Juniper berries are classified in the culinary herb/spice category because they are commonly used as a flavoring for drinks and in cooking and preserving foods. it is also considered an herbal bitter and is thought to help promote digestion.
Juniper is a strong aromatic (scented) herb from an evergreen plant or tree. It grows in temperate regions of Northern Europe, Asia, and North America.
The cone of the juniper is the part that is referred to as the berry. It looks like a small green berry and ends up turning a bluish-black shade in the second year of growth. In the late spring, small flowers bloom on the juniper plant.
The juniper berry is more like a small pine cone than a fruit. In fact, the juniper berry is not a fruit at all, but rather a type of bitter/citrus tasting spice
It is important to note that while juniper berries contain substances that have displayed potentially beneficial properties, and while there are some promising animal studies, there are no clinical trials in humans that have demonstrated a clinical benefit from juniper berries.
Health Benefit
The most common culinary use of the juniper berry is as a spice used to flavor gin. It’s used for its medicinal purposes as an essential oil, made by steam distillation of the crushed, dried, or fermented berries. Other ways the juniper berry is used is as dried fruit
The oil is said to have diuretic (promoting the increased production of urine) and antiseptic properties. Juniper berry oil is also known as a gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines) irritant, which is thought to help promote the movement of food through the digestive tract. The dried fruit and oil are used to relieve stomach ups
Unlike many essential oils, juniper berry essential oil is FDA-approved for limited internal us
History
The mature female cones of the juniper berries have been used for thousands of years. Extracts from the juniper were historically used to treat many ailments, including snake bites and intestinal worms. Native North Americans used juniper berries to treat conditions such as tuberculosis, bladder infections, and more
Juniper berries have also been used as a flavoring for foods that were pickled, and as a popular flavoring for food and alcoholic beverage
Juniper berries have been used to flavor gin, a liquor developed in the 17th century in the Netherlands. Other juniper-flavored alcoholic beverages include the Finnish rye-and-juniper beer made from the juniper berries and branche
Ancient Times
The ancient Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians were known to have used juniper berries. The Greeks used juniper berries as an herb for purification ceremonies and to increase physical stamina (particularly for athletes), recording the use of juniper berries as medicine long before they were said to start using the berries as a spice in foods
The Romans also used juniper berries as a cheaply produced substitute for black pepper, which was expensive to import from India. Juniper berries have even been found in Egyptian tombs; the Egyptians used juniper as a medicinal herb and to embalm the decease
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) juniper berries have been used for centuries as a stimulant for the kidneys and bladder to flush out impurities and toxins. It has also been used as a general antibiotic herb to heal infections, as well as a digestive tonic for the stomach, intestines, and spleen.
Additional Benefits
While firm scientific evidence is lacking, claims have been made over the years that juniper berries might be effective to treat several symptoms and conditions including:
Diuretic effects: Increases urine output, reduces edema, and helps to lower blood pressure
Skin health
Anti-inflammatory properties: Reduction of swelling
Antiseptic and antimicrobial properties: Including anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects such as killing Candida fungus
Antioxidant properties: Reduces damage caused by free radicals
Cytotoxic (anti-cancer) properties
Gastrointestinal irritant: Promotes digestion
Neuroprotective properties: Protects the brain and nervous system
Medicinal Uses of Juniper Berries
There are many medical conditions that some have claimed juniper berries can treat including:
Dyspepsia: A condition of the upper abdomen with pain, discomfort, and bloating after meals and nausea, heartburn, and regurgitation of food or acid
Rheumatoid arthritis
Insomnia: When juniper berry oil is mixed with other oils
Rash, eczema, and wound healing
Bronchitis
Bladder infections
Diabetes: Limited clinical research
High cholesterol
Some types of cancer: More research is needed