Juniper berry
Juniperus communis
Spices. Western & European.
Also called Common juniper, Juniper berries
Spanish: Enebro
Oil is toxic if swallowedDried berry-like cones used mostly to flavor gin and food, and in folk remedies for digestion and urinary complaints.
Did you know? Juniper 'berries' are really fleshy cones made of fused scales, and they take about two years to ripen.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Kidneys, bladder & UTIs. Used for urinary tract complaints and as a diuretic. Mostly tradition, with few human trials.Traditional proof
- Digestion & gut health. Used for gas, bloating, and weak digestion. Evidence is traditional.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Herbalists in Europe used the berries for gas, weak digestion, and urinary complaints.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Diuretic, Carminative. Energy: warming.
How people take it
In food, a few crushed berries in a dish is the common amount. Teas and tinctures have no standard dose, and the essential oil is for skin and smell only.
Food, tea, tincture and essential oil.
Where to get it
Common juniper grows wild across the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to Asia and North America. Dried berries are sold whole or ground, and essential oil is distilled from the berries.
Be careful
Berries in food are generally safe. Concentrated oil can irritate the kidneys and cause vomiting if swallowed. Avoid medicinal amounts in pregnancy, since juniper was traditionally used to bring on periods, and avoid it with kidney disease.
Avoid if: pregnancy; kidney disease; breastfeeding.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are used in traditional urinary tea blends.
- Works well together
Juniper and horsetail appear together in European kidney and fluid-balance teas.
- Works well together
Juniper berry is another traditional urinary herb with a similar history.
- Use cautionWater pills (furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide)
Juniper has diuretic action and may add to water pill effects.
- Worth knowingDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
Juniper may lower blood sugar in lab studies, so check your sugar more often if you take diabetes medicine.
The honest take
Juniper berries are safe as a food flavor, and that is their most proven use. The medicinal claims for urinary and digestive problems rest on tradition and lab work. Keep the essential oil out of your mouth.