6 Health Benefits of Juniper Berries

Juniper berries aren’t technically fruits at all. They are female seed cones produced by juniper plants, a subclass of conifer (Pinophyta), a plant or tree that produces cones.

Juniper plants can grow low and wide like a shrub or towering like a tree, giving them a variety of appearances. They are called berries because of their distinctively fleshy, fused scales that resemble berries.

In addition to having a slightly misleading name, juniper berries are not typically eaten with breakfast like blueberries (despite the fact that they are of a comparable size).

Instead, the bitter juniper berry is frequently used as a spice. In fact, they contribute to the unique flavor of gin. Officially, the only spice to originate from a conifer tree is juniper berries.

According to a 2014 study, juniper berries may also adversely affect the way some drugs interact with them. The berries appear to prevent the body’s CYP3A4 enzyme from properly metabolizing drugs. About half of the pharmaceuticals available on the market are metabolized by this enzyme, whereas the other half actually inhibit it.

There is a long list of drugs that should not be taken with juniper berries since doing so could be hazardous. Before consuming juniper berries or juniper berry essential oil, you should first speak to your doctor if you are already taking any drugs.

Read Also: Strawberries and it’s Nutritional Benefits

6 Health Benefits of Juniper Berries

1. Helps Prevent Disease and Oxidative Stress

The presence of antioxidants in juniper berries is one of its main advantages. Because they reduce oxidative stress brought on by having too many free radicals in your body, antioxidants aid your body in preventing and fighting disease.

Bioflavonoids, also called flavonoids or polyphenolic chemicals, are present in juniper berries. The antioxidant content of fruits, vegetables, and a few other foods is provided by these substances.

One chemical analysis found that juniper berries in particular contain 87 different antioxidant chemicals. Compared to unripe kinds, ripe berries appear to have more of these chemicals.

Most importantly, juniper berries promote the action of three vital antioxidants in the body: glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Read Also: 11 Unique Health Benefits of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

2. Can Serve As Natural Antiseptic

Because juniper berries’ antibacterial and antifungal properties have lasted the test of time, juniper berry essential oil is frequently recommended as a natural household cleaner.

These berries have powerful effects on numerous bacterial and fungal strains. In fact, at least one study made the case that they might be used to treat respiratory and skin infections.

Juniper berries essential oil effectively eliminate the candida fungus, which is the source of an infection that has a long list of negative side effects.

A common dental medication called chlorhexidine has been shown to have hazardous side effects, but this essential oil has been shown to remove bacteria and reduce inflammation in the mouth just as effectively.

In laboratory studies, an extract of Juniperus drupaceous berries from Turkey significantly inhibited the growth of a variety of cells, including the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

Boils and skin infections are brought on by staph infections, which can also occasionally result in more serious side effects including pneumonia, cellulitis, or bone infections.

According to research, juniper berries may also be used as an antioxidant in foods and drinks. A substantial antibacterial effect against Aspergillus niger, a black mold typically seen on ruined food, has also been demonstrated by an ethanol extract from these berries.

3. Improves Skin Conditions

A quick Google search reveals that treating skin conditions like rash or eczema is one of the most popular uses for juniper berries, specifically in the form of essential oils. They likely include antioxidants, which is one of the main reasons why this might work.

Researchers looked at how juniper berry essential oil affected the way animal wounds healed and found that two juniper berry cultivars displayed outstanding wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties. This shows that the traditional use of juniper berries as a skin tonic has scientific justification.

A South Korean laboratory study suggests that juniper berry extract might also be useful in treating skin pigmentation disorders like vitiligo.

Since quite some time, cellulite, a cosmetic problem involving fatty deposits that are typically present on the thighs, hips, and buttocks has been treated using juniper berry essential oil.

Read Also: 6 Health Benefits of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

4. Improves Better Sleep

Numerous natural health professionals advise juniper berry essential oil as a relaxant because they think it has a favorable effect on brain chemistry and promotes sleep.

A study examined the effects of a therapeutic scent on insomniacs who were already taking medication for the condition. The scent included juniper berry essential oil as well as sandalwood, rose, and orris.

After dispersing the scent throughout the night, 26 out of the 29 participants were able to reduce their medication and have undisturbed sleep, and 12 persons were able to completely stop taking their medicine by the end of the trial.

5. Good For The Heart

Juniper berries include antioxidant properties that may potentially contribute to their ability to help with heart health. For instance, due to the antioxidants it contains, juniper berry essential oil has been shown in animal experiments to lower high blood pressure.

According to a related study, the natural diuretic properties of juniper berries (in their original or essential oil form) also contribute to the berry’s blood pressure-lowering effects. According to a rat study, juniper berry extracts may help decrease elevated triglycerides.

Additionally, juniper berries serve as a anticholinesterase agent. This is crucial for heart health because acetylcholine, which is built up in the neurological system by anticholinesterase agents (natural or synthetic), can delay the heart’s action, lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, and cause the heart to contract.

It’s interesting to note that the same medications are occasionally used to treat intestinal blockages, myasthenia gravis, and Alzheimer’s disease. The interaction of juniper berries with the latter two situations has not yet been studied in detail.

6. Good For Diabetic Patients

Studies linking juniper berries to the treatment of diabetes, like many others, have only involved lab and animal research. However, the preliminary outcomes are encouraging.

In diabetic rats, elevated blood sugar levels may be lowered by an ethanol extract and juniper berry tea.

The amount of malondialdehyde produced by animal bodies appears to be constrained by juniper berry essential oil as well. Although the exact cause of diabetes is unknown, people with diabetes have significantly greater levels of malondialdehyde in their bodies (and cancer).

Read Also: 8 Health Benefits of Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Read Also: Environmental Management Tips for Individuals

Do you have any further questions, suggestions, or other contributions? If so, then kindly use the comment box provided below for all your contributions. You are also encouraged to kindly assist us in sharing this information with other people that you feel can benefit from it within your reach, as we may not be able to reach everyone at the same time, so we humbly seek your support on this. Thank you so much for sharing! 

Have you visited our Market Place Today? Follow this link to visit Agric4profits.com Market Place now to check out our affordable products and services that might interest you and solve your current needs at a very cheap price.