Juniper Berry
A seed cone rather than a berry, and the flavour in gin.
- On the label as
- Juniper (Juniperus communis) berry
- Position
- 11 of 14, heaviest first
- Botanical or chemical name
- Juniperus communis
- Part used
- Berry (female seed cone)
- Where it comes from
- Northern Europe, northern Asia and North America
- Human evidence for glucose
- Small — Very little human evidence for a blood sugar outcome.
- Amount in GlycoAid
- Not disclosed; part of one 500 mg blend
Juniper berries are not botanically berries. They are the fleshy seed cones of a conifer, they need two or three years on the branch to ripen, and they are why gin tastes the way it does.
European herbal tradition used them mainly for digestion and for their effect on fluid balance. Blood sugar shows up here and there in folk use but never as the principal reason anybody reached for them.
What the research shows
There is effectively no human evidence connecting juniper to blood sugar. What does exist sits in test tubes and in rodents: extracts contain compounds with antioxidant behaviour in vitro, and a small number of animal studies recorded glucose reductions.
None of that has progressed to controlled trials in people for a glucose outcome. There is no dosing literature worth the name and no efficacy data to summarise. The diuretic effect, by contrast, is well accepted in traditional use.
Evidence grade: Small
Very little human evidence for a blood sugar outcome.
What that means inside GlycoAid
Eleventh on the list, in the lighter half of the label. This is one of three ingredients here with almost no human blood sugar evidence, and it is described that way rather than being allowed to ride on the stronger names above it.
Everything above describes juniper berry as a named substance at doses used in published work. It does not describe GlycoAid, which declares one combined 500 mg covering all fourteen ingredients and publishes no individual amount.
Cautions and interactions
- It acts as a diuretic, so combining it with prescription diuretics or with lithium can disturb fluid and salt balance.
- Traditional literature warns about kidney irritation with prolonged heavy use.
- Avoid during pregnancy.
- It can add to the effect of glucose-lowering medication.
Questions About Juniper Berry
Three that come in most often about this ingredient.
Is there human evidence for juniper and glucose?
Effectively none. The work stops at laboratory and animal studies.
Then why include it?
Traditional use and antioxidant content. The Small grade here simply reflects what the published work will bear.
Is it really a berry?
No. It is a fleshy seed cone from a conifer.
Other Ingredients In The Blend
The label lists ingredients heaviest first, so position is the only quantitative information it carries.
See all fourteen ingredients · About the product · Safety information
GlycoAid Contains Juniper Berry
Alongside thirteen other ingredients inside one 500 mg blend, taken as a single capsule a day.
- 14 ingredients in one 500 mg blend
- 30 capsules a bottle, one a day
- 60-day money-back guarantee from the charge date
- $49 a bottle on six with free US shipping
60-day money-back guarantee. Checkout handled by BuyGoods.
