Common juniper: beneficial properties

Dr. Boris Wydoff

Common juniper (*Juniperus communis*) is an evergreen shrub; in herbal medicine, its mature berry-like cones are used mainly. They contain essential oil, sugars, resin, wax, organic acids and mineral salts. Traditionally, the fruits are used in infusions, decoctions and herbal mixtures, including as a diuretic and to improve digestion.

What kind of plant is it and how can you recognize it?

Common juniper belongs to plants that are especially often found in coniferous forests. It grows mainly as undergrowth in pine forests, mixed pine forests and spruce forests. On dry sandy soils, juniper sometimes forms almost pure thickets. In such places, it may also have a tree-like form.

In medical reference books, the medicinal raw material is called berry-like cones. They are also called juniper berries or fruits. It is the mature fruits that are used most widely.

The berry-like cones are collected in autumn, when they are fully ripe. Mature fruits have a distinctive aroma and a sweet-spicy taste. During harvesting, it is important to separate ripe fruits from green ones and also remove needles and foreign impurities.

Juniper is important not only as a medicinal plant. Its berries have long been known in everyday life and food practices. Old reference books note that due to their high sugar content, alcoholic drinks were made from them. In France, such a drink was called “Geniévre”, and in Scotland — “Gin”.

Other parts of the plant have also been studied. Old pharmaceutical descriptions mention the trunk and root wood, as well as essential oils obtained from different parts of the plant. However, the main official raw material in Warlikh’s description is specifically the fruits.

Common juniper must be distinguished from Cossack juniper. This is another species. In old medical reference books, it was described as a highly poisonous plant, so its medical use was limited and practically excluded from ordinary use. Its essential oil can irritate the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.

What substances do its fruits contain?

The composition of berry-like cones was described in detail in pharmacognostic reference books. They indicate the presence of essential oil, resin, wax, sugars, organic acids, mineral salts and a yellow amorphous substance called juniperin.

The essential oil content in fruits in one description is up to 1.2%. Another reference book indicates essential oil content in berry-like cones of up to 2%. The composition of the oil includes camphene, cadinene, terpineol, borneol, pinene and other terpenes.

The amount of sugars in the fruits can reach 40%. Organic acids and a coloring substance are also present. Such a composition explains not only the aroma and taste of the raw material, but also its traditional food use.

The essential oil of the fruits is a mixture of various compounds. In an old pharmaceutical description, pinene, cadinene and juniper camphor are mentioned among them.

It is important to distinguish between the fruits themselves and the essential oil. These are different forms of raw material. Old reference books described the oil as a separate preparation obtained by distillation of fresh ripe fruits with water.

Storage of essential oil also required care. Under the influence of light and oxygen, it became thicker and darker. Therefore, it was recommended to store it in darkness and in completely filled containers.

What is common juniper useful for?

The traditional use of the fruits is primarily associated with the urinary system and digestion. Reference books describe the diuretic effect of preparations made from berry-like cones. Their use for improving digestion and as an expectorant is also mentioned.

The composition and action of the plant in old manuals were mainly associated with the essential oil of the fruits. In small amounts, it increases urine production. In larger amounts, on the contrary, it may have an irritating effect on the kidneys.

Therefore, juniper cannot be considered an absolutely safe plant. It has traditional areas of use, but it also has clear limitations.

For the urinary system

Berry-like cones have traditionally been used as a diuretic. Reference books state that an infusion of the fruits is used to increase urine production and affect the urinary tract. Historically, juniper berries were also included in various herbal mixtures. In such formulas, they were combined with other medicinal plants.

At the same time, kidney inflammation is directly listed among the contraindications for using juniper berries. This is especially important to consider because large amounts of essential oil may cause kidney inflammation and the appearance of blood in the urine.

For digestion

The fruits were used for weak digestion similarly to other spices. Reference books also describe their action related to improving digestive processes. Juniper berries were used as a spicy raw material. Their characteristic sweet-spicy taste and aroma allow the fruits to be used not only in herbal medicine but also in food practice.

For the respiratory tract

Berry-like cones are also described as an expectorant. Older manuals associate their use with helping remove secretions from the respiratory tract. This refers to the traditional herbal use of the plant. If respiratory disease symptoms persist or are pronounced, medical evaluation is required.

How are juniper fruits used?

Herbal medicine uses mature dried berry-like cones. They are used in the form of infusions, decoctions and herbal mixtures. The question “How to brew common juniper?” requires clarification of the form of the raw material. Old manuals describe different preparation methods, so there is no single scheme for all cases. The simplest option mentioned in plant descriptions is a water infusion made from the fruits. In other cases, juniper berries were included in multi-component decoctions.

Compound herbal formulas also existed. In one of them, berry-like cones were combined with horsetail, corn silk, birch leaves, parsley, sandy everlasting and other plant components. However, the presence of juniper in such a mixture does not make it suitable for independent use in kidney diseases.

Old reference books also give other combinations of juniper fruits with medicinal plants. Among them are bearberry, lingonberry, horsetail, ergot and other components. Such recipes belong to historical folk practice and should not be understood as a universal intake scheme.

The fruits were used not only internally. Old medical descriptions mention external use of berries for fumigation and as a component of aromatic baths. However, mature fruits remained the main medicinal raw material for internal use.

The essential oil of berries was also described as a separate preparation. At the same time, concentrated oil cannot be equated with an ordinary infusion of dried fruits. It is a more concentrated form of raw material with a different safety profile.

How to harvest and store berry-like cones?

Medicinal raw material is harvested in autumn, when the berry-like cones are fully ripe. Since the shrub is prickly, gloves are used during manual collection.

There is another method. Material can be placed under the branches and ripe fruits can be knocked down with a stick. After that, the raw material is sorted. Green unripe fruits, needles and other impurities are removed.

For quality raw material, it is important not to mix ripe and unripe fruits. The pharmacopoeial description separately regulated the amount of unripe and brown fruits, as well as needles and mineral impurities.

Berry-like cones are dried at a moderate temperature. High temperature is undesirable: with this drying method, the fruits shrivel.

Another old description recommends drying ripe berries at normal temperature, without artificial heating, in a well-ventilated room. Both descriptions agree on the main point: raw material should not be overheated during drying.

After drying, the fruits are stored in a dry place, protected from contamination and excess moisture. Essential oil has different requirements: it is recommended to keep it in darkness and in a well-filled container, since light and oxygen change its properties.

How to find common juniper abroad

Abroad, look not for flowers or roots, but for the ripe berry-like cones of common juniper. The package may indicate *Juniperus communis* and the corresponding name in the country’s language.

• USA: common juniper, juniper berry. Sold whole or crushed berries, in tea bags, tinctures and liquid extracts, as well as capsules. Look in herb and tea stores, health food stores and online.
• Germany: Gemeiner Wacholder, berries — Wacholderbeeren. Sold loose, as Arzneitee and in capsules with berry extract. Look in pharmacies (Apotheken), online pharmacies, Reformhäuser and tea shops. If you need medicinal tea specifically, ask for Arzneitee: berries as a food product or spice do not automatically become one.
• France: Genévrier commun, berries — baies de genièvre. Sold loose for tisane, as teinture mère and in capsules. Look in pharmacies, herboristeries, health food stores and online.

Check the package for *Juniperus communis*, the plant part — berries, Wacholderbeeren or baies de genièvre — and whether the product is a medicinal tea, food tea or supplement. Confirm organic status with a separate organic, Bio or bio label. In the USA, dietary supplements do not undergo prior FDA approval for safety and effectiveness before sale.

Common juniper: contraindications and caution

The main limitation is related to the kidneys. Old reference books clearly state that juniper berries are contraindicated in kidney inflammation. This is connected with the action of essential oil. In small amounts, it increases urine production, while large amounts can cause kidney inflammation and blood in the urine.

Therefore, in acute kidney diseases and impaired kidney function, the use of juniper requires special caution and medical evaluation. Diuretic herbal remedies should not be used independently in such conditions.

Do not confuse common juniper with Cossack juniper. The latter belongs to another species and is described in medical literature as highly poisonous. Its oil has a pronounced irritating effect.

Caution is also needed with concentrated preparations. Essential oil and dried fruits are not the same raw material. Data from old reference books show that increasing the amount of essential oil increases the risk of irritating effects.

External use of oil is also not completely neutral. The plant description notes that it can irritate the skin, causing redness and even blister formation. During pregnancy, medicinal use of unknown or concentrated juniper preparations requires mandatory consultation with a doctor. It is especially important not to use juniper products independently for kidney diseases. When taking regular medications, it is also worth discussing the use of herbal preparations with a doctor. For a child, using medicinal raw materials without such consultation is not suitable.

When is a doctor needed?

For kidney diseases, urination disorders and blood in the urine, medical evaluation is needed. Juniper should not be used as a replacement for diagnosis and treatment. Medical consultation is especially important:

• during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• with kidney diseases or impaired kidney function;
• with chronic diseases;
• with regular medication use;
• with an allergic reaction;
• if the product is intended for a child.

If the condition worsens, severe pain, blood in the urine or other unusual symptoms appear, use of the herbal remedy should be stopped and medical help should be sought.

Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →

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