The relatively low shrub (from 5 to 40 cm), popularly known as thyme (in the Ukrainian version - thyme) was not just a weed, which many consider it, but also an excellent means of combating various diseases. It has long been used by folk healers, knowing exactly how to prepare a therapeutic composition, and when to collect raw materials for tea, from which diseases it will help, how to brew this miraculous drink for beginners - we will describe further.
The benefits of dried thyme
The plant contains many beneficial components, in particular, bitter and tannins, fats, gum, oleic and ursolic acid, vitamins B and C. This rich set explains the possibility of rendering the wound healing, antiseptic and disinfecting effect of thyme on the human body, and it can be used both for prophylactic purposes and to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of certain diseases. In addition, the herb is successfully used in the food industry, medicine and cosmetology. 
The main advantage of the plant, which was the reason for its widespread use in traditional medicine, is the ability to expand the bronchi and promote expectoration, which is very important in the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough and prolonged coughing. In addition, do not underestimate the importance of infusions and decoctions of thyme when removing inflammatory processes.
For coughing, verbena, chestnut honey, juniper, mulberry, nasturtium, lungwort, ivy, propolis tincture, black radish, anise, chives are used.All formulations prepared on its basis, successfully used for rinsing the mouth with stomatitis, gingivitis and diseases associated with the pharynx: pharyngitis and tonsillitis. In the latter case, the infusion is often used for inhalation, while the decoction is more suitable for washing purulent wounds and creating lotions in the fight against boils and acne.
With the help of compresses on the basis of the plant, you have a chance to get rid of radiculitis, neuritis, sciatica, and the infusion of herbs eliminates abdominal pain, minimizes the manifestations of gastritis and relieves gastrointestinal colic, facilitating the general condition of meteorism and constipation.
Did you know? One of the most common names for thyme is "Bogorodskaya grass", which is directly related to the feast of the Trinity. It was this plant that used to decorate the icons of the Mother of God.
Tea with the addition of Bogorodskaya grass increases appetite, is well suited to reduce fatigue and normalize work, as it improves metabolism and can strengthen the body. By the way, the sleeping pills and the sedative properties of the herb perfectly help fight nervous breakdowns, depression and insomnia. Hanging bags of dry grass in the house will significantly improve your psychological state and even remove migraines, although in the latter case, it is better to wash your head with a decoction of the plant to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.Melissa, ginger, oregano, common dope, mint, lovage, honey, scorzonera, plelectrantus, barberry, clary sage, black nightshade have a beneficial effect on the nervous system.We should also mention the beneficial effects of decoctions, tinctures and thyme oil on men's health, which is especially important in the treatment of impotence and prostatitis. Infusions consumed inside, with a decoction, take a bath, and the oil is rubbed into the crotch area.
Some folk healers use the plant and to rid people of alcohol dependence, because it is difficult to underestimate its effect on the body weakened by toxins. Moreover, the constituent components of the plant also perform a hepatoprotective function, since they save a person from the slags that appear as a result of the decay of ethanol. Over time, with regular use of herbs, even develop intolerable intolerance to alcohol. 
Did you know? According to botanists, it is more correct to call thyme “thyme”, since it is from the Greek concept “thymon” that the genus was named. No confusion should arise here, because this is the same plant, in addition to its healing properties, which also has value for the food industry (used as a spice and acts as a component of pickles and marinades).
When and how to collect
As in cooking, and in folk healing, only the aboveground part of the plant is used, namely, leaves, flowers, and stems. Preparation of useful raw materials begin in the process of flowering shrubs. When a plant is cultivated in its own summer cottage, its collection in the first year of life at the site will fall on the last summer month, and in some cases it will be possible to harvest the flowers only next year. Duration of flowering adult plants takes a long time: the flowers appear in May and remain until September.
According to popular belief, the most appropriate time to cut the thyme are two major religious holidays - the Trinity and the Assumption of the Virgin. Many believe that the material harvested precisely these days will have special healing properties, of course, if it is collected solely for treatment. In the event that you are more interested in the taste characteristics of thyme, it is better to collect it during the flowering period, when the composition contains the maximum amount of essential oils.
When using herbal mixes, you must pre-prepare mint, cilantro, dill, parsley, arugula, tricolor violet, rosehip, hawthorn.
To obtain the above-ground part, it is important to use only sharp scissors or a knife, which cut the top of thyme with shoots and leaves.Important! You can not break out the plant by hand or completely pull it up by the root, otherwise it will cause the rapid destruction of the shrub. In order for the thyme to continue its reproduction, it is necessary to leave some of it intact.It is worth remembering that it is impossible to collect thyme two years in a row in the same place, since the cut plant will be restored for several more years.
Do I need to wash
It is clear that before using any plant or fruit, they want to be washed in order to protect themselves from germs and other harmful deposits on them. However, if you are engaged in collecting and harvesting thyme, then it cannot be done before drying for teas and decoctions. The washed plant will rot, making it unsuitable for further use.
If you are very worried about the purity of raw materials, then carefully choose the place of its collection. Plots near roads, areas near residential buildings and industrial areas are not the best place for this.
A truly high-quality plant can be found on glades and forest edges, and even in such places it is necessary to make sure that the flowers are not covered with dust or other small contaminants.
Important! In those cases when you decide to collect thyme not for drying for the winter, but you want to keep it fresh by freezing, the raw materials will need to be washed under running water. After drying (allowed only a few times to wet the plants with a paper towel or napkin) you can cut the thyme and, placing in a package for freezing, send it to the freezer. In this state, the storage time of thyme is about two years.
Drying features
So, we figured out when and how to gather thyme for the treatment of certain ailments, it now remains only to determine how to properly dry, use and store. Considering that special electric dryers are far from being in all homes, it is much easier to use for this purpose natural and accessible methods - wind and solar energy, which heats the air currents. 
The whole drying process is divided into the following steps:
- the choice of capacity to perform the task (for example, a thin tray, a sieve, tin or generally ordinary dense material);
- covering the surface with paper and spreading the grass (or flowers) in a thin layer;
- placing the tray in a well-ventilated place with sufficient air inflow (closed rooms are not suitable, since all the collected material may rot).
Considering that the thyme contains a sufficiently large amount of essential oils, the air temperature during its drying should not rise above + 35 ° C, which will help preserve the valuable components of the plant. 
To protect the collected material from the effects of dust and insects, you can cover the grass with gauze or use a thin mesh to cover, and certain signs will show that the drying process has come to an end:
- leaf plates become darker, but do not lose their usual green color, they feel more dense to the touch;
- they begin to fall off and at the same time they rustle;
- the stems lose their elasticity and crumble even with slight bending;
- the structure of the flowers also becomes more rigid and the petals break during compression.
Important! In the process of drying, the plant loses moisture, and with it its mass, sometimes up to 60%.
How and where to store
When you have completely dried raw materials in your hands, it's time to start choosing a place and preparing it for storage. For a start, using a large sieve, all the collected and already dry material is sifted, while separating unnecessary stems. Then the finished grass is packaged in glass containers or in dense cardboard boxes, making sure that the layer of thyme does not exceed seven centimeters. 
Alternatively, cloth bags can also be used, but in any case they should be placed in a dry and periodically ventilated place. Proper storage, as well as the collection and procurement of raw materials performed according to the instructions, will act as a guarantee of the safety of the healing properties of the plant.
Shelf life
If glass jars, paper or canvas bags are used to store dry thyme, the shelf life of such medicinal raw materials is two years. However, many experts do not recommend even “one-year-old” dried plants for use, since all the beneficial properties eventually disappear from them and after a year of storage they become much smaller.
As for the thyme placed in a plastic bag, it will become useless much faster, but it is better that such a bag have a good fastener and it is placed on the middle shelf of the refrigerator.
Did you know? Ancient Slavs thyme served as a good raw material for all sorts of magical rituals, as it was believed that the plant is able to protect from evil and make people love someone.
How to Brew Thyme Tea
Brewing all kinds of teas is an easy task for most people, and if you use thyme, then the benefits of such a drink will be much greater. In conjunction with other herbs, the plant will help to cope with a cold and improve mood, for which you only need to use one of the following recipes.
Recipe 1. For ¼ cup of water, take one small spoonful of grass and as soon as the mixture boils remove it from the heat, let it brew for 10 minutes. You can immediately pour boiled water over the chopped grass and strain it after infusion. The resulting mixture is consumed as ordinary tea.
Recipe 2. For three spoons of black tea, you need to take two spoonfuls of thyme and after mixing the components, place them in the kettle, half the capacity with boiling water. The mixture is infused for 5 minutes, then filtered and consumed as tea.
Recipe 3. In equal proportions, you must take St. John's wort, lingonberries and thyme, and pour all the boiling water (250 ml) to insist the mixture for 15 minutes. Ready infusion can be taken up to several times a day.
The benefits of thyme will tell you not only folk healers, but also specialists from the field of traditional medicine, which is a serious reason to think about the relevance of using herbs in the fight against various diseases.
