Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry Leaves)
I started a juice fast today. Well, today to start the juice fast I am only eating raw fruits and veggies and then tomorrow will begin the all juice fast. I will get more into it in a later post. This particular post I will focus on one of the many teas I can drink to replace my million cup a day coffee habit. I am not only scared for me, but honestly, I am a little afraid for the world. The first tea I started today with is an organic raspberry leaf, so to make it more interesting I have done some research on said tea. I can say for sure, it does not taste nasty…or bad for that matter, which is good. :]
Species Rubus idaeus, family Rosacaea, raspberry is a relative of the rose, famous for vitamin C in the rose hip. Raspberry leaves (and fruit) are rich in citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citrate, malate and tartarate of iron, potassium and calcium, calcium and potassium chloride, sulphate and phosphate, pectin, fragrine (an alkaloid that tones the tissues), a volatile oil, vitamins A, B, C, E, and fructose. The action is astringent, tonic, refrigerant, parturient, hemostatic, anti-septic, anti-abortient, anti-gonorrheal, anti-leucorrheal and anti-malarial.
If you grow your own raspberries or live where they grow wild you should harvest the raspberry leaves in spring or mid-summer for maximum potency. Use them freshly picked, but if drying them for storage, do so away from light. They dry nicely spread thinly on a cotton sheet hung hammock fashion from the ceiling, according to Norma Whitehead.
For a nice cup of tea using bulk herbs, pour one cup boiling water over a teaspoon of dried leaves and let it steep at least 15 minutes. Raspberry leaves are abundant in potassium (441 ppm), calcium (121 ppm) and magnesium (93 ppm), it is also rich in all important trace minerals such as manganese (.52 ppm), zinc (.35 ppm), iron (.04 ppm) and chromium (.02 ppm). Raspberry leaf tea is a gentle, soothing, nourishing drink – morning, noon and night. Most prefer to take Red raspberry leaves in a tea. It can be drank warm or cold depending on what you like. You can also find it in capsule form.
Red raspberry leaves have been used for many years dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. It has also been widely used by and Native American women. Some of the illness they used red raspberry leaves to treat included the flu, gum disease, rubella, upset stomach, hangovers, diarrhea, fevers, vomiting, menstrual problems, and inflammation.
It is also said to tone the uterus and provide many vitamins and minerals to the body. They recommend drinking one cup of the red raspberry leaf tea daily during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy and then increase to two or three cups a day during the last three months. Some say not to use in the first trimester if you have a history of miscarriage it is always best to consult your doctor before starting any type of herbs. Red raspberry tea with red clover (one or more cups daily for several months) promotes fertility in men and women, prevents post-partum depression and hypertension, and with blessed thistle, increases breast- milk production. Remember again, it is always best to consult your doctor before starting any type of herbs.
The red raspberry leaves may change the way the body absorbs medications so if you take any other medicines take the red raspberry at least two hours before hand.
Red raspberry leaves have also been used for a mouth rinse to treat sore throats, thrushes in your mouth (a yeast infection) or canker sores and drinking raspberry tea can soothe the pain they cause.
Raspberry tea reduces the blood flow in females who bleed heavily during their menstrual cycle. It also helps relieve cramps. Later in life, during menopause, it can support the adrenal glands as they try to compensate for the reduced functioning of the ovaries. To regulate a menstrual cycle drink two to three cups of the red raspberry leaf tea a day. After two or three months the menstrual cycle should be right on schedule.
Red raspberry leaves can also be used on the skin as an astringent to relieve irritated skin and it is good for people suffering from acne. It also helps the tissue become firmer and tightens the skin’s upper layers.
Red raspberry leaves have also been found to lower blood sugars in people with diabetes. If taken in large does the red raspberry leaves may cause blood sugar levels to drop too low.
When using the red raspberry leaf to treat diarrhea you will need to drink six cups a day. If the diarrhea continues you should call the doctor.
If you want to treat a cold or flu try drinking only red raspberry leaf tea until the symptoms are gone. Then start back on raw fruits and vegetables. It is important to not eat anything else while fasting on the red raspberry leaf tea or the symptoms of the cold or flu will return.
Men whose bodies have cut down on testosterone production can drink it to help aid adrenal gland performance. It can also help with bed-wetting by toning pelvic muscles.
I read somewhere that it is good in a popsicle form, but I have yet to try that.
That is a lot of good stuff.
-Cara
The Day After An Inconvenient Truth 
12 comments
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August 19, 2009 at 8:56 am
Nicole Josselyn
Thank you for your info on raspberry leaf. I have some raspberry and was wanting to dry the leaves. It looks like i am too late for this year. Wondering if i pick the leaves next spring, will that affect that cane’s ability to produce berries?? Do i strip the cane of ALL it’s leaves?
August 25, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Dawn
Great info.
I drink raspberry leaf for extreme cramps. It seems to help a little. I’m glad you like the taste. I find it has a really bitter taste.
March 23, 2010 at 1:21 pm
lolo341
red raspberry leaf tea does get bitter if steeped to olong
January 2, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Rae Ann
Tea is one of my favorte drinks, I prefer yerbe mate because my mom makes it every three days. I also like it sweetened with raw honey. It’s a relaxing drink, when hot, and when cold, it gives you energy. :)
January 31, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Tricia
Where can I find RRL? Whole Foods? Any safe and trusted websites out there to order from? I’m in Northern VA and am 12.5 weeks pregnant.
thankyou in advance.
February 3, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Cara Reynolds
Hi Tricia,
First off, congrats on the pregnancy. That’s cool. I would check with your doctor, midwife or the like before introducing anything new into your diet, just to be on the safe side. I don’t love Whole Foods as a company (https://tdaait.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/lexi-and-caras-special-organic-yam-yams-or-sweet-potatoes-recipe/) so I never recommend them. :] Look into smaller health food stores and I would purchase organic. If you buy online just check out the stores on the BBB web site http://www.bbb.org/ first.
Hope that helps.
-Cara
October 1, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Michelle
I usually have a very long menstrual cycle, about 40-45 days. The first month I started using red raspberry leaf tea (2 cups daily), my cycle was only 31 days! I was thrilled. Then I stopped using it for a month, am currently on cycle day 38 and still no period! I am going to start taking it immediately to regulate my cycle again, as I am TTC and am having a hard time pinpointing when I ovulate.
October 9, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Grace
It is October; is it too late for me to harvest my raspberry leaves? The ones I just harvested are still nice and dark green…
December 2, 2011 at 11:51 am
Cara Reynolds
Grace, Sorry about the delay in response. You really want to harvest the leaves in spring or mid-summer for maximum potency. What isn’t generally noted about raspberry leaves is that they are a general tonic action on the entire female reproductive system not just the uterus. Part of the reason for this is that most commercially available raspberry leaf is picked too late in the season. The reproductive benefits of this herb are at their peak when the plant is in flower. Hope that helps.
Cara
February 13, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Narco
Hii there, I’m using raspberry leaf tea couple of days ago and now I’m just wondering about this . I have start nose bleeding after that is this normal or something is going wrong plz tell me about this thanx.
May 31, 2015 at 5:24 am
Edna Nnamanya
I have pcos,but will try it out
August 10, 2015 at 12:35 am
Taylor Rae
I’m usually never late for my period & the second month of drinking the tea my period is late by 2 days right now. I’m wondering if the tea has something to do with it? I drank it because I was really heavy & my cramps were killer! It helped out a lot though. I’m just wondering if the tea can make your period late?