Tibetan/Plateau juniper (shug pa)
Juniperus tibetica
Edible plantSafety information
Safety information
Toxicity: Variable by species/part. Some junipers and juniper essential oil are nephro-irritant and carry an abortifacient reputation (notably J. sabina-type 'savin'); concentrated oil is not for internal self-use.
Contraindications: Pregnancy — avoid (juniper/savin abortifacient reputation; uterine/renal irritation). Kidney disease; avoid concentrated essential oil internally.
Interactions: Not well documented; theoretical diuretic-additive and renal-irritant cautions.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid in pregnancy (savin abortifacient reputation).
Evidence level
Documented in systematic traditional medicine literature.
Preparations
decoction · leaf/twig
Part used: leaf/twig
external wash · leaf/twig
Part used: leaf/twig
powder · leaf/twig
Part used: leaf/twig
smoke-fumigation/incense (bsang) · leaf/twig
Part used: leaf/twig
Traditional use: purifying incense; kidney/wind and cold-damp complaints, respiratory and antiseptic uses, fumigant(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)
Proposed mechanism: essential oil (alpha-pinene, sabinene, terpinen-4-ol, cedrol), flavonoids, proanthocyanidins — reputed antimicrobial/antiseptic
Associated conditions
Edibility
Edible parts: Caution — culinary 'gin' juniper berries come from specific species (J. communis); many ornamental/Plateau junipers are NOT food-grade and some (savin-type) are toxic.
Toxic lookalike warning
Do not eat juniper 'berries' without exact species ID — toxic junipers and unrelated blue cones can be confused with edible J. communis.
Nutritional notes
Not a nutritional source as used here (incense/medicine).
Healing traditions
Sources (2)
- Staub, Geck & Weckerle 2011, J Ethnobiol Ethnomed (PMID 22165897)
- Chaudhary et al. 2025, J Ethnobiol Ethnomed (PMID 41168804)