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Thyme oil

Thyme oil is an oil made from a plant called Thymus capitatus. Thyme oil is applied directly to the skin for burns and to treat and prevent infections. Thyme oil is used as a flavoring agent in food and beverages. In industrial production, thyme oil is used as a fragrance in soap, cosmetics and perfume.

How does thyme oil work?

There is not enough information available to say how thyme oil might work as a medicine.

How effective is thyme oil?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of thyme oil applied to the skin for burns, treating infections and preventing infections. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of thyme oil in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Thyme oil is safe and harmless for most people when used in normal food quantities. Not enough is known about the safety of using larger medicinal quantities.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Thyme oil is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women in normal dietary amounts. However, larger medicinal amounts should be avoided until more is known about their safety.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of thyme oil with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of thyme oil depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to be able to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for thyme oil. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Aeschbach R, Loliger J, Scott BC. Antioxidant actions of thymol, carvacrol, 6-gingerol, zingerone and hydroxytyrosol. Food Chem Toxicol 1994;32:31-6. View abstract.
  2. Arras G, Grella GE. Wild thyme, Thymus capitatus, essential oil seasonal changes and antimycotic activity. J Hortic Sci 1992;67:197-202.
  3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid= 786bafc6f6343634fbf79fcdca7061e1&rgn=div5&view= text&node=21:3.0.1.1.13&idno=21
  4. Helander IM, Alakomi H-L, Latva-Kala K, et al. Characterization of the action of selected essential oil components on gram-negative bacteria. J Agric Food Chem 1998;46:3590-5.
  5. Osawa K, Matsumoto T, Maruyama T, et al. Studies of the antibacterial activity of plant extracts and their constituents against periodontopathic bacteria. Bull Tokyo Dent Coll 1990;31:17-21.
  6. Stiles JC, Sparks W, Ronzio RA. The inhibition of Candida albicans by oregano. J Appl Nutrition 1995;47:96-102.
  7. Thompson DP. Effect of phenolic compounds on mycelial growth of Fusarium and Penicillium species. J Food Prot 1997;60:1262-4.
  8. Ultee A, Gorris LG, Smid EJ. Bactericidal activity of carvacrol towards the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. J Appl Microbiol 1998;85:211-8. view abstract.
  9. Viollon C, Chaumont JP. Antifungal properties of essential oils and their main components upon Cryptococcus neoformans. Mycopathologia 1994;128:151-3. View abstract.