Home Ingredients Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

Thymus serpyllum
Evidence Level
Preliminary
4 Clinical Trials
6 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum), also called creeping or breckland thyme, is a low, mat-forming relative of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its dried flowering tops, sold as Serpylli herba, have long been taken as a herbal tea for chesty colds and for digestion in Central and Northern Europe. Unlike garden thyme, wild thyme has no European Medicines Agency herbal monograph: the EU traditional-use monograph for thyme covers only Thymus vulgaris and Thymus zygis. Its essential oil varies widely by origin; some plants are rich in carvacrol or thymol, while many Northern European plants contain little of either. The only human trial is a small placebo-controlled pilot of a water extract in 40 overweight adults with mild digestive complaints, and its main comparisons with placebo were not significant. The rest of the research is in animals and test tubes.

Studied Dose 600 mg/day of a water extract preparation (70% wild thyme extract, 30% soluble fiber) before breakfast for 4 weeks, then 900 mg/day for 4 weeks, in one pilot trial; only the 600 mg phase was reported in detail. No EU monograph dose exists for wild thyme.
Active Compound Flowering aerial parts (Serpylli herba). The European Pharmacopoeia requires at least 3.0 mL/kg essential oil, a variable oil with carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and gamma-terpinene in many samples but nerolidol, myrcene or caryophyllene oxide types in Northern Europe; polyphenols include rosmarinic acid and luteolin derivatives. The extract tested in the human trial and in two rodent studies was a water extract with under 0.1% essential oil.

Benefits

Traditional herbal tea for the airways and digestion

Wild thyme herb has long been taken as a tea for upper airway catarrh and for mild digestive complaints in European herbal medicine, and a German Commission E monograph covered the cut herb for internal use. The EU herbal committee has issued no monograph for wild thyme, so this use rests on tradition rather than trials.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Stool frequency and digestive comfort versus placebo

In a 4-week pilot in 40 overweight adults with mild digestive complaints, 600 mg/day of a water extract raised stool frequency, but placebo did nearly as well overall (+0.96 vs +0.81 stools a week). Gut symptom scores fell in both groups with no significant difference. Gains over placebo appeared only in subgroups, such as men.

Supported by Trial 1

Mental well-being score and gut bacteria in the same placebo-controlled trial

In the same 40-person trial, the mental component score of the SF-12 quality of life survey rose with the extract from a lower starting point and dipped slightly on placebo (p = 0.03, an exploratory result), while the physical score did not improve. The ratio of two major gut bacteria groups (Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes) fell on average with the extract, but the group differences were not significant.

Supported by Trial 1

Gut inflammation and pain responses in rats (animal research)

In rats given a bile acid to create a lasting sensitive gut, 100 mg/kg of a wild thyme water extract by mouth for 17 days reduced pain responses to gut distension and lowered colon inflammation genes such as IL-1 beta and IL-6. Earlier rodent studies of the same type of extract also found less colon inflammation. These are animal findings.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 3

Weight gain, blood sugar and gut bacteria in mice (animal research)

In mice on a high-fat diet, 50 to 150 mg/kg a day of a wild thyme water extract by mouth for 10 weeks reduced weight gain and improved glucose and lipid profiles and gut bacteria richness. In mice with drug-induced high blood sugar, 500 or 800 mg/kg a day for 4 weeks lowered blood sugar. None of this has been tested in people.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 4

Antioxidant activity of the tea and essential oil in lab tests

In test-tube experiments, wild thyme essential oil and water infusions protected human LDL particles from copper-induced oxidation in a dose-dependent way, an effect assigned to thymol and carvacrol in the oil and to rosmarinic acid and flavonoids in the tea. Oregano showed the strongest effect. Lab results do not show the same happens in the body.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 3

Mechanism of action

1

Polyphenols carry the tested extracts, not the essential oil

The extract used in the human pilot and in two rodent studies was a water extract with under 0.1% essential oil; those rodent batches held 1.8% rosmarinic acid plus luteolin derivatives. Its effects are therefore attributed to polyphenols and antioxidant activity rather than to thymol or carvacrol.

2

Calming of gut inflammation signals (animal and cell data)

In rats, the extract lowered colon expression of IL-1 beta, IL-6, interferon gamma, TLR-4 and COX-2, raised the protective mucins Muc-2 and Muc-3 and restored serotonin receptor (Htr-3, Htr-4) expression. In cultured mast-like cells it reduced release of the granule enzyme beta-hexosaminidase. None of this has been measured in people.

3

Essential oil phenols that vary with plant origin

Across published analyses, carvacrol ranged from about 2% to 80% of wild thyme oil and thymol from 1% to 16%, and one Egyptian sample was 74% thymol. Wild Estonian plants often contain little thymol or carvacrol and are dominated by nerolidol, myrcene, caryophyllene oxide or borneol, so oil-based effects cannot be assumed for every product.

Clinical trials

1
Wild Thyme Water Extract vs Placebo: Digestive Comfort Pilot in Overweight Adults
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel pilot (German register DRKS00026074) of an essential-oil-free water extract of wild thyme (70%) with a soluble fiber (30%), 600 mg/day before breakfast for 4 weeks, then 900 mg/day for 4 more weeks; analysis was exploratory and only the 600 mg phase was reported in detail. One author is an employee of the extract maker Finzelberg and another consults for it. Not PubMed-indexed. (Knaub et al. 2022, Food Nutr Sci)

40 healthy, overweight adults aged 30 to 70 (BMI 25 to 35) with 2 to 5 bowel movements a week and mild to moderate gut symptoms (19 extract, 21 placebo); 42 were randomized and 2 dropped out early.

Stool frequency rose in both groups (+0.96 vs +0.81 stools a week, p = 0.59). The difference favored the extract only in men (p = 0.014) and in people with over 3.5 stools a week at baseline (p = 0.013), small subgroups. Gut symptom scores fell in both groups with no significant difference (total GSRS p = 0.06). The SF-12 mental score improved more with the extract (p = 0.03). No product-related adverse events.

2
Serpylli Herba Extract in a Rat Gut Sensitivity Model (animal study)
PubMed

Animal study: after rectal deoxycholic acid to induce lasting gut hypersensitivity, rats received a wild thyme water extract made by Finzelberg (under 0.1% essential oil, 1.8% rosmarinic acid) at 100 mg/kg, or gabapentin 70 mg/kg, by oral gavage daily for 17 days. (Ruiz-Malagón et al. 2022, Front Pharmacol)

Male Sprague Dawley rats.

The extract reduced referred pain and visceral hypersensitivity, lowered colon expression of IL-1 beta, IL-6, interferon gamma, TLR-4 and COX-2, raised the mucins Muc-2 and Muc-3, restored serotonin receptor expression and, in cultured cells, reduced mast cell enzyme release. An animal model only.

3
Wild Thyme Extract in High-Fat-Fed Mice (animal study)
PubMed

Animal study: mice fed a high-fat diet received an essential-oil-free wild thyme water extract (1.8% rosmarinic acid, supplied by Finzelberg) at 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg by oral gavage daily for 10 weeks, compared with untreated high-fat and standard-diet groups. (Ruiz-Malagón et al. 2022, Antioxidants (Basel))

Male C57BL/6J mice, 10 per group.

All doses reduced weight gain from day 6 onward with similar food intake, and the extract improved glucose and lipid profiles, lowered inflammation markers and liver lipid oxidation, and restored gut bacterial richness and diversity with more short-chain fatty acid producers. Mouse results only.

4
Wild Thyme Water Extract in Mice with Induced High Blood Sugar (animal study)
PubMed

Animal study: after a high-fat diet and two streptozotocin injections, mice were given a wild thyme water extract by mouth at 500 or 800 mg/kg a day for 4 weeks. (Azhar et al. 2022, Nutrients)

BALB/c mice.

The extract lowered high blood sugar and improved glucose and insulin tolerance tests, raised liver expression of AMPK, IRS1 and GLUT2, and liver, kidney and pancreas tissue looked closer to normal. Mouse results only; no human data exist on blood sugar.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

In the only human trial, 600 mg/day of a water extract for 4 weeks caused no product-related adverse events and no notable changes in routine blood tests or vital signs. Wild thyme herb and its essential oil are on the US FDA list of spices and flavorings generally recognized as safe for food use.
Avoid if you are allergic to thyme or other mint-family (Lamiaceae) plants such as oregano, sage, mint or rosemary. Allergy can cross between these herbs: case reports describe whole-body reactions after eating oregano and thyme, and facial swelling (angioedema) after oregano, sage tea and mint. The EU monograph for garden thyme lists Lamiaceae allergy as a reason not to use it.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: no safety data exist for medicinal amounts of wild thyme. The EU monograph for garden thyme does not recommend its medicinal preparations at these times, and the same caution is sensible here. Culinary amounts are a normal food.
Wild thyme essential oil is far more concentrated than the herb and may irritate skin and mucous membranes; EU feed assessors classed a wild thyme tincture as a skin and eye irritant and a skin and airway sensitizer for people handling it. Do not swallow undiluted essential oil.
A 2024 review found one possible report of acute kidney injury in a woman over 75 in the WHO adverse event database, with no further detail on cause.
Many tinctures contain alcohol; check the label. See a doctor if a cough lasts more than a week or comes with breathlessness, fever or pus-like phlegm.

Important Drug interactions

No drug interactions have been reported for wild thyme, but no interaction studies have been done.
Alcohol-containing tinctures: count the alcohol if you take medicines or have conditions that require avoiding it.

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Frequently asked questions about Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)

How is wild thyme different from garden thyme?

They are separate species in the same genus. Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the common kitchen herb with an EU traditional-use monograph and several blend trials. Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a creeping plant with a more variable essential oil, no EU monograph and only one small human trial. Results for one should not be assumed for the other. See our thyme page.

Is wild thyme covered by the EU herbal monograph for thyme?

No. The European Medicines Agency monograph defines thyme as Thymus vulgaris or Thymus zygis, and its herbal committee has not issued a monograph for wild thyme. Wild thyme's medicinal standing in Europe rests on older national texts, such as a German Commission E monograph, and on long traditional use.

Does wild thyme tea contain much thymol or carvacrol?

It depends on the plant. Some wild thyme oils are rich in carvacrol or thymol, but many Northern European plants contain little of either. The oil also makes up only a small part of the dried herb. The extract tested in people had under 0.1% essential oil, so any effects came from other compounds such as rosmarinic acid.

Can I take wild thyme if oregano, sage or mint give me a reaction?

Better not without advice. These herbs all belong to the mint family, and case reports show allergy can cross between them, with whole-body reactions and facial swelling after eating oregano, thyme, sage or mint. EU regulators list mint-family allergy as a reason not to use garden thyme, and the same caution applies to wild thyme.

Who funded the human wild thyme trial?

The trial was run by a German contract research organization, but the tested extract is a patent-protected product made by the herbal extract maker Finzelberg, which employed one author; another author consults for the company. The trial was a small exploratory pilot published in a journal not indexed in PubMed, and its main comparisons with placebo were not significant.

What is Wild Thyme?

Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum), also called creeping or breckland thyme, is a low, mat-forming relative of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) in the mint family (Lamiaceae).

What is Wild Thyme used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Wild Thyme under a health category. What the research covers: Wild thyme herb has long been taken as a tea for upper airway catarrh and for mild digestive complaints in European herbal medicine, and a German Commission E monograph covered the cut herb for internal use.

What is the recommended dosage of Wild Thyme?

The clinically studied dose is 600 mg/day of a water extract preparation (70% wild thyme extract, 30% soluble fiber) before breakfast for 4 weeks, then 900 mg/day for 4 weeks, in one pilot trial; only the 600 mg phase was reported in detail. No EU monograph dose exists for wild thyme. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Wild Thyme safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Wild Thyme include: In the only human trial, 600 mg/day of a water extract for 4 weeks caused no product-related adverse events and no notable changes in routine blood tests or vital signs. It may also interact with some medications. Wild Thyme is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Wild Thyme interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No drug interactions have been reported for wild thyme, but no interaction studies have been done. Alcohol-containing tinctures: count the alcohol if you take medicines or have conditions that require avoiding it. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Wild Thyme?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Wild Thyme as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Knaub K, Schön C, Suarez CG, Pischel I. Effects of a Food Supplement with a Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) Extract on Gut Health and the Microbiome in Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Food Nutr Sci. 2022;13(11):931-949. doi: 10.4236/fns.2022.1311065 (not PubMed-indexed).SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed (read in full). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot in 40 overweight adults (BMI 25 to 35) with 2 to 5 stools a week and mild gut symptoms: an essential-oil-free water extract of wild thyme with soluble fiber, 600 mg/day for 4 weeks (then 900 mg/day), raised stool frequency no more than placebo overall (+0.96 vs +0.81 a week, p = 0.59), with subgroup differences in men (p = 0.014) and in those above 3.5 stools a week (p = 0.013). Symptom and GSRS scores fell in both groups without significant difference (GSRS p = 0.06); the SF-12 mental score improved more with the extract (p = 0.03); Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes shifts did not differ significantly. No product-related adverse events. One author is employed by the maker Finzelberg and one consults for it; the study was run by the contract research organization BioTeSys.
  2. Jalil B, Pischel I, Feistel B, Suarez C, Blainski A, Spreemann R, Roth-Ehrang R, Heinrich M. Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.): a review of the current evidence of nutritional and preventive health benefits. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1380962. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1380962.PubMedUsed to support: Review of wild thyme by authors including Finzelberg employees and consultants (industry-supported): the EMA herbal committee has not established a monograph for wild thyme for either well-established or traditional use; the European Pharmacopoeia sets a minimum of 3.0 mL/kg essential oil; a German Commission E monograph covers internal use for upper respiratory catarrh; carvacrol 2.1% to 80% and thymol 1.0% to 16% of the oil in published analyses; only one human intervention study exists; one possible WHO database report of acute kidney injury; undiluted oil may irritate skin and mucous membranes.
  3. Jarić S, Mitrović M, Pavlović P. Review of Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Study of Thymus serpyllum L. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:101978. doi: 10.1155/2015/101978.PubMedUsed to support: Review of the traditional uses, chemistry and pharmacology of wild thyme: aerial parts are used mainly for respiratory and digestive complaints; essential oil composition depends on region, plant stage, season, habitat and climate; reported activities are antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic, from laboratory work.
  4. Ruiz-Malagón AJ, Rodríguez-Sanchez MJ, Rodríguez-Sojo MJ, Vezza T, Pischel I, Algieri F, Rodríguez-Cabezas ME, Rodríguez-Nogales A, Gálvez J. Intestinal anti-inflammatory and visceral analgesic effects of a Serpylli herba extract in an experimental model of irritable bowel syndrome in rats. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:967644. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.967644.PubMedUsed to support: Rat study: after rectal deoxycholic acid, an essential-oil-free wild thyme water extract (100 mg/kg by oral gavage for 17 days) reduced visceral hypersensitivity and referred pain, lowered colon IL-1 beta, IL-6, interferon gamma, TLR-4 and COX-2 expression, raised Muc-2 and Muc-3, restored 5-HT receptor expression and reduced beta-hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells. Animal and cell data only.
  5. Ruiz-Malagón AJ, Rodríguez-Sojo MJ, Hidalgo-García L, Molina-Tijeras JA, García F, Pischel I, Romero M, Duarte J, Diez-Echave P, Rodríguez-Cabezas ME, Rodríguez-Nogales A, Gálvez J. The Antioxidant Activity of Thymus serpyllum Extract Protects against the Inflammatory State and Modulates Gut Dysbiosis in Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022;11(6):1073. doi: 10.3390/antiox11061073.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study: in high-fat-fed mice, a wild thyme water extract (50, 100 or 150 mg/kg by oral gavage for 10 weeks) reduced weight gain, improved glucose and lipid profiles, reduced inflammation and liver lipid peroxidation, and restored gut microbial richness and diversity. Animal data only.
  6. Azhar J, John P, Bhatti A. Thymus serpyllum Exhibits Anti-Diabetic Potential in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Mice: A Combined Biochemical and In Vivo Study. Nutrients. 2022;14(17):3561. doi: 10.3390/nu14173561.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study: in high-fat diet and streptozotocin diabetic mice, a wild thyme water extract given orally at 500 or 800 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks lowered hyperglycemia, improved glucose and insulin tolerance and raised liver AMPK, IRS1 and GLUT2 expression. Animal data only.
  7. Algieri F, Rodriguez-Nogales A, Garrido-Mesa N, Zorrilla P, Burkard N, Pischel I, Sievers H, Benedek B, Feistel B, Walbroel B, Rodriguez-Cabezas ME, Galvez J. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of the Serpylli herba extract in experimental models of rodent colitis. J Crohns Colitis. 2014;8(8):775-88. doi: 10.1016/j.crohns.2013.12.012.PubMedUsed to support: Rodent study by authors including Finzelberg and PhytoLab staff: a Serpylli herba extract reduced colon inflammation in TNBS rat colitis and DSS mouse colitis, with lower myeloperoxidase, leukotriene B4, iNOS, COX-2 and cytokines such as TNF alpha and IL-1 beta. Animal data only; route and dose not stated in the abstract.
  8. Kulisić T, Krisko A, Dragović-Uzelac V, Milos M, Pifat G. The effects of essential oils and aqueous tea infusions of oregano (Origanum vulgare L. spp. hirtum), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.) on the copper-induced oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2007;58(2):87-93. doi: 10.1080/09637480601108307.PubMedUsed to support: Test-tube study: essential oils and water infusions of oregano, garden thyme and wild thyme protected human LDL from copper-induced oxidation in a dose-dependent way; the oil effect was assigned to thymol and carvacrol and the tea effect to rosmarinic acid and flavonoids, strongest for oregano. Laboratory data only.
  9. Raal A, Paaver U, Arak E, Orav A. Content and composition of the essential oil of Thymus serpyllum L. growing wild in Estonia. Medicina (Kaunas). 2004;40(8):795-800..PubMedUsed to support: Analysis of wild thyme from 20 Estonian sites: oil content 0.6 to 4 mL/kg, usually below the European Pharmacopoeia 3 mL/kg standard; thymol and carvacrol were not main components, and (E)-nerolidol, caryophyllene oxide and myrcene chemotypes were found.
  10. Paaver U, Orav A, Arak E, Mäeorg U, Raal A. Phytochemical analysis of the essential oil of Thymus serpyllum L. growing wild in Estonia. Nat Prod Res. 2008;22(2):108-15. doi: 10.1080/14786410601035118.PubMedUsed to support: Analysis of wild thyme essential oil from Estonia (oil yields 0.6 to 4.4 mL/kg across 46 samples; composition in 33) and 7 samples from Russia, Latvia and Armenia (1.9 to 8.2 mL/kg), with most Estonian herb below the European Pharmacopoeia 3.0 mL/kg standard; thymol and carvacrol were not the main components; (E)-nerolidol, caryophyllene oxide, myrcene and borneol chemotypes; composition of samples from Russia, Latvia and Armenia was very variable.
  11. AbdelRazek MMM, Atta AM, Kandil NH, Girgis IEG, Elsayed RTO, Abdel-Latif BRM, Abdel-Halim AE, Salama SGI, Ahmed TEM, AbdelRazek MAS, Foad FH, Elsayed RMS, Aslan SHE, Badawy NIE, Farouk EA, Omran SA, Darwish KM, El-Moghazy SA. Comparative chemical and biological study of essential oils and n-hexane extracts of Thymus vulgaris and Thymus serpyllum (Lamiaceae). Sci Rep. 2026;16(1):2615. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-33660-w.PubMedUsed to support: Comparative lab study: a wild thyme essential oil sample contained 74.47% thymol and 9.89% caryophyllene, while a commercial thyme oil was 80.37% carvacrol; the wild thyme oil was the most cytotoxic sample to human skin fibroblasts in culture. Laboratory data only.
  12. Benito M, Jorro G, Morales C, Peláez A, Fernández A. Labiatae allergy: systemic reactions due to ingestion of oregano and thyme. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1996;76(5):416-8. doi: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63456-4.PubMedUsed to support: Case report: one patient had three systemic allergic reactions after eating oregano and thyme, with positive skin tests and specific IgE to several Lamiaceae herbs, suggesting cross-sensitivity within the family.
  13. Yazıcı S, Nacaroglu HT, Bahçeci Erdem S, Karaman S, Can D. Angioedema Due to Lamiaceae Allergy. Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2018;17(1):97-99..PubMedUsed to support: Case report: a 13-year-old developed angioedema after foods containing oregano, after sage tea and on oral challenge with mint; the authors note cross-sensitivity among Lamiaceae herbs is common and diagnosis relies mainly on oral food challenge.
  14. EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP); Villa RE, Azimonti G, Bonos E, Christensen H, Durjava M, Dusemund B, Gehring R, Glandorf B, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, Marcon F, Nebbia C, Pechová A, Prieto-Maradona M, Röhe I, Theodoridou K, Bastos ML, Benfenati E, Brantom P, Chesson A, Schlatter J, Westendorf J, Manini P. Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a tincture derived from the leaves or aerial parts of Thymus serpyllum L. (wild thyme tincture) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). EFSA J. 2025;23(7):e9551. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9551.PubMedUsed to support: EFSA scientific opinion on a wild thyme tincture as a flavoring feed additive: safe at stated feed levels for animals and for consumers; for people handling it, the additive should be considered a skin and eye irritant and a skin and respiratory sensitizer.
  15. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), European Medicines Agency. Community herbal monograph on Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus zygis L., herba (EMA/HMPC/342332/2013) European Medicines Agency. 2013;Final, adopted 12 November 2013 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed: EU herbal monograph for garden thyme (read). It covers only Thymus vulgaris and Thymus zygis, not wild thyme: traditional use for productive cough associated with a cold, oral use, based exclusively on long-standing use; contraindicated with hypersensitivity to Lamiaceae plants; not recommended in pregnancy and lactation; no interactions reported; see a doctor if symptoms last over a week or with breathlessness, fever or purulent sputum.
  16. US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 182.10 Spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings; 21 CFR 182.20 Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates) Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 2026;Accessed 2026 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed: US regulations (read). Both GRAS lists name "Thyme, wild or creeping" (Thymus serpyllum L.) separately from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), covering the spice and its essential oil and extractives for food use.