Common juniper: medicinal properties

The ending. The beginning is in the article Juniper: the hunt for the harvest.

It's all about the oil

The chemical composition of the common juniper has been studied in some detail from the cones to the tips of the roots. And almost all parts of the plant contain essential oil, however, very different in chemical composition. As many as three essential oils can be obtained from juniper. According to this indicator, it can only be compared with bigardia - a bitter orange - three types of oil are also obtained from it (from flowers - neroli, from leaves - petitgrain oil, and from skins - oil of bitter orange). Juniper can get oil from fruits, from twigs with needles, and from wood.

The fruits contain up to 2% of essential oil, which is obtained by steam distillation. Main components: α-pinene (up to 35%), sabinene (2-28%), myrcene (6-18%), terpinen-4-ol (up to 10%), cadinene, terpineol, borneol, unipercamphor, cedrol, pellandrene , caryophyllene, camphor, pinocampon and many more minor components. Considering that the common juniper is a species with a wide range and significantly different subspecies, the ratio of these components in the oil may vary. In addition to essential oil, fruits contain sugars (up to 40%), resins (up to 9%), pectins, organic acids, flavonoids, dye uniperin.

The needles contain up to 5% of essential oil, the main components of which are a-pinene (42-91%), b-pinene (0.3-4.2%), camphene (1.7-7.2%), sabinene (2 , 8-20.2%), myrcene (1.6-3.1%), b-pellandrene, a-terpinene (0.7-12.2%), cineole (0.4-6.5%). In addition, the needles contain quinic acid and shikimic acid. The needles contain more than 250 mg% vitamin C.

By dry distillation, cadine oil is obtained from wood, which is used topically for rheumatism, scabies and dermatoses. The essential oil of wood consists of tuyarene, cuparene, humulene, zedrol, calamene, cadinene and a number of other components.

The bark contains tannins (up to 8%) and essential oil (up to 0.5%).

Cleans blood and drives stones

Juniper berries have a tonic, tonic, anti-inflammatory, phytoncidal, expectorant, laxative and strong diuretic effect. In European medicine, the infusion is used as an expectorant. Sometimes - as a blood purifier for eczema, dermatitis, scabies, skin rashes, furunculosis.

In scientific medicine, an infusion of juniper berries (1 tablespoon of crushed raw materials per 1 glass of boiling water, heated in a water bath for 15 minutes, infused for 45 minutes, filtered and taken 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day after meals) is prescribed mainly as a diuretic for edema associated with renal failure and circulatory disorders, as well as a disinfectant - for chronic pyelitis, cystitis, urolithiasis, etc. Shishkoyagy is also used in combination with other plants - for chronic respiratory diseases (tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchitis) - to dilute sputum and improve its expectoration. In addition, they are recommended for stimulating appetite, enhancing bile formation, improving digestion and intestinal motility, they are used for gastroenteritis, hepatopathies associated with bile congestion, a tendency to form gallstones.

In modern traditional medicine, juniper berries are widely used, they are used for asthenia, anemia, furunculosis, joint diseases, chronic skin diseases, for gallstone and kidney stone diseases, gout.

With sand in the bladder, take 60 g of common juniper fruit, chop, add 10 g of lemon peel, pour 1 liter of white wine and leave for 10 days. Drink 100 g 2-3 times a day.

As diuretic use a cold infusion of berries (1 teaspoon of crushed raw materials insist 2 hours in 1 glass of cold boiled water and take 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day).

With hypertension, take 10 g of juniper fruits and 5 g of oat seeds and wheatgrass rhizomes, pour 1 liter of boiling water and simmer until 0.75 liters of liquid remains. The resulting broth is drunk a little during the day.

Fresh "fruits" can be used as a blood purifier: on the first day 6 berries are carefully chewed (seeds are spit out), each subsequent day, for two weeks, the dose is increased by 1 berry, thus reaching 20 "fruits", and then reduced by 1 berry daily - up to 6.

There is information that infusion of juniper bark stimulates sexual activity in men. With impotence, for the excitement of sexual activity, it is recommended to take a decoction from the bark of young branches of common juniper: pour 1 tablespoon with two glasses of boiled water, insist for 10-12 hours, boil for 15 minutes. in a tightly sealed container, cool, filter and then drink half a glass 3 times a day before meals.

In the northern regions of Russia, for diseases of the bladder, it is recommended tincture of juniper berries on vodka... Tincture of fruits on vodka is prepared as follows: take 15 g of fruit per 100 g of vodka. Insist 2 weeks. Take 10-15 drops 3 times a day.

As fortifying You can prepare the following remedy: take 50 g of cones and one head of garlic, which must be peeled and chopped. All pour 1 liter of white wine and leave for 10 days. Drink 50 g 1-2 times a day after meals.

Overweight it is recommended to mix nettle leaf, juniper fruit and horsetail herb in a ratio of 2: 3: 4. Brew 1 tablespoon of the mixture in 0.5 liters of boiling water. Insist 10 minutes, drain. Drink during the day in 3 divided doses.

Internal use of juniper preparations is contraindicated in acute inflammatory diseases of the kidneys (nephritis, nephroso-nephritis), in renal failure and pregnancy.

Outwardly, a decoction of "fruits" and branches (at the rate of 50 g of raw materials per bucket of water) is used for baths with rheumatism, gout, eczema. The broth is prepared in a sealed container for half an hour. Take a bath for 20 minutes a day at a temperature of 38 ° C. Painful joints and muscles are rubbed with juniper oil or tincture for rheumatism.

In gynecological practice concoction of cones used for douching with colpitis and leucorrhoea of ​​bacterial origin.

The essence of fresh ripe "fruits" is used in homeopathy.

Source of strong drinks and seasoning for the hare

In some European countries and in Russia, juniper berries have long been used for food purposes, mainly as a spice to impart a characteristic aroma to kvass, beer, soft carbonated drinks, pickles, marinades, and canned fish. Juniper gives a special taste and forest aroma to poultry and game dishes (7-8 berries are taken for 1 kg of meat). In addition, it fights off the unpleasant odor characteristic of bushmeat. The hare with juniper berries is especially exquisite. In general, the presence of juniper berries is justified in most heavy and difficult to digest dishes. They will help prevent heartburn, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after a hearty meal.

Due to the high sugar content in pine nuts, sweet syrup was made from them earlier. In Russia, in the 17th century, syrup was driven from juniper berries and the intoxicating drink “juniper wort” was prepared, which was served to the tsar and boyars on fasting days.

In England, juniper berries are still used to prepare a traditional, purely British alcoholic drink - "gin". Gin did not gain recognition among Russians because of its strong "perfumery aroma".

In perfumery, juniper essential oil is used mainly for masculine fragrances.

And in the barrel and in the bath

Juniper branches with needles are used in villages for steaming barrels and tubs before pickling cucumbers, mushrooms and cabbage.

Juniper brooms in the bathhouse for joint diseases can do a good job.

Juniper wood is dense, with a beautiful texture and characteristic odor. It is used for making small carpentry and turning products, smoking fish and various meat products. With its delicate, pleasant aroma, which lasts for decades, juniper wood is in no way inferior to the famous sandalwood.

To the aromatherapist's corner

Juniper essential oil has no equal in its bactericidal properties. One hectare of juniper forest per day can improve the health of the air of a big city. The terpineol contained in the fruit enhances filtration in the renal glomeruli and inhibits the reverse resorption of chloride and sodium ions in the convoluted tubules of the kidneys. Essential oil has a bactericidal effect on the urinary tract. Has some expectorant effect.

But with all this, his usually not used internally, and used in the form of ointments, baths, inhalations.

A good effect is given by rubbing with juniper oil for bronchitis and rhinitis, for inflammatory skin diseases - acne, acne, abscesses (10 drops of essential oil per 100 g of ointment base).

Juniper baths are good for cellulite and edema, as well as joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and, to a lesser extent, metabolic arthritis. In addition, baths or massage with juniper oil are indicated for fatigue, memory loss, stress-induced nervousness, anxiety and irritability. When preparing a bath, 5-6 drops are enough. You can add basil or grapefruit oil, juniper goes well with them.

In the experiment, the essential oil of the branches increased bile formation, increased the secretion of bronchial glands, and accelerated tissue regeneration in case of injuries and burns.

In the absence of essential oil or the impossibility of acquiring it, two simple methods are used to sanitize the air in the room:

• 10-20 g of finely chopped juniper wood is poured with 150-200 g of water and boiled for 10-15 minutes. At the same time, the essential oil evaporates together with water and in the form of steam disinfects the air in the room, at the same time disinfecting it. Inhalation is carried out in the same way, a kind of aromatherapy sessions.

• The second method is that the same amount of chopped wood is poured into a frying pan, heated for 20-30 minutes. Vapors of essential oil together with smoke sanitize the air in the room, suppressing almost all pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. For fans of otherworldly forces, it is useful to know that, according to experts of "white magic", the smoke of juniper protects a person from evil spirits that send disease, cleanses the aura and contributes to its healing.

For scabies, it is recommended to prepare an ointment: 50-60 drops of juniper essential oil must be mixed with 30 g of lard.

Alternative medicine recommends juniper essential oil for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, in particular gonorrhea: 2-5 drops per dose 3 times a day. But in modern conditions, this is only a remedy that complements the antibiotics prescribed by a doctor and is used only under the supervision of a phytotherapist.

Contraindication for the use of common juniper essential oil is pregnancy. It is not used concurrently with chemotherapy treatments for cancer. For kidney disease, only very low concentrations are used.