Thyme

Mucus-clearance support: In lab models using human airway cells, thyme extract increased ciliary beat frequency—the tiny hairlike motion that helps move mucus out of the airways. Mucociliary dysfunction is a hallmark of COPD, so this mechanism is plausibly relevant even though it’s not direct proof in COPD patients. ScienceDirect

Antitussive/expectorant tradition: Europe’s medicines regulator (EMA/HMPC) lists thyme herb preparations as traditional medicines for productive cough associated with colds (not COPD). That official monograph documents long-standing use as an expectorant. European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Constituents with airway actions: Thyme’s major phenols (notably thymol and carvacrol) show bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions in preclinical work—mechanisms that could, in theory, ease COPD symptoms. (Most human data are in cough/bronchitis or asthma models, not COPD.) The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal

There are no COPD-specific, evidence-based dosing protocols for thyme. If someone chooses to use thyme adjunctively for cough/mucus, regulators provide dosing ranges for cough that you can use as a reference.

EMA/HMPC dosing (adolescents/adults) for cough:

• Liquid extract (DER 1:1, ethanol 24% v/v): 1–2 mL, 3–4×/day
• Tincture (1:10, 70% ethanol): ~40 drops, 3×/day
• Dry extract (DER 6–10:1): 75–200 mg, 3×/day
• Herbal tea (comminuted herb): as labeled for oral use
• If symptoms last >1 week, or if dyspnoea/fever/purulent sputum occurs, seek medical care. European Medicines Agency (EMA)

Commercial cough syrups (thyme+ivy or thyme+primrose): Used per label for acute bronchitis (not COPD). Doses vary by product; trials used ~5.4 mL 3×/day for 11 days in adults with acute bronchitis. Thieme

Important: Do not ingest undiluted thyme essential oil; oral safety data are limited and concentrated oils can be toxic (see warnings). If you still wish to use an essential-oil product, restrict to aromatherapy as directed on a licensed product and avoid oral use unless a health professional specifically advises it. ScienceDirect

COPD-specific trials: As of today, no completed, peer-reviewed randomized trials show thyme improves COPD outcomes (e.g., FEV₁, exacerbations, quality of life). A registered clinical study aims to test thyme oil in COPD, but results are not yet published. ICHGCP

Acute bronchitis & cough (adjacent conditions):

• Thyme + ivy syrup outperformed placebo in adults with acute bronchitis over 11 days (double-blind RCT, n=361). Outcomes included fewer coughing fits and improved bronchitis severity scores. This supports antitussive/expectorant effects but does not establish efficacy in COPD. Thieme
• Thyme + primrose also showed benefit vs placebo in a similar RCT for acute bronchitis. Thieme
• Observational “real-world” studies of thyme+ivy drops report symptom improvements in acute bronchitis; useful but lower-quality evidence. metajournal.com

Systematic reviews/guidance: Reviews of herbal medicines for respiratory disease note thyme’s popularity for cough/expectorant effects, but do not confirm benefit in COPD due to insufficient disease-specific trials. EMA classifies thyme for traditional use in cough (i.e., evidence of longstanding use, not modern COPD trials). ERS Publications