It’s Thyme to Soothe Scratchy Throats!

 Thymus vulgaris or common thyme is a well-known member of the mint family, botanically known as Lamiaceae. All the cousins in this family (rosemary, sage etc) have square stems, similar leaf arrangements, and often have potent aromatic oils that make them popular for flavouring cooking and also fabulously medicinal.

Thyme has antiseptic and soothing activity, which means it can soothe dry, scratchy tissue and tickly throats.

What more could you ask for in a formula for scratchy throats? What about honey? Not just any honey - thyme honey. New Zealand wild thyme honey has one of the highest antioxidant ratings of any honey, anywhere. It’s also a powerful antibacterial agent. It tastes amazing to boot.

Hot tips to ease dry throats:

• Gargle if you can! Not everyone is able to gargle with warm salt water or herbal remedies, but if you can, gargling increases the local application of your chosen remedy to the area that is affected and will speed relief. Sprays are a great alternative if or when gargling isn’t an option.

• Hot or cold - your throat, your choice. While some remedies can be taken straight off the spoon, another option is to freeze them into ice-blocks or ice chips to ease a hot, dry throat, or add hot water to sip to help soothe a dry scratchy throat.

• Catch it early! If you can, start treating your throat at the first dry tickle. We hear from people all the time that treating their scratchy throats herbally at the first signs can make such a difference to their winter health overall.

• Reactivity or lurgy? Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between ills and chills and a reaction to a food or environmental irritant. Easter can be a reactive time for people, as the increase in chocolate, dairy and sugar can be a trigger for all kinds of symptoms. Easter also coincides with cooler, damper weather and increased moulds in the environment, which can increase reactivity. If you’re unsure, it’s good to limit all potential triggers and refer back to all the points mentioned above. The beauty of herbal supports is that they are suitable no matter what the cause.

For small people with dry throats or those who want a super tasty option, Kiwiherb Children’s Throat Syrup combines the properties of thyme with immune-boosting Echinacea root and good wallops of thyme and manuka honey to soothe throats sweetly.

Kiwiherb Throat Formula has all the benefits of thyme, powerful Echinacea root for immune support and liquorice root to soothe the driest throats. Gargle and swallow for best results.

Kiwiherb Herbal Throat Spray is a must for every medicine cabinet and the first thing to reach for when a throat starts to scratch. A must for travellers and anyone who gets a dry, scratchy throat as their first ‘red flag’ at the onset of ills and chills. Potent extracts of New Zealand kawakawa, thyme, Echinacea and bee-powered propolis make for an action-packed powerhouse to soothe dry scratchy throats at the source.

ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL. PHYTOMED, AUCKLAND.