Bogorodskaya herb thyme - medicinal properties and contraindications. How to dry thyme

Thyme, or as it is also called creeping thyme and Bogorodskaya grass, is a medicinal plant with a fragrant aroma. Outwardly, it resembles a small creeping shrub that blooms with very small lilac-pink flowers.

The ancient Romans, Greeks and our ancestors - the Slavs extolled medicinal properties thyme and considered him very strong folk remedy, which is endowed with divine power. In his writings, Avicenna mentioned him, and the soldiers of Rome took baths with this herb to get vitality and cheer up.

Properties and composition of thyme

The Slavs more often used this plant for various pagan rituals, fumigated rooms with it, made infusions and decoctions, which they treated various diseases. They believed that the aroma of this herb drives away evil spirits, treats fear in children, and also provides protection from the evil eye and damage.

Its second name - Bogorodskaya grass - thyme received due to the prevailing in Ancient Russia traditions - decorate an icon with bouquets of this grass Mother of God on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Creeping thyme is distributed in almost all areas Russian Federation, and there are about 30 of its species. But in the United States, Canada and Europe, this plant is grown specifically. In addition to all this, the plant is an excellent honey plant, for which he received his recognition from beekeepers.

This fragrant herb is widely used in cooking. Dried vegetation is added to sauces, soups, minced meat and for frying fish. thyme makes ready meal not only tastier and saturates it with a bright aroma, but also improves the performance of the digestive tract. In Turkey, Greece and Spain, the plant is necessarily added when pickling olives. Tea from this herb with the addition of honey and other herbs perfectly fights colds.

All the medicinal properties of thyme are due to its composition.. After all, it contains thymol, organic acids, useful bitterness, tannins, vitamins C, B, gum and resins, flavonoids, carotene, as well as required amount micro and macro elements, for example: calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, selenium, sodium, manganese, copper and iron.

The best time to accumulate in the plant useful substances- this is its flowering, therefore, in order to dry the plant, it is better to collect it during flowering. 100 g of crushed plant contains only 66 kcal, thyme is a low-calorie plant.

Thyme: useful properties

This herb has many healing properties- such as: expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, sedative, antispasmodic, disinfectant, wound healing. In addition, it normalizes sleep well, expands the bronchi and enhances the secretion of gastric juice.
The plant is one of the oldest medicines. Infusion from it can be used inside, rinse oral cavity, apply for inhalations, poultices, lotions and compresses. Thyme infusion is especially good for treating children's coughs, it is also used to treat hard drinking, female diseases, insomnia, whooping cough, and work dysfunction. gastrointestinal tract.
Compresses and baths from useful herbs are used to eliminate pain from gout, articular rheumatism, bruises, tumors. If the patient has bad smell from the mouth, then the infusion of the plant is used inside and for rinsing the mouth. Due to the fact that the plant contains essential oils, it gives freshness to the breath, and also normalizes the work of the stomach and is very useful for heartburn.
For kidney disease and Bladder thyme is also useful, and its leaves eliminate headaches - they make a bandage on the forehead, and you can rinse your head with infusion.
If you sew the leaves of this plant into the pillow, then insomnia disappears, nervous system will come in order.

thyme tea eliminates dysbacteriosis in children and adults, you need to drink it in the morning before breakfast. Creeping thyme leaves can be simply rubbed in your hands and smelled of them. The essential oils that they contain have antibacterial properties, and for colds, this plant is a must.

The use of thyme

In order to cook infusion from Bogorodskaya grass, you need 1 tbsp. l. brew its leaves with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for about 1 hour and then strain. It must be used when colds with honey for 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
You can insist creeping thyme on alcohol - for 1 liter of 70% alcohol, you need to take 100 g of grass. You need to use it 3 times a day, 15 drops after meals.
For cooking decoction from creeping thyme you need 1 tbsp. l. herbs pour 2 tbsp. water and boil over low heat for 2 minutes, and then leave for half an hour and strain. It is necessary to drink it ½ cup 2 times a day for colds, coughs and inflammatory processes.
To make tea, you need 1 tsp. crushed grass flowers pour 1 cup boiling water, leave for about 5 minutes, if desired, you can add sugar or honey and drink the resulting tea from Bogorodsk grass.
To take a bath with this useful plant, 400 g of grass should be brewed with 4 liters of boiling water and infused for 15 minutes, then cooled to 37 ° C, strain and pour into the bath. Such procedures are suitable for gout, arthritis and rheumatism.

Thyme: contraindications

This herb has very few contraindications, but still, when using it in the treatment of any disease, you need to know about them. . During pregnancy, it can not be used, as well as in violation of the kidneys, liver and thyroid gland. But for women who are breastfeeding children, contraindications do not apply, because tea with Bogorodsk grass activates lactation.

In any case, before using this herb, it is necessary to properly consult a qualified specialist and only with his consent begin a course of treatment with this plant.

When to harvest thyme?

They collect creeping thyme for the Trinity, but it is possible in late summer - early autumn. It is best to cut this grass with a knife, then root system is not damaged. The collected Bogorodsk grass can be cut immediately, without washing it first, and then passed through a meat grinder.

The resulting slurry must be poured with boiled cooled water - 1 liter of water is taken for 5 kg of grass. After 1.5 hours, juice should be squeezed out of it using a juicer or a press. After it can be preserved - for 250 ml of vodka you need to take 750 ml of juice.

For drying, thyme is harvested in the morning, like other medicinal herbs, in early June. The flowers of the plant should be dried in a dark place, and then placed in a paper bag. If the flowers of Bogorodsk grass were dried in a dark, unventilated place, then they will not lose their smell and color.

Thyme has been used to treat many diseases since ancient times., nowadays specialists traditional medicine also actively used. Not always medications, bought in pharmacies, bring a positive effect due to chemical elements included in their composition. However, before using this plant in the treatment of diseases, it is better to consult a specialist, because each organism is individual!

Collection and further preparation of the plant for use

Thyme has a second name - creeping thyme (what is the difference between thyme and thyme can be found). Its name is based on appearance plants, because thyme is a small creeping shrub with small lilac flowers. It grows in small clusters in remote areas, which causes some inconvenience for its collection.

Interesting! for the body was known to our grandmothers!

Due to the lack of popularity of the use of herbs, self collection at home (as a rule, people buy ready-made dried bunches), not many people know when to cut thyme for drying. But the least people know!

Important! Collection and drying directly affects its preservation useful properties, since further growth of the plant leads to the loss of microelements important for the treatment, such as vitamin C, B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, organic acids, tannins and many other chemical components.

Thyme: harvesting and drying

Since ancient times, the Slavs used grass to prepare various decoctions and conduct magical rituals. The smell of grass is believed to be able to drive away evil spirits from the house. And in modern megacities, sometimes there are houses and apartments with bunches of dried plants near front door. Even for rituals and fumigation of houses, our ancestors followed the rules of cutting and.

When to Harvest Thyme for Drying

It is customary to collect thyme on the eve of the bright Orthodox holiday Trinity. Today, this custom is somewhat forgotten, so people simply start collecting in early June in the morning. In principle, this is also correct. At this time, the plant has fully grown, bloomed its beautiful flowers, and the presence of dew will allow you to "take" thyme home.

It is only necessary to collect the tops of grass - these include the inflorescence itself and a short stem. During the collection, always use a manual pruner or a regular knife. It is not recommended to uproot the plant, since there are no useful properties in the root system, which means that it is not worth “destroying” it.

After assembly, the creeping thyme is laid out on a cotton fabric in the shade and without blowing by the wind. The layout is not carried out in a thick layer so that it dries faster. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Otherwise, you will not achieve drying, but only slow wilting.

Important! If you did not have time to prepare the collection at the beginning of summer, you can do it at the end of summer and early autumn. At this time, the whole spectrum of useful substances is also present in the grass.

Wash or not wash thyme before drying

When the thyme has already been harvested, many people wonder: “Do I need to wash the grass before drying it?”. Often this question arises among people who have "switched" to the management healthy lifestyle life, and first turned to the collection and drying of plants. The plant must not be washed in any case! There are several reasons here:

Thyme must be collected in remote areas from pollution - roads, residential buildings and other buildings.
It is better to collect on forest edges, clearings.
Flowers must be clean, free of dust and other small contaminants.
Washed thyme in the process of drying will only rot, which will render the plant unusable for use.

Please follow the simple rules to take advantage of a financially economical, but at the same time very useful medicine. Proper drying of thyme is the key to effective use.

Creeping thyme is one of the wonderful honey plants from which bees make amazingly fragrant honey. A dry plant, along with other herbs, is used in the ritual of incense in churches.

It should be especially known that thyme can actually affect the body both excitingly and relaxingly, depending on the dosage and method of application. Fresh grass is an excellent addition and seasoning to the diet, in particular, its sprigs give a peculiar taste to the sauce, first and second courses (especially peas and beans).

In addition to the above, they perfectly eliminate the effects of insect bites. Thyme hung in the closet will always prevent the appearance of moths. Fresh grass has long been used in pickling tomatoes, cucumbers, squash. Thyme spice is almost indispensable in the preparation of game and fish dishes.

Thyme: harvesting and drying

How to prepare thyme for tea

As indicated in the titled article, thyme blooms in June (second half of the month) and July (first half). Raw material fee medicinal plant it is allowed to do it twice: during flowering (preferably at the final stage of the flowering process in July) and after the appearance of fruits (end of August). However, the first collection is more preferable from all points of view (the healing effectiveness of thyme, the preservation of the guarantee of the future harvest, and others). On the large areas mowers are used, for individual collections - scissors, secateurs and knives.

When harvesting, branches with flowers are cut (it is possible with stems), but, as a rule, above 15 cm from the surface of the earth, since shorter cutting or pulling out of plants with roots will destroy the next year's crop.

How to dry thyme for the winter

Drying is carried out only vivo in the shade, for which they use ventilated sheds, haylofts, sheds. Raw materials dried in warm and dry weather without direct sunlight have the most healing properties.

Special conditions apply to the storage of harvested raw materials: only in fabric bags or glass jars with a stable room temperature, the drops of which provoke the formation of condensate. Safety should not exceed two years.

Tea with thyme: medicinal properties

Thyme teas are very popular because (in addition to the usual energy effects on the body) they have various therapeutic effects. When coughing, honey is added to them, and for gastric (intestinal) diseases, sugar is excluded.

Thyme: how to brew for cough

Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into dry leaves (5 g), a half-hour water bath is made, cooled, filtered, cooled in the refrigerator (while the medicine lasts up to 10 days). Use in a dose of 30 ml (with preheating) - twice a day without reference to food intake. The effect of expectoration after the start of the reception will appear on the second day.

Tea to eliminate general nervousness

5 g of flowers and leaves are mixed with a normal dose of tea (any). Brew in a teapot 0.3 liters of boiling water (with the lid closed, the infusion lasts 20 minutes). This dose will be enough for two people. Drink 150 ml at bedtime (once). The healing effect is manifested on the third day. The severity of the reception is not necessary.

Tea with thyme for colds and catarrhal bronchitis

Half a liter of boiling water is poured into 10 g of grass, they soar for 5 minutes in a bath, give 10 minutes of infusion, and filter. Reception of 70 ml is carried out 5 times daily in a warm form (it is allowed before a meal - half an hour, and also after two hours after it).

Thyme for flu prevention

Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into 10 g of a herbal mixture (1: 1) of thyme and sage, the infusion is carried out in a thermos (2 hours). They drink four times daily at a dose of 70 ml for the prevention of influenza, with influenzal bronchitis and laryngitis.

Treatment of eye diseases

The progression of myopia, cataracts, glaucoma (especially in old age) stops thyme with honey. A pound of honey (liquid) is poured into fresh grass (70 g). In a week the medicine will be ready. Daily intake of it (inside) 25 g (three times a day) will restore ocular metabolic functions while inhibiting degenerative processes in the eyes.

Thyme for alcoholism

The combination of thyme and wormwood allows you to completely defeat alcoholism. Water (0.25 ml) is poured into 10 g of their mixture (4: 1), kept for 5 minutes in a water bath, insisted for half an hour, filtered. Three times a day, take a dose of 20 mg. The treatment course lasts up to three months. Usually, after half a month of drinking a decoction, patients begin to show rejection of alcohol.

Thyme oil: application

It is sold in pharmacies and is widely used in cosmetology for the manufacture of shampoos and balms in order to preserve hair. It restores hair that is weakened and affected by dyes and perms, perfectly copes with nail fungus. Its hot compresses relieve pains of rheumatic origin. Thyme oil stops the processes of decay in meat. For example, in meat broth it keeps bacteria from multiplying for three days.

It restores normal digestion, and therefore shows healing in diseases of the stomach and intestines. Oil restores the body after illnesses. However, when using it, it must be diluted without fail, otherwise burns are possible. Moreover, at bath reception it needs to be dissolved first. It activates the body's ability to resist infections due to the increase in white blood cells, which is required for recovery from illness. For purulent skin inflammations, dermatitis, eczema, a mixture of oil (3 g), a neutral nourishing cream (5 g) is used.

Contraindications to the use of thyme

These include almost all acute diseases of the stomach, kidneys, liver. It is undesirable to use pregnant women and lactation. In exceptional cases, preparations from thyme are allowed for children up to the age of three years. Infrequently, individual intolerance to thyme preparations is manifested, which is due to the rich presence of essential oils in it.

What are the features of plant storage? How to dry thyme for tea? You can learn about all this from our material.

General description of the plant

Before we tell you how to dry thyme at home, let's look at its description. The plant is a perennial, drought-resistant shrub. Such a grass has branched stems, the height of which reaches an average of 20 cm. Thyme has elliptical small bright green leaves. The latter are attached to the stems on short petioles. At the top of the shoots are formed purple flowers collected in capitate baskets. The fruits of thyme are brown nuts, which have an ellipsoidal shape. The plant has a pronounced sweetish, rather spicy smell.

Growth areas

Thyme is widely distributed in southern European countries. The plant has been cultivated for centuries and used as a spice in Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, and Spain. This fragrant herb grows in the Canary Islands, in North Africa. Hundreds of varieties of thyme are traditionally cultivated in Greenland. In the expanses of post-Soviet countries, the plant can be found in the central and southern parts of Russia, throughout Belarus, Ukraine, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus.

Under natural conditions, thyme grows in forest areas. Such a healing herb prefers pine forests with their sandy soils. You can meet the plant in glades, in ravines, on the edges. Occasionally, thyme grows in meadows, rocks, in rocky terrain.

Chemical composition

Thyme herb contains the following elements in its structure:

Cymol.
Ursolic and oleic acids.
Carvacrol.
Gum.
organic pigments.
Tannins.
mineral salts.
Terpenes.

When should the plant be harvested?

Considering the question of how to dry and store thyme, you need to pay attention to the features of collecting raw materials. It is recommended to harvest the plant during the flowering period. Most often, inflorescences begin to form in the last months of summer. The process ends in September-October.

According to folk beliefs, best time for the collection of thyme, large Orthodox holidays- Trinity and Assumption of the Virgin. There has long been an opinion among the people that during this period such a herb acquires special healing qualities. If the harvesting of raw materials occurs in order to use the plant as a spice, then the shoots should be cut off as late as possible, when the maximum amount of fragrant essential oils is concentrated in the plant.

How to dry thyme at home?

In order to harvest raw materials, they resort to drying in natural conditions. It is noteworthy that in this case, the plant can lose up to 60% of its original mass, since a substantial amount of moisture leaves it. So, how to dry thyme at home? The procedure involves the following steps:

First you need to find a device on which the shoots of the plant will be laid out. For these purposes, you can use a metal baking sheet or a tray, a piece of sheet metal, a dense linen fabric.
The selected plane should be covered with paper, and then the raw materials should be laid out on it in an even layer.
How to dry thyme? For harvesting, the collection of plants is placed in a well-ventilated area. In such conditions, thyme should remain for at least a week. At high humidity or poor ventilation, the grass can rot, become moldy and deteriorate.
How to dry thyme so that it does not deteriorate? To do this, the raw material must be turned over regularly. In rainy weather or with the onset of frost, the grass should be brought indoors.
During drying, the ambient temperature should not exceed 35 ° C. Otherwise, the essential oils that the shoots are saturated with will simply disappear. Thus, the plant will lose its rich aroma and lose a significant part of its healing properties.
To avoid contamination of the collection, its destruction by insects, during drying, the raw materials are covered with gauze or a fine mesh.

How do you know when drying is finished?

So we learned how to dry thyme. But how to understand that the plant is ready for use? This will be indicated by a change in the shade of the shoots from bright green to dark color. The stems will become hard to the touch, they can be easily broken with minimal pressure.

At sufficient level After drying, the leaves will easily separate from the stems. Inflorescences when squeezed in the fingers will be easily crushed.

What is thyme kept in?

It is important to know not only how to dry thyme, but also in what conditions it should be stored. The best option for storage of raw materials will be glass containers. You can also use canvas or cotton bags. suitable for these purposes and carton boxes. It is necessary to place the plant in such containers in a dry, well-ventilated place.

Dried raw materials are not recommended to be distributed over plastic bags. Here the healing herb will sing. This, in turn, will lead to a rapid loss of its original qualities. Compliance with the above tips will allow you to store and use thyme for several years.

Useful properties of tea based on thyme

Having figured out how to dry thyme, you can start preparing a healing drink. Teas from such herbs have been known since ancient times as effective remedy in the treatment of colds.

The active elements in the structure of the plant contribute to the elimination of insomnia, the feeling of chronic fatigue. For this reason, these teas are recommended for people with a weakened body.

Tea with thyme is an excellent remedy for thermoregulation. On hot days, its use will have a refreshing effect. In the cold, the drink will fill the body with warmth. At the same time, tea is allowed not only for adults, but also for children.

Decoction of healing herb good for dysbacteriosis. With regular use, the agent inhibits the pathogens of the pathogenic microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Substances in the composition of the plant stimulate internal secretion.

Many herbalists note that thyme tea helps to expel helminths from the body. It is given to children in order to prevent ascariasis, the destruction of pinworms. For babies, a decoction of such a herb will help get rid of the formation of copious amounts of gases.

Folk recipes

The following drinks can be prepared on the basis of thyme:

A few tablespoons of dried crushed raw materials are poured into a glass of boiling water. A teaspoon of green tea is added to this. The decoction is infused for 15 minutes. Such a decoction eliminates coughing attacks, softens breathing, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
A tablespoon of thyme and a similar amount of mint are poured with boiled water. The composition is boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. The product is infused until it cools, and then filtered through a fine sieve. When used regularly instead of regular tea, it helps to reduce the risk of developing respiratory diseases.
Thyme, chamomile, rosemary and sweet clover are mixed in equal proportions. The composition is brewed and infused until cool. Drink this tea several times a day, which can improve skin condition.
Several inflorescences of the plant are combined with a tablespoon of any tea. Raw materials are brewed in a teapot and infused for 15-20 minutes. Use the remedy before bedtime. This tea improves sleep and reduces general irritability. The positive effect is manifested approximately on the third day.

Since ancient times, the medicinal plant thyme has been known to people as a wonderful remedy for many diseases.

It can be found everywhere and even grown on your own. personal plot, in a place protected from the wind, but at the same time well lit by sunlight.

Nowadays, thyme enjoys a huge amount of attention and is also used for medicinal purposes, as before.

When to harvest thyme

It blooms amazingly beautiful and very fragrant plant from May to August. And it is at this time that it should be harvested for the winter.

The harvesting process has several secrets and nuances that you should be aware of.

Thyme should be harvested in sunny, dry weather from 8 am to 5 pm;

In order to carefully cut branches with leaves and flowers, you should use a sharp knife or sickle;

Thick lignified shoots that are near the ground cannot be touched, and even more so, you cannot pull out the plant along with the root;

The ideal time to harvest thyme is June and July.

How to dry thyme

In order to properly dry this plant, you should follow some rules:

Do not dry thyme in the sun, only in the shade and in a well-ventilated area (under a canopy or in the attic).

Do not dry thyme in a dryer, as during this procedure the valuable essential oils contained in this plant evaporate.

Most often, the plant is laid out on a clean cloth, or hung in small bunches.

The grass should be mixed periodically and this should be done very carefully.

Ready, well-dried plant should be easily separated from the stem.

After the thyme is thoroughly dried, it should be sorted out, i.e. separate rough and blackened stems, and stems that are covered with bloom.

Thyme should be stored in bags made of cotton fabric. For more long-term storage(but not more than 2 years) glass containers are suitable.

Now you know when to harvest thyme, how to dry and store it. And what is the use of this plant and how to use it correctly at home?

The healing properties of thyme

1. Anti-inflammatory effect on the whole body.

2. Antiseptic, which helps to destroy all harmful microbes.

3. Expectorant action, especially helpful in chronic bronchitis.

4. Painkiller, for people suffering from periodic headaches and joint pains.

5. Sedative effect, helps to normalize the nervous state and improve sleep.

6. Regenerating, for large and small wounds, bruises.

Tinctures prepared from the plant are actively used for oral administration, inhalation and in the form of health compresses.

Thyme helps people suffering from hard drinking, children with a strong cough, women with periodic pain.

Baths based medicinal plant help people with gout disease or articular rheumatism.

If a person is tormented by bad breath, then it is necessary to take teas with thyme. It will improve the functioning of the stomach, freshen breath, and also help stop heartburn.

A decoction of thyme is used to rinse the head severe pain or tie a few leaves to the forehead, which helps to get rid of migraines.

The use of the plant is effective for people suffering from diseases of the bladder. It is good to use plant-based essential oils for the prevention of colds.

How to cook thyme

1. To make tinctures at home, pour one small spoon of the plant with boiling water, let it brew and store in a thermos. Take a teaspoon three times a day.

2. To prepare an alcohol tincture with thyme, you will need: a dry plant and 70% alcohol. The herb is infused with alcohol for several days. It is taken 15 drops three times a day after or before meals.

3. To prepare a decoction, you need one small spoonful of dry herbs for two cups of boiling water. Heat everything over low heat for a few minutes, let it brew and strain. Take for colds, coughs or inflammatory processes at least half a cup once a day.

4. Thyme is consumed like regular tea. To do this, the plant is brewed in a teapot and honey or sugar is added to taste, directly into the mug.

5. Plant-based baths are used once a week for a general healing effect. To prepare water for the procedure, you need to take 400 gr. dry thyme and pour 4 liters of boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes, then strain and add to the bath.