conditions like arthritis.

Additional uses include:

• Thyme is useful on infections of the urinary tract and bladder, and also acts as a diuretic, increasing its effectiveness

• Also use for candida and vaginitis

• Use to kill nail fungus

• Thyme is an ingredient in natural hand sanitizers

• Add thyme to a hot compress to relieve rheumatic pain, muscular aches and pains, sprains, sports injuries, sciatica, arthritis, gout

• Crush the fresh herb or use diluted oil as first aid on insect bites and stings

• Use on athlete’s foot. For this use, you can apply the oil neat, or undiluted, but protect the skin with some fatty cream. Other neat applications include animal bites and boils.

• Use a one percent solution as an antibacterial wash for fresh produce

• Use in hair and skin care regimes, as a hair tonic or in a face wash and for treatment of things like acne or warts

• Use thyme in a sitz bath or massage to stimulate menstruation for weak or missing periods

• Use to kill parasites

• Thymol, a chemical constituent in thyme essential oil, has been found to increase bloodflow to the skin, thought to speed healing

• Thymol has been found to protect and increase the percentage of healthy fats found in cell membranes

• Dietary consumption of thyme has been shown to increase the amount of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid) in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes

• Thyme will discourage insects from invading your home

• Use thyme with rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood in a mixture of grapeseed and jojoba carrier oils to treat alopecia areata. According to the double-blind controlled clinical trial, massage the mixture into the scalp daily for several months.

• Because of the risk of irritation, it is a good idea to use thyme in blends. It blends particularly well with bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lavender, rosemary, and pine.