Thyme vs Parsley - Health impact and Nutrition Comparison


Summary
From the perspective of nutrition, thyme is a healthier food than parsley. Thyme is richer in zinc, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins C, B2, B3, and B6. in comparison, Parsely is richer in vitamins K, A, and folate. Thyme is richer in fibers.
It is hard to point out which food is healthier when it comes to health. Both have numerous health effects and benefits. The vitamin K in parsley gives it a healthier edge over thyme since it is one of the main vitamins of parsley and provides the most benefits.
Table of contents
Introduction
In this article, we will be comparing two types of herbs, thyme, and parsley. First, we will compare them on their nutritional basis and see what the difference between them is.
Second, we will compare their health impacts and discuss their negative and positive effects on human health. In the final section, we will compare their general differences in usage and consumption.
At the end of this article, we must understand which herb is healthier, thyme or parsley. For this, it is necessary to discuss their nutritional and health aspects.
Nutritional content comparison
Water content
Parsley is 88% water, whereas thyme is dryer, and 66% of its weight is water.
Calories
Not of high relevancy, but thyme is higher in calories than parsley.
Glycemic index
Both these herbs are categorized as low glycemic index foods. Parsley has a higher glycemic index.
Carbs
Thyme contains higher amounts of carbs compared to parsley. The difference is of 4 times.
Nearly 60% of the carbs in thyme are fiber.
Fibers
Thyme is nearly five times richer in fibers compared to parsley.
Protein
Thyme contains higher amounts of proteins.
Fats
The amounts of fats are negligible.
Minerals
Thyme has a very rich mineral profile compared to parsley. Thyme is richer in zinc, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Copper, calcium, magnesium, and iron satisfy the %RDVs for each.
Below we can see the charts displaying their distributions.
Mineral Comparison
Vitamins
Thyme is richer in vitamins C, B2, B3, and B6. Parsley is richer in vitamins K, A, and folate.
Below we can see the charts displaying their distributions.
Vitamin Comparison
These herbs are mostly consumed for their vitamins, minerals, and fiber content.
Health impacts
Thyme health benefits
In this section, we will discuss thyme as food or tea.
Cardiovascular health
Thyme has two properties in cardiovascular health. It decreases heart rate in patients with hypertension that have elevated heart rates. In addition, it decreases elevated lipid concentration in the blood. (1)
Respiratory health
Thyme extract has been shown to repress cough reflexes and improve overall respiratory health in patients that suffer from bronchitis. (2)
Inflammation
Thymol and carvacrol present in thyme have anti-inflammatory properties and suppress pro-inflammatory compounds. (3)
Cancer
Carvacrol and thymol have anti-carcinogenic properties that enhance apoptosis-inducing proteins targeted to cancer cells. These were most effective in liver, breast, and lung carcinomas. (4)
Diabetes
Thymol has anti-diabetic properties. Overall it controls blood glucose levels. In addition, it has anti-lipidemic properties in type 2 diabetes. This reduces the risk of diabetes and overall complication of cardiovascular health during diabetes. (5)
Parsley health benefits
Cancer
Apigenin present in parsley has anti-carcinogenic properties in almost all types of cancer cell lines. (6)
Cardiovascular health
Parsley has diuretic effects that remove excess water from the body. This property is best used in hypertensive people. (7)
Parsley is rich in vitamin K, which has anti-calcification effects on blood vessels, maintaining a smooth blood flow and reducing risks of plaque formation and complications of atherosclerosis problems. (8)
Bone health
Parsley consumption has decreased the chances of bone fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. (9)
Diabetes
Parsley rich in vitamin K increases glucose tolerance and thus is beneficial in controlling type 2 diabetes. (8)
Eye health
Since parsley contains vitamin A, it positively impacts vision. (10)
General differences
Thyme and parsley are herbs that are consumed all around the world. They have different culinary usages.
Thyme can be eaten dried, fresh, or brewed as a tea. Each has its benefits. You can lose specific vitamins, such as vitamin C, when you brew thyme since heat destroys it. However, extraction of the phenol compounds will be more efficient. Thus, it is important to integrate all sorts of thyme into an everyday diet.
Parsley is mainly cooked or raw in salads, and similarly, it can be brewed. That brew has very high diuretic effects.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25272894/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063641/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418667/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29744941/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277250868
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32059077/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11849841/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4600246/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18922041/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29493984/
Infographic

Comparison summary table
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Lower in Sugar |
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Lower in Sodium |
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Rich in minerals |
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Lower in Saturated Fat |
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Lower in glycemic index |
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Lower in price |
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Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
Rich in vitamins | Equal |
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
Nutrient | ![]() |
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Opinion |
Net carbs | 10.45g | 3.03g |
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Protein | 5.56g | 2.97g |
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Fats | 1.68g | 0.79g |
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Carbs | 24.45g | 6.33g |
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Calories | 101kcal | 36kcal |
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Starch | g | g | |
Fructose | g | g | |
Sugar | g | 0.85g |
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Fiber | 14g | 3.3g |
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Calcium | 405mg | 138mg |
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Iron | 17.45mg | 6.2mg |
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Magnesium | 160mg | 50mg |
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Phosphorus | 106mg | 58mg |
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Potassium | 609mg | 554mg |
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Sodium | 9mg | 56mg |
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Zinc | 1.81mg | 1.07mg |
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Copper | 0.555mg | 0.149mg |
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Vitamin A | 4751IU | 8424IU |
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Vitamin E | mg | 0.75mg |
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Vitamin D | 0IU | 0IU | |
Vitamin D | 0µg | 0µg | |
Vitamin C | 160.1mg | 133mg |
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Vitamin B1 | 0.048mg | 0.086mg |
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Vitamin B2 | 0.471mg | 0.098mg |
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Vitamin B3 | 1.824mg | 1.313mg |
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Vitamin B5 | 0.409mg | 0.4mg |
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Vitamin B6 | 0.348mg | 0.09mg |
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Folate | 45µg | 152µg |
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Vitamin B12 | 0µg | 0µg | |
Vitamin K | µg | 1640µg |
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Tryptophan | 0.114mg | 0.045mg |
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Threonine | 0.154mg | 0.122mg |
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Isoleucine | 0.285mg | 0.118mg |
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Leucine | 0.262mg | 0.204mg |
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Lysine | 0.126mg | 0.181mg |
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Methionine | mg | 0.042mg |
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Phenylalanine | mg | 0.145mg |
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Valine | 0.307mg | 0.172mg |
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Histidine | mg | 0.061mg |
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Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg | |
Trans Fat | 0g | 0g | |
Saturated Fat | 0.467g | 0.132g |
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Monounsaturated Fat | 0.081g | 0.295g |
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Polyunsaturated fat | 0.532g | 0.124g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?


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Low Fats diet |
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Low Carbs diet |
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Low Calories diet |
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Low glycemic index diet |
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