← The ApothecaryLamiaceaeaerial parts (leaves and flowers), essential oilFact-checked 24 October 2026

Spiked thyme

Thymbra spicata

Also calledZahter / karabaş kekik (Turkish) · Za'atar (Lebanon, Levant)

A small aromatic shrub of the Eastern Mediterranean whose carvacrol-rich leaves are one of the plants sold as za'atar in Lebanon and as zahter, a kind of kekik, in Turkey. It is eaten in salads and drunk as tea, and Turkish folk medicine uses the tea for stomach ache, respiratory infections, kidney stones, colic, bronchitis and high cholesterol. Laboratory and mouse studies support antimicrobial and cholesterol-lowering effects; there are no human trials.

What it is used for

Cholesterol
Limited
Used for hypercholesterolaemia in Turkey. In mice on a high-fat diet, extracts lowered total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raised HDL and protected the liver; anti-steatotic activity of the leaves has also been reported in cell studies.^1,2,3
Bacterial infections
Limited
The essential oil (about 54% carvacrol) inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and Candida parapsilosis and, below inhibitory doses, blocked biofilm formation and quorum sensing in vitro; a separate study reports synergy of extracts with antibiotics against multidrug-resistant S. aureus and Klebsiella.^1,4
Cough
Traditional
The tea is used in Turkey for respiratory infections and bronchitis. Not tested clinically.¹
Bronchitis
Traditional
Turkish folk remedy for bronchitis, alongside rheumatism and colic.¹
Indigestion and dyspepsia
Traditional
Brewed as tea for stomach ache, gastrointestinal disorders and colic in Turkey.¹
Kidney stones
Traditional
Kidney stones are among its Turkish folk uses; no supporting studies were found.¹

How it is prepared

infusion

Aerial parts brewed as a tea, as in Turkish and Lebanese practice.

Indigestion and dyspepsia · Cough

food

Leaves eaten in salads or mixed into za'atar.

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy: Insufficient data
Breastfeeding: Insufficient data

Toxicity

Eaten as a food and tea herb in the Eastern Mediterranean. No human safety studies were found for concentrated extracts or the essential oil, which is moderately cytotoxic to cells in vitro.

In the healing traditions

Middle Eastern
Za'atar (Lebanon)
Leaves and flowers eaten in salads and drunk as tea infusions; also an ingredient, with Origanum syriacum, sumac and sesame, of the za'atar mixture.
Middle Eastern
Zahter / karabaş kekik (Turkey)
Aerial parts brewed as tea for stomach aches, kidney stones, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disorders, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, high cholesterol, headaches and inflammation; also for bronchitis, rheumatism and colic. Wild-harvested and exported dried as part of the kekik trade.

Active compounds

carvacrol: dominant phenol of the essential oil (about 54% in Turkish samples, over 90% in some plants)
γ-terpinene, p-cymene: carvacrol precursors and other major oil components
rosmarinic acid and flavonoids: main polyphenols of the leaf extracts

History

In Türkiye, carvacrol- and thymol-rich herbs from several genera are sold together as kekik, and Thymbra spicata is the variety known as zahter. In Lebanon the same plant is one of the herbs called za'atar, the base of the eponymous spice mixture.

Sources

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.