Know2eat

Dried thyme

Thymus vulgaris

What dried thyme has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About dried thyme

Thyme leaf stripped from the stem and dried. Like rosemary it holds up well, because thymol and carvacrol are comparatively stable. The USDA entry is per 100 g of dried leaf — a jar rather than a portion.

Also known as dried thyme, thyme leaves dried, tomillo

Respiratory HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Respiratory function

Respiratory Health
Limited evidence

Thyme is the active component of several licensed European cough syrups, usually combined with ivy or primrose, and randomised trials of those products report faster symptom improvement in acute bronchitis. The evidence belongs to standardised fluid extracts at defined doses, often alongside another herb, and does not transfer to thyme tea or to the dried herb in cooking.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Thyme has traditional use as a carminative and thymol is strongly antimicrobial in a test tube. Neither observation has been carried into human trials of digestive symptoms.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Dried thyme

Ask about Dried thyme

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories276 kcal14%
Protein9.11 g18%
Total fat7.43 g10%
Carbohydrate63.9 g23%
Fibre37 g132%
Total sugars1.71 g—
Water7.79 g—
Fats
Saturated fat2.73 g14%
Monounsaturated fat0.47 g—
Polyunsaturated fat1.19 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.5 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A190 µg21%
Vitamin C50 mg56%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E7.48 mg50%
Vitamin K1715 µg1429%
Thiamin (B1)0.513 mg43%
Riboflavin (B2)0.399 mg31%
Niacin (B3)4.94 mg31%
Vitamin B60.55 mg32%
Folate274 µg69%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline43.6 mg8%
Minerals
Calcium1890 mg145%
Iron124 mg687%
Magnesium220 mg52%
Phosphorus201 mg16%
Potassium814 mg17%
Sodium55 mg2%
Zinc6.18 mg56%
Copper0.86 mg96%
Manganese7.87 mg342%
Selenium4.6 µg8%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene2264 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin1895 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash11.7 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Spices, thyme, dried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170938).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • driedPreserves thymol content

    Thyme is among the herbs that dry well: the phenolic compounds that carry its flavour are relatively heat-stable, so dried thyme remains a credible substitute for fresh at roughly a third of the volume.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Thyme oil is corrosive; the herb is not

    Undiluted thyme oil burns skin and mucous membranes and has caused poisoning when swallowed. The essential oil and the dried leaf are separated by a very large concentration difference, and only one of them belongs in food.

  • Interaction

    Antiplatelet activity at extract doses

    Thymol and related phenols inhibit platelet aggregation in laboratory work. Nothing suggests an effect from cooking with thyme, but concentrated thyme preparations are worth mentioning alongside anticoagulants.

  • Allergy

    Mint-family allergy

    Thyme can cause contact dermatitis and occasional oral allergy, generally in people already reactive to oregano, marjoram or other Lamiaceae herbs.