Juniperus communis, the common juniper,
Baie de Genévrier, Common Juniper, Common Juniper Berry, Enebro, Extract of Juniper, Extrait de Genévrier, Genévrier, Ginepro,Huile de Genévrier, Juniper Berry, Juniperi Fructus, Juniperus communis, Oil of Juniper, Wacholderbeeren, Zimbro, Enbär, Jeneverbes,
“is a species of conifer in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest geographical range of any woody plant, with a circumpolar distribution throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia. Relict populations can be found in the Atlas Mountains of Africa.
Juniperus communis is a small coniferous evergreen tree or shrub, very variable in form, ranging from 10 m (33 ft)—rarely 16 m (52 ft)—tall to a low, often prostrate spreading shrub in exposed locations. It has needle-like leaves in whorls of three; the leaves are green, with a single white stomatal band on the inner surface.
The fruit are berry-like cones, initially green, ripening in 18 months to purple-black with a blue waxy coating. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard, unwinged seeds in their droppings.
In Scandinavia, however, juniper wood is used for making containers for storing small quantities of dairy products such as butter and cheese, and also for making wooden butter knives .
Various decorative items (often eating utensils) are common in most Estonian handicraft shops and households.
Its astringent blue-black seed cones, commonly known as “juniper berries”, are too bitter to eat raw and are usually sold dried and used to flavour meats, sauces, and stuffings. They are generally crushed before use to release their flavour. Since juniper berries have a strong taste, they should be used sparingly. They are generally used to enhance meat with a strong flavour, such as game, including game birds, or tongue.
The cones are used to flavour certain beers and gin (the word “gin” derives from an Old French word meaning “juniper”). In Finland, juniper is used as a key ingredient in making sahti, a traditional Finnish ale. Also the Slovak alcoholic beverage Borovička and Dutch Genever are flavoured with juniper berry or its extract.
Juniper is used in the traditional farmhouse ales of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. In Norway, the beer is brewed with juniper infusion instead of water, while in the other countries the juniper twigs are mainly used in the mash, as filters to prevent the crushed malts from clogging the outlet of the mashing tun.
Juniper berries have long been used as medicine by many cultures including the Navajo people. Western American tribes combined the berries of Juniperus communis with Berberis root bark in a herbal tea. Native Americans also used juniper berries as a female contraceptive.”
Note of caution: Juniper berry might affect blood pressure and could make blood pressure control more difficult.
It’s UNSAFE to use juniper if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
Antioxidant *see research link PMC4665443/ , 19580284, /26784665 , 28216892
Contains Alpha-pinene which acts as an airway-dilator and is highly bioavailable with 60% human pulmonary uptake, is antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory (handy for people with asthma and respiratory problems/infections) and Sabinene which gives it its spiciness *see research link 17230365 & wiki links Alpha-Pinene , Sabinene
Antibacterial against tuberculosis bacteria/strains (excerpt from research:” J. communis essential oils interfere with the starting phases of biofilm production, as well as with mature biofilms. The results of this study reveal new relevant perspectives for a complementary inhalatory treatment of chronic and/or recurrent upper respiratory tract infections. “) *see research link 16375831, 23774975 , 13680821/ , 19772344
Antifungal *see research link 16375831
Anticancer properties *see research link 24913660
Tick repellent against the lone star tick , and the blacklegged tick *see research link /22129397
Mosquito repellent against Ae.aegypti (excerpt from research:” oil of J. communis had a Minimum Effective Dosage (estimate of ED(99) ) for repellency of 0.029 ± 0.018 mg/cm(2) ; this oil was nearly as potent as DEET. “) *see research link 22129397
Lowers blood sugar levels *see research link 8073081
Contains * beta-caryophyllene which has painkilling ,neuroprotective, anxiolytic and antidepressant and anti-alcoholism activity and also clicks onto our cannabinoid receptor *the needle oil *see research link 21104523 and wiki link Caryophyllene
Liver protective and damage reducing *see research link 28216892
Contains Limonene aka dipentene which has gall bladder stone dissolving properties *see research link /PMC4665443/ , 1988264
Research and tips on Juniperus communis:
