Thyme is a representative of the Lamiaceae, it is one of the largest in its family. This is not the only name of the plant. Alternative options are thyme, verest, chebarka, zhadobnik, Bogorodskaya grass. Thyme has healing properties, is a fragrant seasoning and is used in cosmetology.
The ancient Romans, Slavs and Greeks endowed him with divine power. The plant is mentioned in the manuscripts of the philosopher Avicenna, for example, in the work "The Canon of Medicine". The warriors of Rome used thyme to give energy and vigor. The Slavs used it both for pagan rituals and for the treatment of diseases. They fumigated dwellings with them, believing that the smoke protects from damage and drives away evil spirits.
The name "Bogorodskaya grass" was given to thyme by the Slavs. When the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin came, our ancestors decorated the icon of the Mother of God with bouquets of thyme.
Appearance
Thyme is a low-growing shrub that reaches 35 centimeters in height. The plant has a woody recumbent or ascending stem with upright herbaceous branches and recumbent shoots. Thyme has a tap root system. Upright or slightly curvedhairs cover the entire stem. The size and shape of the leaves is different. At the ends of the branches, flowers grow, which are collected in capitate or elongated inflorescences. The corolla can be lilac, pink or white. The fruit of thyme - a box or nut - ripens from August to September. The fragrant plant blooms from June to August.
Distribution
There are many representatives of the genus Thyme, and they are distributed almost throughout Eurasia, North Africa and Greenland. More than 170 species grow in Russia. The places where the plant is found most often are the Urals, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Crimea.
Thyme is one of the most picky plants. Some of its representatives live in the steppe, others live in a forest glade, and still others prefer pine forest sands and mountain meadows.
Healing composition
What is the reason for the widespread use of such a plant as thyme? Medicinal properties and contraindications for use are determined by its chemical composition. It contains an essential oil (0.6%), the main components of which are thymol and carvacrol. Also present are tannins, vitamins, minerals, resins, bitters and gums. Thyme contains ursolic and oleanolic acids. The first substance has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and the second has anti-cancer effects.
Thyme. Medicinal properties and contraindications
Thyme has been used since ancient times in the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Thanks to the presencethymol in the composition of the plant, it is used as an antihelminthic and disinfectant. Thyme is able to improve the functioning of the digestive tract, lotions containing thyme help with insect bites.
Harm the plant brings with excessive use. Uncontrolled use may cause hyperthyroidism. Due to the presence of thymol, the plant is contraindicated in patients suffering from kidney ailments, peptic ulcers, it is used with caution by pregnant women. It is not recommended to use thyme for chronic constipation, atrial fibrillation, cardiosclerosis and atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels.
Plants harvesting
Mainly leafy branches are used for treatment. They are harvested when the thyme begins to bloom. Leaving the roots in the ground, the grass is cut and dried in the air in the shade. Raw materials must be stirred frequently. Next, dry grass is threshed and sieved. Raw materials are stored for two years in a dry, ventilated area.
The use of decoctions and tinctures in folk medicine
Powder and decoctions of thyme are successfully used for attacks of sciatica. Remedies can relieve inflammation of the sciatic nerve. A decoction of thyme with honey promotes expectoration, and also relieves pain. Rinsing the mouth with a fragrant remedy eliminates unpleasant odors, saves from stomatitis and sore throats. Thyme bath is useful for skin rashes, diseases of the joints and muscles, rheumatism. In this form, the plant is useful in the treatment of nervous diseases and syndrome.chronic fatigue. Take a bath with thyme for no more than 20 minutes, after making a decoction of the herb. The dry leaves of the plant, crushed into a powder, help to get rid of ulcers and wounds.
Thyme tincture is used as an expectorant. It is also used to rub sore muscles and joints, treats headaches, fights insomnia and calms the nervous system. The tincture is sold in pharmacies.
At home, it can be done as follows: pour chopped thyme with vodka or alcohol. Infuse for ten days at room temperature. Then strain the tincture and apply 15 drops inside after meals three times a day.
Using thyme essential oils
Mixtures with these substances in folk medicine are used as an external rubbing agent. Thyme oil is used in the treatment of lung diseases, and it also has the ability to stimulate biologically active points. The tool can be bought at a pharmacy or made at home. To do this, the grass is poured with olive or vegetable oil and insisted for a month.
Before taking, the required amount is filtered and rubbed clockwise on problem points. Thyme essential oils are an excellent antihelminthic, are used for pediculosis, help to reduce body weight, and also disinfect the air. But that is not all. Oils stabilize the menstrual cycle, increase immunity, reduce swelling and cheer up. The extract is used for eye diseases.
Treatmentthyme for respiratory ailments
You can get rid of bronchitis and bronchial asthma if you use thyme. Medicinal properties and contraindications for use are due to its chemical composition. For these diseases, tincture is used. To make it, you need to pour a small amount of grass with boiling water. The product is infused for about two hours. Apply the resulting remedy after eating a tablespoon three times a day.
For laryngitis, the collection of thyme with chamomile and plantain flowers is used. All plants must be taken in equal proportions. The collection is brewed with a cup of boiling water. Insist for an hour and take three times a day, a tablespoon before meals.
Quickly relieve cough thyme. It helps to cope with the problem of collecting thyme with fruits and flowers of hawthorn and blackcurrant leaves. A tablespoon of the mixture is brewed with a glass of boiling water. It is better to insist in a thermos for 6-8 hours. A collection of a third of a glass is applied 3 times a day.
For the prevention of colds, thyme tea is used. In addition, he is able to relieve headaches, relieve heartburn. If you take tea on an empty stomach, then the intestinal microflora will be in good shape, and dysbacteriosis will not manifest itself.
Fixing male problems
The benefits of thyme tea are expressed in the treatment of impotence and prostatitis. In addition to thyme, the collection consists of mint and oregano. The mixture is poured with boiling water. After a night of infusion, the drink can be drunk. Apply it every day, adding St. John's wort, wild rose or linden to tea. The grass contains zinc, whichfavorably affects the sexual function of men. Thyme is able to concentrate such important trace elements as molybdenum and selenium. The first is used in the fight against impotence, and the second is needed for the synthesis of testosterone (used for infertility).
Due to the presence of ursolic acid in thyme, it is used in the fight against baldness. The remedy is made as follows: three drops of thyme essential oil are mixed with a teaspoon of vodka. The resulting mass is rubbed into the scalp. No need to rinse. The procedure activates the growth of hair follicles and restores collagen and elastin tissues.
How to use thyme for children and pregnant women
The benefits and harms of the plant for pregnant women and young patients have long been known to doctors. Official medicine has created a number of medicines based on thyme. In folk medicine, grass has always been used in the treatment of the respiratory system of a child. Thyme cough will quickly relieve the baby. Baths with this plant are successfully used. They soothe, disinfect.
For expectant mothers, grass can only be used with the permission of a doctor. If it is obtained, then the decoctions are used as a diuretic, diaphoretic, expectorant. Thyme perfectly calms the nervous system, is used for disorders of the digestive tract, stabilizes metabolism. The plant successfully fights infections of the genitourinary system. Compresses from leaves and flowers will relieve pain in the back and joints. A decoction of thyme helps to increase lactation.
If the woman waitinga child, suffers from arrhythmia, her cardiac activity is disturbed, or there is a possibility of atherosclerosis, it is strictly forbidden to use thyme. It can significantly increase blood pressure. Also, the plant has the ability to increase the tone of the uterus, which can lead to miscarriage.
Alcoholism
What else is remarkable about thyme? The medicinal properties and contraindications of the plant are associated with the presence of thymol in its composition. To eliminate alcoholism, a fresh decoction of thyme is used. The grass is brewed with boiling water and cooked in a water bath for 15 minutes. It is necessary to take 50-70 ml of decoction several times a day. After that, the patient is given a sniff of vodka, and then he drinks it. After a short time, a natural reaction of the interaction of thymol and alcohol occurs - a person is sick.
Treatment is carried out for 1-2 weeks. An excellent doctor is the thyme plant. The benefits and harms of taking this gift of nature are known to both healers and doctors. Adverse reactions will be minimal if a specialist is consulted before using herbal medicine.
Effective drug
Consider the drug "Codelac" with thyme (instructions for use are presented below). Based on thyme, several medicines have been developed that can relieve coughs. The children's drug is called "Pertusin", and for adults developed "Codelac Broncho" with thyme. The last medicine has anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, expectorant action. Severe diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, pneumonia serveindication for its use.
The elixir is taken orally with food, washed down with water. Children aged two to six years receive 2.5 ml three times a day. Children from 6 to 12 years old are prescribed 5 ml of medication. Adults take 10 ml four times a day. Treatment lasts 5 days.
At the first signs of an overdose (vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia), it is necessary to induce artificial vomiting and gastric lavage. There may be adverse reactions from the digestive system (constipation, nausea), the respiratory system (dry mucous membranes), as well as allergic reactions. In these cases, you should consult your doctor about the possibility of changing the drug. The instruction contains such data.
Thyme is incompatible with certain substances. Based on this, it is impossible to carry out treatment with this drug together with other antitussives, as this can lead to difficulty in sputum discharge. "Codelac Broncho" is not used by pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under two years of age.
A final word about thyme
The thyme plant, whose properties and contraindications are due to its unique composition, can be called a cure for all misfortunes, because the spectrum of its therapeutic action is huge. Thyme has the following properties:
1. Antiseptic.
2. Anti-inflammatory.
3. Painkillers.
4. Antispasmodic.
5. Antimicrobial.
6. Expectorant.
7. Calming.
8. Antihelminthic.
9. Sleeping pills.
Thyme doesn't cure dandruff, alcoholism, and ulcers. Apply decoctions, tinctures, plant oils, drink tea with it, take baths. Due to its wide distribution and ease of preparation, reliable medicine is always at hand. Thyme is a remedy for many diseases. But we must not forget to consult with your doctor before using it, especially if you are at risk.
