Thyme
Healing essence of thyme Powerful antioxidant In a comprehensive global analysis of over 3100 different foods published in the January 2010 edition of the Nutrition Journal, thyme was found to have one of the highest antioxidant contents of all the foods studied. The leaves of thyme lend a distinctive flavour to a variety of Mediterranean and French dishes. Used by the ancient Egyptians for embalming, it has, in addition to its culinary uses, been burnt as incense, given to warriors to instill courage and taken to enhance mental function. In traditional medicine, thyme is valued as an antiseptic and has also been used to treat sore throats, arthritis, colic and fevers. It also has cardioprotective and cancer-preventing properties that make this spice an important contributor to the beneficial health consequences of eating a “Mediterranean” type diet. Medicinal PropertiesCancerMany of the phytonutrients present in thyme, notably some of its antioxidants, have well established anti-tumourigenic properties against a variety of cancer types.The most important of these cancer preventing compounds include caffeic acid, eugenol, ferulic acid, kaempferol, limonene, naringinin and the salicylates. Cardiovascular diseaseThyme contains a number of cardioprotective phytonutrients.Alpha-linolenic acid, for example, helps to lower high blood pressure and reduces platelet stickiness, as do caffeic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, naringenin and thymol. Eugenol and oleanolic acid lower cholesterol, while chlorogenic acid and rosmarinic acid have been shown to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. Anti-inflammatory propertiesAt least half of the phytonutrients present in this herb, in particular eugenol, ferulic acid, kaempferol and the salicylates, are effective anti-inflammatory agents.Often acting synergistically, the compounds in this one spice provide valuable artillery against the numerous inflammatory processes that underlie so many of our chronic diseases. Spice supplementVitaSpice capsules contain thyme and 20 other important medicinal spicesImportant phytonutrientsAntioxidants: Apigenin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, eugenol, ferulic acid, gallic acid, kaempferol, luteolin, myrcene, naringenin, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, salicylates, thymol, ursolic acid, vanillic acidOthers Alpha-linolenic acid, borneol, carvacrol, citrol, geraniol, limonene, pinenes, terpenes
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