Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Is Good Stuff

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