Effect:
Kidney stimulating, stomach strengthening, eye strengthening, detoxifying, diuretic, blood purifying, expectorant, antiseptic, appetite stimulating, astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
Areas of application:
spoiled stomach, for metabolic diseases, gout, rheumatism, for stomach weakness, diarrhea, heartburn, flatulence, indigestion, bile and liver problems, urinary tract infections, cleanses the bladder and prostate, for severe water retention, dropsy (edema), asthma, for blood purification, pain, rheumatic inflammation, cramps, strengthens the eyes, jaundice, gallstones, constipation, eczema, wounds, skin infections, E. colli, Staphylococcus aureus, pneumonia, gonorrhea, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, anti-fungal, neutralizes free radicals responsible for cell damage and aging are, respiratory problems
Plant parts used:
Needles, berries, bark
Collection time:
Needles in spring,
Berries in autumn and
Bark in late fall or early spring
To find:
Juniper is a protected plant!
It grows as undergrowth in sparse forests, heathland areas, in moors and on mountain slopes.
Ingredients:
Resin, essential oil, invert sugar, juniperine, egg white, pectin, wax, gum, acids
Other:
☕ Tea: Pour 1/4 liter of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of berries and let it steep for 5 minutes. Then strain and drink 3 cups daily.
The juniper is a small shrub that can reach a height of 0.6 to 6 meters. It has a reddish-brown bark that flakes off in papery pieces. The leaves are needle-shaped, tapering, arranged in 3 whorls and lined with white in the middle. The cones appear on short stems. The berries are small, round to oval and up to 1.25 cm in diameter. The berries are green when young and purplish-black when ripe. They take up to 3 years to mature, so there are often both green and purplish-black berries on the same bush. Each berry usually has three seeds.
🛑 Attention: Juniper treatments should not be used for kidney problems, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, diabetics and people with bleeding disorders. You should not take juniper for a long period of time. When used externally, you should be careful if your blood pressure is too low. If in doubt, always ask your family doctor or pharmacist.
The pointed, spiny leaves protect the medicinal berries. To harvest them, you spread a cloth under the tree and hit it with a tennis racket. The leaves and branches that have fallen on it are sorted out and the cloth with the berries can then be picked up.
The juniper hung above the doors drives away witches. Juniper is one of the nine types of wood used to make witch-detecting stools.
Where epidemic-like diseases take hold, they are fumigated with juniper. Back then people burned incense against the devil and witches because it was assumed that all evil came from them. Today we know about the antiseptic effect of smoked juniper wood.
In the kitchen, juniper berries are used as a spice for sauerkraut, sauces, meat dishes and fish. The berries make food more digestible and have an appetizing effect. As a spice they go well with caraway, bay leaves, pepper and marjoram.
Kneipp treatment for blood purification: 1st day, chew and swallow 1 juniper berry 3 times a day, increase by one berry per administration per day until you reach 15 berries 3 times on the 15th day. Then descending again by 1 berry less per administration until you reach 3 times 1 berry again on the 30th day. This treatment also strengthens the gums and makes your breath clear.