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.

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

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

Thyme

8

:

0

Parsley

Contains more Calcium +193.5%

Contains more Iron +181.5%

Contains more Magnesium +220%

Contains more Phosphorus +82.8%

Contains less Sodium -83.9%

Contains more Zinc +69.2%

Contains more Copper +272.5%

Equal in Potassium - 554

Thyme

Parsley

Contains more Calcium +193.5%

Contains more Iron +181.5%

Contains more Magnesium +220%

Contains more Phosphorus +82.8%

Contains less Sodium -83.9%

Contains more Zinc +69.2%

Contains more Copper +272.5%

Equal in Potassium - 554

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

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food

Thyme

5

:

5

Parsley

Contains more Vitamin C +20.4%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +380.6%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +38.9%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +286.7%

Contains more Vitamin A +77.3%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +79.2%

Contains more Folate +237.8%

Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.4

Thyme

Parsley

Contains more Vitamin C +20.4%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +380.6%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +38.9%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +286.7%

Contains more Vitamin A +77.3%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +79.2%

Contains more Folate +237.8%

Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.4

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

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25272894/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17063641/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3418667/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29744941/
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277250868
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32059077/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11849841/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4600246/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18922041/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29493984/