For a long period of time, thyme essential oil has been used as a natural remedy and keeper of the health.
Before modern antibiotics appeared, it was regularly used as a medication on bandages whereas in the Roman era, it was consumed as prevention against poisoning.
Today, thyme is one of the best antifungal and antibacterial herbs today.
According to newest research, thyme essential oil is beneficial in natural pain reduction.
Moreover, a study done by Iran’s Babol University of Medical Sciences found that thyme isn’t just good at pain reduction, but also for relieving menstrual cramps, even better than ibuprofen does!
The Pain Relieving Properties of Thyme Oil
For the purposes of the research, the team tested 84 female students who reported painful menstruation. The age range was from 18 to 24 and all of them had primary dysmenorrhea.
This is a medical term for the women who suffer from menstrual cramps that aren’t triggered by other illnesses.
The pain can range from mild to serious and it can last from 12 to 72 hours.
Other accompanying symptoms are vomiting, tiredness, diarrhea, and nausea. Secondary dysmenorrhea is when the pain is a result of some underlying disorder such as an infection, endometriosis, etc.
The participants were divided into 3 groups with 28 women. One group took 200 mg of ibuprofen plus 25 drops of a placebo essential oil.
The other group took 25 drops of 2 percent thyme oil plus a placebo capsule. The third group was given 25 drops of the placebo oil and the placebo capsule.
They started the treatment on the first day of the menstruation and took a dose every 6 hours.
They recorded their pain severity at the start before they started with the treatment, 60 minutes after every dose, and 24 and 48 hours after starting the therapy.
The participants also rated their blood flow.
The measurements showed that the therapeutic effect of thyme oil continued for women through the second cycle whereas that of ibuprofen reduced.
Other Amazing Healing Properties of Thyme Oil
Alleviates stress
Thyme essential oil can help you reduce anxiety and better your mood. This is because it’s rich in vitamin B6 that directly impacts the neurotransmitters in the brain associated with the stress hormones.
Moreover, it’s rich in vitamins A and C that also participate in the response to stress. It also contains carvacrol, a compound which has been found to have a mood improving effect.
Reduces the blood pressure & bad cholesterol
Thyme is known to relieve hypertension and studies have discovered that thyme extract lowered the heart rate of the subjects with hypertension, and also lowered their cholesterol and triglycerides.
What’s more, it was found to be able to elevate the levels of good cholesterol.
May help in the fight against cancer
The carvacrol in thyme oil was found to impede the growth and migration of colon cancer cells in one Chinese study.
Another 2014 study discovered that thyme had the most beneficial effects of numerous essential oils. It was the best in scavenging for free radicals and in the degradation of fats.
Helpful in respiratory health problems
Thyme oil is a potent antiseptic which helps maintain the health of the respiratory system.
Namely, a German study found that the group that was treated with thyme and ivy combination had 50 percent reduction in their cough two days earlier than the placebo group.
It’s believed that the thymol and carvacrol of thyme is what give it its ability to avert and alleviate cough and ease the removal of mucus by making it thinner.
Sources: