Part(s) Used: Fruit (berry)
MEDICINAL: Juniper has been used to clear uric acid from the body. It is high in natural insulin, and has the ability to heal the pancreas where there has been no permanent damage. It is useful for all urinary infections and for water retention problems. Juniper is used externally as a compress to treat acne, athlete's foot, and dandruff.
RELIGIOUS: Juniper is used to protect from accidents and theft. Grown at your doorstep, it will offer your home protection. It is used in incenses for protection.
GROWING: Junipers of all species are adaptable to many growing conditions. They are low-maintenance plants. Choose a species suited to your landscape needs, to avoid problems later, as some folks plant them with no regard for their eventual size, and sometime find they have a nuisance on their hands as the plant matures. If you want berries, you must plant a male and a female juniper.
Herbal Use: The German Commission E approved use for dyspepsia.(G3) Juniper is stated to possess diuretic, antiseptic, carminative, stomachic and antirheumatic properties. Traditionally, it has been used for cystitis, flatulence, colic, and applied topically for rheumatic pains in joints or muscles.(G2, G7, G64)
Food Use: Juniper berries are widely used as a flavouring component in gin. Juniper is listed by the Council of Europe as a natural source of food flavouring (fruit N2, leaf and wood N3). Category N2 indicates that the berries can be added to foodstuffs in small quantities, with a possible limitation of an active principle (as yet unspecified) in the final product. Category N3 indicates that there is insufficient information available for an adequate assessment of potential toxicity to be made.(G16) Previously, in the USA, extracts and oils of juniper were permitted for food use.(G65)