Juniper (Young Shoot Extract), Juniperus communis

In the Restoring Immunity System:

At Stage 2, in full dose, the tonic effects of Juniper on the kidneys and liver optimizes stool types #1- #7 for medium to high levels of vitality as a tonic. These extracts should follow the use of another well-matched elimination extract. It is not recommended as a first elimination extract.

At Stage 3, in full dose, Juniper is used for urinary tract conditions and as a tonic for the liver.

It is the young shoots of Juniper that are used for the elaboration of the Gemmotherapy Extract. Depending on its size, Juniper can be described as a tree or a shrub. It is most often a shrub of 3 to 18 feet (1 to 6 meters), becomes prostrate at high altitudes and can reach 36 feet (12 meters) on rich and fertile soils. A very frugal plant, it adapts to all conditions of climate and soil, is very resistant to cold, heat and strong winds, but is very demanding of light and does not tolerate the proximity of other trees. Its growth is very slow but its longevity almost equals that of the giant redwood, with some specimens reaching the venerable age of 2700 years. Such adaptability may explain the extremely wide distribution of Juniper, its range covers the entire temperate northern hemisphere in Europe, Asia and America.

Its stems bear very prickly, evergreen leaves in the shape of short needles. Its small flowers produce small berries made up of the 3 bracts that surrounded them. It takes three years for the berry to mature, so the shrub bears several fruits of different ages at the same time. The fruits of the first year remain green and darken to become blue-blackish in the third year. They are used in the kitchen for their antinutritional properties, to flavor meat and sauerkraut dishes, and it is one of the main ingredients of the gin.

A sacred tree among the Celts and Germans, Juniper was considered a protective shrub capable of driving away evil spirits. In the III century B.C., Cato was already using it to prepare a wine against urine retention. Hippocrates used it to fight the plague in Athens, and later, during plague and cholera epidemics, its aromatic branches were burned in the streets and houses, and until 1870 when it was still used in this way in the hospitals of Paris to fight smallpox.

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Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Gemmotherapy extracts are not meant to diagnose‚ treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your practitioner before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.