Using Thyme Medicinally In Food
Herbs and spices are powerful medicine when added to foods. This is common knowledge in traditional cooking, a skill that is being kept alive by some foodies that not only makes their food taste better, many say it keeps them out of the doctor’s office. Thyme is a strong medicinal herb that is both easy to grow in a home garden and easy to use in cooking.
Thyme is often put into a stock pot of soup when making traditional Meat Stock or Broth Broth. It can be added to spaghetti, eggs, sauces, vegetables and more. Thyme partners well with poultry, fish, lamb and veal. It is rare to have something not favor well with thyme. Picking young thyme is the easiest as the older the thyme growth, the more woody the stem. Removing thyme leaves is easy and done by taking the long growth and running two fingers down the stem backwards. This causes the leaves to just fall off, leaving the tip leaves which can just be plucked. For making early Intro Stage Meat Stock for GAPS, thyme can be tossed into a cache (tied up in an old piece of cotton or unbleached coffee filter) or strained out of the stock prior to consumption.
Critical Review in Food Science and Nutrition shows thyme is, “Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic.”
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Phytotherapy Research says thyme contains thymol, which is used with the, “Formulation of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. Several studies have evaluated the potential therapeutic uses of this compound for the treatment of disorders affecting the respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Moreover, this compound also exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenesis, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic activities, as well as a potential as a growth enhancer and immunomodulator.”
Chemico-Biological Interactions says, “Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is used traditionally to prepare herbal remedies possessing expectorant, mucolytic, antitussive and antispasmodic properties. Moreover, the extract showed cytotoxic effects on H460 (lung cancer cell line) cancer cells. Thyme extract might be an effective treatment of chronic diseases based on inflammatory processes when hypersecretion of mucus overwhelms the ciliary clearance and obstructs airways, causing morbidity and mortality.”
The Journal of Medicinal Food reported a study where, “Mice were fed with a diet containing thyme once a day for 7 successive days, and then the enzyme activities in the livers were analyzed.” They found, “Thyme contains bifunctional inducers (i.e., substances capable of inducing both phase I and phase II enzymes”. Specifically, it increased enzymes in their bodies to a remarkable level, especially glutathione S-transferase.
*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She is a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, through The American Naturopathic Medical Association and works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. She serves on the GAPS Board of Directors and has recently been named “The GAPS Expert” by Dr. Natasha and will serve teaching other Certified GAPS Practitioners proper use of the GAPS protocol. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com
“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.
