The botanical characteristics of thyme

There are several types of thyme, but the most common creeping thyme - herbaceous shrub from the family grubotsvetnyh with a strong pleasant smell, prostrate on the ground. The lower part of the plant woody, creeping, flowering branches stretching up to a height of 20 cm. The leaves are small, hard, oblong-oval, dark-green, bottom greyish-green, flowers are small, pinkish-purple, collected in capitate inflorescences. It blooms from May to September. Fruit - nut matures in September - October.

Creeping thyme is found in light pine forests on dry sandy soil or sand, dry rocky slopes in full sun. Widely distributed in the European part of the country, in Siberia and in the North Caucasus.

The chemical composition of creeping thyme and collecting vegetable raw materials

Medical raw material is a herb thyme. It is collected at the beginning of flowering, cut off only the young leafy twigs. Dry them in air dryers in the shade under the eaves or in the artificially heated kilns at temperatures up to 35 ° C.

The raw material is natural color, fragrant smell and a bitter taste. Thyme contains vitamin C, carotene (provitamin A), essential oils (flowering period - up to 1, 5%), bitter and tannins, organic acids (aminolonovaya, caffeic, quinic and others), flavonoids, minerals (potassium, calcium magnesium), a small amount of saponins. Thyme essential oil comprises a terpene: about 30% of thymol and cymene, borneol and other biologically active substances. A large number of grass thyme thymol gives antibacterial properties.

The use creeping thyme in medicine

Creeping Thyme has antibacterial, astringent, anti-inflammatory, sedative, anticonvulsant, expectorant, antispasmodic, choleretic, analgesic, diuretic, wound healing and anthelmintic action.

Thyme is used in the form of decoctions and infusions:

• respiratory diseases (including those with colds and flu) - as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant;
• bronchial asthma and whooping cough This pest, pest whooping ...   - How to remove bronchial spasm and expectorant;
• in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as an antispasmodic (relieves spasms of smooth muscles of the stomach and intestine), and anti-inflammatory agent;
• in diseases of the biliary tract - as a choleretic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic;
• in diseases of the kidney and urinary tract - as a diuretic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent;
• with nervousness, seizures, insomnia - as a sedative, hypnotic and mild anticonvulsant;
• with initial stages of hypertension Hypertensive heart disease - the prognosis is poor   and pain in the heart (cardioneurosis) as a sedative and lowers blood pressure Blood pressure - dangerous if his swing?   means;
• topically in the form of compresses with the infusion and decoction of herbs thyme - in diseases of the joints, muscles and peripheral nerves;
• topically in the form of decoctions and infusions for washing wounds and ulcers;
• topically to gargle with angina.

Contraindications for use creeping thyme are gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, hepatitis, acute infectious and allergic diseases of the kidneys (glomerulonephritis) and pregnancy.

Creeping thyme as a spice

Creeping thyme has a strong pleasant smell, so it is often used in cooking to prepare various dishes. As spices in dishes (salads, meat and fish dishes, borscht, soups, just broths, sauces) add a small amount of green leaves or dried grass plants. Thyme is also used in home canning vegetables (cucumber, tomatoes, and so on). On the basis of obtained thyme flavored teas that perfectly quench thirst and have a health-building properties.

How to make creeping thyme at home

From creeping thyme prepare infusions and decoctions for oral use and for external use:

• creeping thyme tincture for oral use: two teaspoons dried minced raw pour a glass of boiled water, in a water bath Sauna and health: the benefits and harms of bath procedures   30 minutes, filtered, made up to the initial level and take on a third cup three times a day before meals as an expectorant and sedative;
• creeping thyme tincture for external use: two tablespoons dried minced raw pour a glass of boiled water, in a water bath for 30 minutes, filtered, made up to the initial level and used as a gargle, compresses and lotions;
• creeping thyme tea is brewed at the rate of a teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiling water, leave for 10-15 minutes: drink with honey.

Creeping thyme - one of the most popular herbal remedies.

Galina Romanenko

Feijoa use to eat

In preparing feijoa food storage or after purification peel fruit should immediately immersed in a weak salt solution or water containing fresh lemon juice. Both of these methods do not allow the pulp to oxidize (darken). The pulp (with seeds) are eaten raw as a dessert or in salads, it is also added to puddings, cookies in the form of fillings, pancakes, dumplings, fruit biscuits, cakes or pies, or used as a taste for ice cream or soft drinks. Surplus fruits can be cleaned, cut in half and store syrup in glass jars, or slice and sugar, or as chutneys, jams, jelly, sauce or sparkling wine.

Thick petals have a spicy taste, eat them fresh to the children, and sometimes adults. Petals can be torn off without disturbing the fruit set.

Nutritional information per 100g edible portion

• Humidity - 84%
• Protein - 0 9%
• Fats - 0, 2%
• Carbohydrates - 10%
• Slag - 0, 5%

Minerals:

• Potassium - 166 mg
• Sodium - 5 mg
• Calcium - 4 mg
• Magnesium - 8 mg
• Phosphorus - 10 mg
• Iron - 0, 05 mg
• Ascorbic acid - 28-35 mg

Fruits are rich in water-soluble compounds of iodine. Percentage varies depending on the terrain and from year to year, but is usually in the range of 1 to 65 3, 90 mg / kg of fresh fruit. Most types of high pectin content, so that 1, 4 kilograms of gel may be prepared from 0 45 kilograms of fruit.