Juniper Materia Medica

Juniper has been used in herbal medicine for a wide variety of disorders. It exerts a gentle stimulant/diuretic action which imparts an odor of violets to the urine. Indeed, it has been most prominently used medicinally to increase the flow of urine and otherwise treat urinary tract disorders, including kidney congestion and edema resulting from heart disease, nephritis and cystitis.

Juniper is useful for treating loss of appetite and dyspepsia. Also, the berries have been used to purify the blood, lower serum cholesterol and protect against arteriosclerosis. They have also been used to treat cancer and have been shown in animal studies to exert anti-tumor activity. Juniper may also prove of value in the treatment of: menstrual irregularity and pain; leucorrhea; inflammatory diseases of the lower urinary tract; diabetes; parasitic infection; bronchitis; gout; rheumatism; arthritis; bruises; painful swellings, sores, ulcers and wounds.

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