Botanical: Piper cubeba
Family: Piperaceae (pepper)
Other common names: Tailed Pepper, Cubebs, Java Pepper, False Pepper, Tailed Cubebs

Cubeb Berry is particularly helpful to the genitourinary organs and has helped in cases of chronic bladder problems and has also relieved burning urine, vaginitis, cystitis, urethritis and prostate infection.  Cubeb expels excessive mucous discharge and eases bronchitis, sinusitis, gonorrhea, laryngitis and dry coughs.  Its stimulating actions on the genitourinary organs are said to produce aphrodisiacal effects and a general warming effect on the body.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Herbal Extracts Plus is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

History:
Cubeb is a climbing perennial that is native to Penang Island in Malaysia, Java, Indonesia and other parts of the East Indies and has been introduced and cultivated in several other tropical areas.  The vines produce jointed stems with smooth, ovate leaves, spiked flowers and globose fruits (berries) that grow in a pedicelled drupe, and it thrives in deep, rich soil, including heavy clay, with ample moisture and shade.  Cubeb is grown extensively in coffee plantations, where it is supported by the trees that provide its shade, and the fruits are picked unripe and dried or distilled for use in herbal medicines and many commercial products, including tobacco, perfumery and toiletries.  Cubeb pepper is dried until black and is similar in appearance to a black peppercorn, and it exudes a fresh, peppery, piney, citrus-like fragrance that has sometimes been compared to a turpentine-allspice aroma.  Its distinctly hot, pungent, pine-like flavor is greatly valued in Indonesian cookery as a seasoning for soups, pickles, sauces and bitters.  Arabs of the tenth century probably introduced Cubeb to Europe, and its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries.  In the thirteenth century, it was popular in Europe for its medicinal qualities, but by the seventeenth century, Cubebs were rarely seen, although still included in the London Dispensary.  Cubebs are mildly stimulant, expectorant, stomachic and carminative, but they act more particularly upon the genitourinary organs.  Some of the constituents in Cubeb Berry include volatile oils, fatty acids (cubebic acid) and resin.

Beneficial Uses:
Cubeb Berry is generally stimulating, with a special direction to the urinary organs and is said to produce an augmented flow of urine, to which it imparts a peculiar odor, and its antibacterial properties further help to relieve chronic inflammation of the bladder, especially burning urine, vaginitis, cystitis, urethritis and prostate infection.

Cubeb Berry acts upon mucous tissues, arresting excessive discharges, especially from the urethra and has been successfully employed to treat gonorrhea (after the first active inflammatory symptoms), gleet, leucorrhoea, catarrh of the urinary bladder and abscess in the prostate.

Further supporting Cubeb Berry's actions against heavy mucous discharge, it is also considered an expectorant that loosens and expels excess phlegm and mucus and is helpful in relieving chronic laryngitis, bronchitis, dry cough, and sinusitis.

Aromatic Cubeb is mildly stimulant to the digestive system and is believed to strengthen stomach function. The herb is said to help disorders of the digestive organs, including flatulence, dyspepsia (due to atonic conditions in the stomach) and indigestion.

Cubeb Berry is said to excite circulation and increase the heat of the body, and because it exerts particular influence on the genitourinary organs, it has been called an aphrodisiac and has even been said to produce giddiness.

As an antiseptic and antibacterial, Cubeb Berry has been used to treat infections of the throat, amoebic dysentery and, again, infections of the genitourinary organs, including syphilis, etc.

Cubeb Berry is said to be mildly purging, helping to evacuate the intestines and bowels, and at the same time, it is believed to cause a sense of coolness in the rectum during the passage of the feces, which is particularly helpful in cases of piles.

Recommended Dosage:
Take two (2) capsules, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

Contraindications:
Overuse (many times the recommended dosage) may cause nausea, headache, augmented bodily heat or skin rash.

Capsule Size:
We use only 100% Gluten-free, Vegetable Cellulose, Certified Kosher, size "00" capsules for all of our encapsulated products. (click here for size comparison) Each capsule contains approximately 600 mgs of powdered herb material.

• Cubeb Berry - Botanical Powder -- Approximately 600 mgs each