Juniper is another phenomenal antibiotic, and it is so easy to locate. Especially here at my house on Juniper Ridge (really, that's what it says on the local topographical map), where we have hundreds of juniper trees. It grows everywhere between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so I tend to think it just grows everywhere. But it's also a really common landscaping shrub. So if you don't actually have trees near you, maybe you can find some of the low-growing varieties in a shopping center parking lot or on school grounds. There are something like 50 or 60 or 70 species of juniper; all can be used medicinally. The juniper berry of some varieties is quite similar in size and color to a blueberry, but most are smaller than a blueberry and much duskier in appearance, at least until they are washed and dried.
My juniper berries look like this, not the big pretty ones you see pictured everywhere else online.
But don't get too excited about eating these berries. Sure, you can eat them. They just aren't all that sweet or juicy or filling, any of those things that we really like about blueberries and blackberries and strawberries. The juniper berry isn't actually a berry. It's a seed cone. A baby tree. And that's exactly what the green, unripe berries taste like. The old, dried berries taste like dead trees. The bluish/purplish ones, the ones you want for medicine and eating (if you really want to eat them) have the tiniest amount of flesh on them that if you think really hard about while chewing on might just have a hint of fruitiness about them.
However, juniper berries do have their own grand purposes in life. Some would say their greatest use is as gin, and indeed juniper berries were historically used to sanitize medical equipment (more on that in another post). Juniper is employed in so many ways and for so many conditions that we'll need a few posts to cover them all.
Junipers of the western United States were widely used by Native Americans in treating many medical conditions, especially those related to the urinary tract, digestive tract, and skin.
Time to harvest: Berries--in the fall, after the first frost and the berries have turned blue/purple, and before they start to shrivel. Berries develop on the tree for two to three years; green berries should not be used.
MEDICINAL USES OF JUNIPER BERRIES
Juniper is or has reportedly been used in the treatment of:
- arthritis, rheumatism;
- heartburn, indigestion;
- constipation;
- upper respiratory infections, sinus infections;
- insomnia;
- Staphylococcus aureus.
Preparation: Pick them off the tree (yeah, you could gather them from the ground, but you'd have to bend over to do that, and there are so many on the tree). Make sure to only get blue/purple berries, not green ones, after the first frost. Let them dry for a day or two before storing.
Whole berries: For heartburn and indigestion herbalists recommend eating 1-5 berries per day for 2 weeks. For constipation, 5-8 berries per day as needed. Berries must be eaten whole or tinctured in alcohol to be effective.
Wound powder: Powder the berries (or needles) in a blender or coffee grinder and use alone or add to other wound powders to cure or prevent infection in wounds.
Essential oil: Juniper berry essential oil has been approved by the FDA for limited internal use. To treat upper respiratory infections and sinus infections, put 8-10 drops of juniper berry essential oil in 1 ounce of water in a nasal spray bottle. Administer 4-6 times per day, shaking well before each use. Alternatively, put the essential oil in a diffuser to both prevent and treat upper respiratory infections and other airborne illnesses. (For the curious, about 36 ounces of dried juniper berries will yield about 10 ml of essential oil.) Juniper essential oil diffused at night has also been shown to help alleviate insomnia.
Tincture: 1:5, 75% alcohol (that's one ounce of juniper berries to five ounces of 150-proof alcohol, by volume*). Store the tincture in the dark and give it a good shake once each day. After five days, blend the tincture in a blender and then put it back in the jar and store it in the dark for four weeks. For the last step, strain the tincture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove the herb and pour it into a clean bottle or jar. Store in a cool, dark location.
Tincture dosage: 5-20 drops, up to 3x daily, for a maximum of four to six weeks. Begin with a lower dosage and increase, if needed.
Salve: Soak 1/2 cup juniper berries in just enough distilled water to cover for several hours. Crush the berries slightly and put them and the distilled water and 1 cup oil (olive, sweet almond, jojoba, avocado) in a double boiler over low heat. Bring the water to a simmer and simmer for several minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and strain to remove the juniper berries. Discard the berries and put the strained oil back in the pan on low heat. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of beeswax. When all the beeswax is melted and stirred in, pour the juniper berry salve into a jar and let set. Massage salve into sore joints and muscles for relief from pain due to arthritis and rheumatism.
Contraindications: Juniper is a common allergen for hay fever. It also affects blood glucose levels in diabetics. Avoid juniper during pregnancy and while nursing.
Cautions: Large doses of juniper, like six cups of strong tea in a day, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and increased urine flow. Use juniper only for a month or so; then abstain for a week or more before using the herb again.
*If you have Everclear, you can use four ounces of that plus one ounce of water to get a total of 5 ounces of 150 proof alcohol.
One of the great things about juniper is that we don't have to wait for fall to use it medicinally; the needles can be gathered and turned into medicine at any time of the year!
MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER NEEDLES
Juniper is or has reportedly been used in the treatment of:
- urinary tract infection, urethritis, cystitis;
- acne;
- arthritis, rheumatism;
- toothache, swollen gums;
- heartburn, bloating, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal infections;
- intestinal worms;
- sores, wounds;
- measles, smallpox;
- snake bites, insect bites, dog bites,
- scurvy;
- Staphylococcus aureus.
- The needles may be of use in potentiating the efficacy of erythromycin and ampicillin.[1]
- depression, fatigue, insomnia;
- tuberculosis;
- high blood sugar;
- herpes simplex 1 and 2;
- kidney infections, kidney stones, bladder stones, gout;
- enlarged prostate;
- eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, vitiligo, athlete's foot, warts;
- tetanus;
- diarrhea, nausea;
- hemorrhage, high blood pressure;
- Aspergillus niger.
Tincture dosage: 5-20 drops, up to 3x daily, for a
maximum of four to six weeks. Begin with a lower dosage and increase,
if needed. Tinctures take several weeks to make, so having them on hand
before an infection occurs is best.
Making the juniper needle tincture:
1:5, 75% alcohol (that's one ounce of juniper needles to five ounces
of 150-proof alcohol). Store the tincture in the dark and give it a
good shake once each day. After five days, blend the tincture in a
blender and then put it back in the jar and store it in the dark for
four weeks. For the last step, strain the tincture through a coffee
filter or cheesecloth to remove the herb and pour it into a clean bottle
or jar. Store in a cool, dark location.
Infusion:
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1-3 teaspoonfuls of crushed needles
and steep for 10-15 minutes. Take one cup in the morning and one in the
evening for lower urinary tract infections and digestive problems.
Limit consumption to two weeks unless directed otherwise by a medical
professional. If treating for scurvy, use new growth (lighter green)
needles for their higher vitamin C content.
Decoction:
Add one ounce of needles to one quart of boiling water. Boil for 30
minutes, remove from heat, and let steep 12-24 hours. It has
historically been used as an antiseptic wash for sores, wounds, measles,
smallpox, snake bites, insect bites, dog bites. A decoction is also
used as a poultice on rheumatic or arthritic joints. Furthermore, a
decoction of the needles was historically used to sterilize brewing
equipment, cooking utensils, surgical instruments (yeah, that could be
helpful), hands, and counters. It would seem silly to put this in
buckets when I've got hundreds of trees here, but it is definitely one
to keep in the memory banks for future reference.
Steam: Boil four ounces of needles in one gallon of water; inhale the steam as it boils. Use for upper respiratory infections.
Poultice: A poultice of the leaves is applied to the jaw for alleviating toothaches and sore or swollen gums.
MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER TWIGS
Decoction:
Prepare as for the needle decoction above, using one ounce of twigs
instead. Use primarily for treating stomach aches and kidney
complaints.
Poultice: Mash twigs and make a poultice to dress burns and swollen skin tissue.
Smoke:
Smoke from burning twigs was inhaled by Native Americans in treating
headaches and colds. Juniper branches were used in sweat baths for
alleviating rheumatism.
MEDICINAL USES OF THE JUNIPER SEEDS
The seeds were eaten to treat headaches.
OTHER USES OF JUNIPER:
Air purifier: Simmer berries and water in an open pot.
Disinfectant:
Add juniper berries to dishwater or other cleaning solutions as a
disinfectant. Yes, it sounds a little far-fetched. Read on.
Alternative to chlorhexidine:
Chlorhexidine is an oral rinse used in periodontal treatment; however,
extended use can have negative side effects. Juniper essential oil
diluted in water had no negative effects.
(https://www.researchgate.netpublication277252482_Essential_Oil_from_Berries_of_
Lebanese_Juniperus_excelsa_M_Bieb_Displays_Similar_Antibacterial_Activity_to_Chlorhexidine_
but_Higher_Cytocompatibility_with_Human_Oral_Primary_Cells)
Wax: Simmer fruit, skim off wax, use to make candles.
Slow match:
Crushed bark is twisted into a rope, tied with yucca, and coiled. The
free end was lit and kept smoldering by blowing on it infrequently. In
this way, fire could be carried for several hours.
Roofs: The bark is used to thatch roofs.
Bedbugs: Boughs were used to deter bedbugs.
Contraindications:
Juniper is a common allergen for hay fever. It also affects blood
glucose levels in diabetics. Avoid juniper during pregnancy and while
nursing.
Cautions: Large doses of juniper,
like six cups of strong tea in a day, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and
increased urine flow. Use juniper only for a month or so; then abstain
for a week or more before using the herb again.
[1] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 186.
2018 4.14.24
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