Juniper berries are not berries at all, but the seed cones of the juniper. The scales of the cone are fleshy and have merged into the appearance of a berry that has a long historical use in cookery and in flavoring gin. Native Americans used it as a nutritious food and it also has a number of historical health applications. It is currently under study for its effect on diabetes, where it is hoped it will be a useful treatment for diet-controlled diabetes. The Ancient Greeks believed juniper berries to improve stamina, and it is also a diuretic and anti-inflammatory.

A supplement of Juniper berries is recommended to treat a number of inflammatory conditions, both to reduce swelling and to alleviate pain. Among these are gout, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, muscle and nerve disorders and tendonitis. Juniper berries also contain an essential oil that can help expel uric acid, responsible for gout and some forms of kidney stone, and also supports liver and kidney function. Juniper berries can also stimulate uterine contractions, so should be avoided by pregnant women.

Juniper berries are recommended for those suffering urinary tract conditions where an increased flow of urine could help improve the condition. The berries have the effect of forcing the kidneys to move urine faster into the ureter and then into the bladder. This is particularly recommended for those whose kidneys are operating insufficiently, such as occurs with renal insufficiency or renal failure. However, patients suffering any form of renal failure are recommended to contact their doctor or physician rather than self-treat with juniper berries.

In fact, the term 'renal insufficiency' is now being used for a form or renal failure brought about by kidney disease. If you use juniper berries while you had a kidney infection, the stimulation that the berries cause would have a disastrous effect on you. This is one of the dangers of taking advice from websites that are unaware of the dangers of some "home remedies" recommended by amateur sites.

However, if you are healthy, then juniper berries can be taken as a diuretic and to increase urine flow during the initial stages of a weight loss program when water loss is desirable. However, if you have a kidney condition or if you are pregnant, avoid juniper berries or refer to your doctor, because they may stimulate the kidneys and contract the uterus.

Juniper berries are not berries at all, but modified juniper cones that have developed to take the form of berries. That has no effect on their properties, however, and juniper berries possess useful anti-inflammatory properties. They are used by those suffering inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and gout, where their anti-inflammatory terpenes, catechol tannins and flavonoids help to reduce swelling and pain by tackling the biochemical causes of inflammation. By normalizing the inflammatory cascade of the immune system, that often gets out of hand, inflammatory conditions can be eased.

In addition to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, where the immune system works in different ways with each, the pain of conditions such as tendonitis, muscle pain and nerve pains can also be eased by means of the same mechanism. Juniper berries are very effective, but they can also cause uterine contractions so pregnant women are best not to use these berries until after the birth of their child.

Apart from flavoring gin, juniper berries have many uses. The Native Americans used to use them as a nutritious food source, particularly during winter when other food was scarce. They can help improve the functioning of your digestive system and reduce gas and bloating caused by incomplete digesting by increasing the acidity of your digestive juices. They also possess antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and are consequently used by people suffering infections of the urinary tract such as cystitis.

The antibiotic activity reduces the infection, while the anti-inflammatory properties of the berry's flavonoids and terpenes reduce the inflammation and pain. Juniper berry is also a powerful diuretic, so the increased urine flow also helps to remove the infection. Because of this anti-inflammatory property, juniper berries are also used to reduce the inflammation and pain of arthritis, gout and tendonitis.

Add to that its natural insulin content that help the pancreas function to be restored where no permanent damage has been caused, and you have more than a few reasons for juniper berries to be used by a wide range of people - but not by pregnant women, since it tends to stimulate uterine contractions!

Latin Name
Juniperis communis

Description
Premium-source 
European grown Juniper berries encapsulated and screened for 
purity, potency, and quality.

Usage
Juniper berries were 
used as a food and a medicine by the Indians of the American 
plains. Herbal use dates back to early Greek and Arabian 
physicians.*

Recommended Daily Dosage
Take two capsules 
three times daily at mealtimes or prepared as a tea. Increase 
fluid intake throughout the day.

 

    

The following 
list is for serving size of 2 capsules

Primary Ingredients 
Amount  USRDA  
Juniper Berries  800 mg  0%  


Other 
Ingredients
Gelatin, Magnesium Stearate 

Sizes
100 capsules