Are juniper berries a kidney irritant?
by Paul Bergner Medical Herbalism 07-31-94 6(2): 12 The articles in this section address the use of juniper berries (Juniperus communis) The first article, by Dr. Kerry Bone of Australia, challenges the conventional wisdom that juniper berries are automatically contraindicated in kidney disease. Dr. Bone points out the distinction between the berries and the extracted oil, and notes that oil may be adulterated by extracts from plant parts other than the berries. The next article, written by Dr. Wm. Cook in 1869, also points out the difference between the berries and the oil, and suggests that even the berries are contraindicated in acute inflammation of the kidney. The third article points out the uses recommended by other physician-authors. My conclusion: use the berries with caution in active inflammation of the kidney; like other alteratives with stimulant properties, they are more appropriate in conditions of deficiency and laxity of the tissues than in conditions of excess or infl
