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source Juniper Berry
Below: In Dutch, juniper is called "geniver," from which came the name "gin." But juniper is not only good for making martinis. Its berries (actually not berries at all, but a portion of the cone) were used by the Zuni Indians to assist in childbirth, by British herbalists to treat congestive heart failure and stimulate menstruation, and by American nineteenth-century herbalists to treat congestive heart failure, gonorrhea, and urinary tract infections. The explanation for some of these uses may be found in junipers diuretic properties. Its volatile oils have been shown to increase the rate of kidney filtration,1 thereby perhaps helping to remove the accumulated fluid in congestive heart failure, and "wash out" the offending bacteria in urinary tract infections. However, there is no direct scientific evidence that juniper is effective for these purposes.
Contemporary herbalists primarily use juniper as a component of herbal formulas designed to treat bladder infections. A typical combination might include uva ursi, parsley, cleavers, and buchu. Such formulas are said to be most effective when taken at the first sign of symptoms and may not work well once the infection has really taken hold. Unfortunately, double-blind studies of juniper have not been performed. Recently, gin-soaked raisins have been touted as an arthritis treatment. This is probably just a fad, but some weak evidence suggests that juniper may possess anti-inflammatory properties.2 In the test tube, juniper has also been shown to inhibit herpes virus.3
You can make juniper tea by adding 1 cup of boiling water to 1 tablespoon of juniper berries, covering, and allowing the berries to steep for 20 minutes. The usual dosage is 1 cup twice a day. However, juniper is said to work better as a treatment for bladder infections when combined with other herbs. Combination products should be taken according to label instructions. Warning: Bladder infections can go on to become kidney infections. For this reason, seek medical supervision if your symptoms don't resolve in a few days, or if you develop intense low back pain, fever, chills, or other signs of serious infection.
Although juniper is regarded as safe and is widely used in foods, we don't recommend taking it during pregnancy. (We also recommend not drinking gin.) Remember, juniper was used historically to stimulate menstruation and childbirth. It has also been shown to cause miscarriages in rats.4 Juniper seldom causes any noticeable side effects. Prolonged use of juniper could possibly deplete the body of potassium, the way other diuretics do, but this hasn't been proven. Combining juniper with conventional diuretics, however, may cause excessive fluid loss. Some texts warn that juniper oil may be a kidney irritant, but there is no real evidence that this is the case.5 Nonetheless, people with serious kidney disease probably shouldn't take juniper. Safety for young children, nursing women, or those with severe liver disease has also not been established.
1. Newall C, et al. Herbal medicines: A guide for health-care professionals. London: Pharmaceutical Press, 1996: 176. 2. Mascolo N, et al. Biological screening of Italian medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory activity. Phytother Res 1: 28–31, 1987. 3. Markkanen T, et al. Antiherpetic agent from juniper tree (Juniperus cummunis), its purification, identification, and testing in primary human amnion cell cultures. Drugs Exp Clin Res 7: 691–697, 1981. 4. Agarwal OP, et al. Antifertility effects of fruits of Juniperus communis. Planta Med 40(Suppl.): 98–101, 1980. 5. Newall C, et al. Herbal medicines: A guide for health-care professionals. London: Pharmaceutical Press, 1990: 176.
First published May 12, 2000
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Juniper Berry (Warm:Down, Muscle:Soak)
Known as an antiseptic and diuretic, juniper berry's most important property is detoxification. It is one of the most valuable oils in all situations where the body needs to throw off toxic wastes. It was used for many years in French hospitals as a tonic for patients whose system needed a post-operative kick-start (its stimulating effect on the appetite explains the consumption of gin as an aperitif).
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Introduction