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 Rubus idaeus (Rosaceae)
RASPBERRY
Raspberry leaves, as a tea or
tablets, can be taken during the last three months of pregnancy to ease
childbirth. In Chinese medicine, they are used for diarrhoea, pain, and
absent periods.
Cultivated in Europe since medieval times,
raspberry has grown wild there for even longer. The selection and breeding of raspberry has been prolific and there are now hundreds of varieties,
but these differ little from the wild parents. Native to Europe, it is a thorny perennial,
with suckers appearing one summer and flowers and fruit the next. The leaves are leathery on top and grey underneath,
and the flowers are small, appear in midsummer, and are followed by red cone-shaped fruit.
PARTS USED
Leaves, root.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Flavonoids, including
kaempferol and quercetin; polypeptides; tannins.
ACTIONS
Astringent; tonic to the pregnant womb.
MEDICINAL USE
Taken in the last trimester of pregnancy to relax the womb muscles and facilitate birth.
It is also used as a gargle for minor mouth infections and as an eyewash for conjunctivitis.
In Chinese medicine, raspberry roots and leaves are prescribed for trauma, bone and muscle pain, absent periods, and diarrhoea.
PREPARATIONS
Infusion, tincture, tablets.
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