Materia Medica
Raspberry Leaf
Rubus idaeus
Raspberry leaf is the dried leaf of the red raspberry, an astringent tannin-rich herb taken as a tea. It is best known as a traditional preparation for labour, and is used in Europe for period cramps, mild diarrhoea and sore mouths and throats.
What Is Raspberry Leaf?
Raspberry leaf is the dried leaf of the red raspberry, an astringent herb taken as a mild tea. It is best known as a traditional preparation for childbirth, drunk in the last weeks of pregnancy. In Europe it is also a traditional remedy for period cramps, mild diarrhoea and sore mouths and throats 13,
Rubus idaeus is a prickly cane shrub of the rose family, native to Europe, temperate Asia and North America and grown worldwide for its fruit 19,
The leaf is rich in tannins, chiefly ellagitannins, along with flavonoids such as hyperoside 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →. Two controlled human trials have tested it, one on labour and one on the rise in blood sugar after a sugary drink 1,
How Is Raspberry Leaf Used?
- Tea — the dried, cut leaf infused in boiling water. This is the traditional form for pregnancy, for diarrhoea and as an everyday drink.
- Gargle — the same infusion, used as a mouthwash or gargle for mild inflammation of the mouth and throat 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
- Tablets and capsules — whole leaf or a water-based dry extract. The EU monograph covers the extract for period cramps, and the pregnancy trial used leaf tablets 6,
17Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study → . - Smoking blends — a mild, low-irritation base leaf.
Traditional Uses
European Herbal Medicine
Raspberry leaf has been used in Europe for centuries, and its use runs continuously through the handbooks and pharmacopoeias, from the British Pharmaceutical Codex of 1949 to the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia of 1983 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
The tea is taken for diarrhoea and used as an astringent gargle for inflammation of the mouth and throat. In folk medicine it was less often used for chronic skin conditions 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
Grieve (1931) recorded its use for severe period pain. Hot raspberry-leaf tea taken before birth was said to ease labour and shorten it. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia also lists an eye lotion for conjunctivitis 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
Preparing for labour is the most widespread use today 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
Native North American Medicine
The Cherokee, the Cree and other peoples used red raspberry as a childbirth medicine. An infusion of the dried leaves was drunk to prepare the uterus for childbirth and to help women recover afterwards 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
Indications
- Period cramps [leaf dry extract; EU traditional use]
- Mild inflammation of the mouth or throat [leaf infusion, as a gargle; EU traditional use]
- Mild diarrhoea [leaf tea; EU traditional use]
- Preparing for labour [leaf tea or tablets, late pregnancy; European and Native North American use] Caution: In the one placebo-controlled trial, leaf tablets from 32 weeks did not shorten the first stage of labour. The second stage was about 10 minutes shorter and fewer forceps deliveries were needed 6,
8 . - Recovery after childbirth [leaf infusion; Native North American use]
- Conjunctivitis [leaf infusion, as an eye lotion; British Herbal Pharmacopoeia]
- Blood-sugar rise after sugary food [leaf tea]
Botany
Red raspberry is a shrub of the rose family (Rosaceae) that grows 0.5–2.5 m tall. Its stems live for two years, and they may be smooth or carry weak prickles 1–4 mm long 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
The leaves are pinnately compound, with three to five leaflets and occasionally seven. The end leaflet is oval to lance-shaped, 7–15 cm long, with a sharply toothed or double-toothed edge 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →. The underside is densely white-woolly 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →. The dried leaf is dark green above with a dense silver-grey felt beneath, which makes the cut fragments clump together 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
The flowers are small and white to greenish-white, with petals 5–10 mm long, and grow in short clusters at the stem tips and in the leaf axils. The fruit is usually red, rarely amber, and pulls away from its core when ripe 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
Flora of North America recognises two subspecies. The European red raspberry is Rubus idaeus subsp. idaeus. The American red raspberry is subsp. strigosus, sometimes treated as a separate species, R. strigosus; its stems and leaf stalks carry stalked glands 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
Distribution
Red raspberry grows across North America, Mexico, Europe, temperate Asia and parts of Africa 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →. In China it grows wild in the north and northeast and in Xinjiang, in forests, forest margins, thickets, meadows and waste places at 500–2,500 m 20Reference 20Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
The American red raspberry grows across Canada, most of the United States and northern Mexico, in fields, woodland, roadsides and disturbed ground up to 3,400 m. The European subspecies also grows wild in North America, where it has mostly escaped from cultivation 19Reference 19Rubus idaeus LinnaeusView study →.
Most of the leaf sold in Europe is collected in central and eastern Europe, especially Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania, and some is cultivated 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
Growing Conditions
Cultivation snapshot for Raspberry Leaf
- Grows as thicket-forming canes from a perennial root: canes are biennial (leaf the first year, fruit the second, then die back), so old spent canes are cut out while new ones come on.
- Prefers full sun to part shade in cool, moist temperate conditions; broadly hardy from about USDA zones 3–8.
- Wants rich, moist but well-drained, slightly acidic soil; dislikes waterlogging.
- Spreads by underground suckers and can wander into dense stands, so it usually needs a defined bed, support or root-pruning to stay in bounds.
Grow it yourself
Farm Wiki is our cultivation-focused sister site, also run by Justin Cooke.
Pharmacology & Research
Two controlled human trials have been published: a 2001 pregnancy trial of leaf tablets and a 2025 crossover trial of the tea taken with sugar 1,
The rest is laboratory work. Most of it measures the antioxidant activity of the leaf’s polyphenols, and a smaller body of animal and tissue studies has looked at the uterus and gut 2,
The EU regulator reviewed the literature in 2014 and again in 2023, and found no clinical trials for the leaf’s traditional European uses 13,
-
Best-supported: an acute drop in blood sugar and insulin when raspberry leaf tea is taken with table sugar, in one crossover trial 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →; consistent antioxidant activity of leaf polyphenols in laboratory assays 2,
3, .4Reference 2In vitroPhenolic Composition, Mineral Content, and Beneficial Bioactivities of Leaf Extracts from Black Currant, Raspberry, and Aronia — review of in vitro studiesView study →Reference 3ReviewBerry Leaves: An Alternative Source of Bioactive Natural Products of Nutritional and Medicinal Value — reviewView study →Reference 4In vitroIn Vitro Antioxidant and Prooxidant Activities of Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Stem Extracts — in vitroView study → -
Emerging, worth watching: a shorter second stage of labour and fewer forceps deliveries in one trial and one observational study 6,
7Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 7ObservationalRaspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study — observational, n=91View study → . -
Mechanistically thin: anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and gut-relaxant activity, all from cell-free or isolated-tissue work 10,
11Reference 10In vitroRelaxant activity of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf extract in guinea-pig ileum in vitroView study →Reference 11In vitroThe influence of Rubus idaeus and Rubus caesius leaf extracts on platelet aggregation in whole blood — in vitroView study → . -
The caveat: the traditional labour claim, a shorter first stage, was not borne out in the one placebo-controlled trial, and no study has tested the European traditional uses directly 6,
13Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study → .
Polyphenol content varies with cultivar, leaf age, harvest date and preparation. A result for a concentrated extract does not transfer directly to a cup of tea 2,
1. Postprandial Glucose Control
A 2025 randomised crossover trial in 22 healthy adults gave 50 g of glucose or sucrose, with or without 10 g of raspberry leaf tea 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →.
Taken with sucrose, the tea lowered blood glucose by about 26% at 15 minutes and 44% at 30 minutes, and lowered insulin at 15, 30 and 60 minutes. Taken with pure glucose, it had no significant effect 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →.
The authors attribute the effect to inhibition of the sugar-splitting enzymes α-glucosidase and β-fructofuranosidase by ellagic acid and related polyphenols. These enzymes act on sucrose but are not needed for glucose that is already free 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →.
The tea was an ordinary five-minute hot-water infusion, the same form in which the leaf is usually drunk 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →.
Gap: a single-dose study in healthy volunteers. There are no data on repeated use, on people with raised blood sugar, or on HbA1c.
2. Antioxidant
Raspberry leaf extracts show high total phenolic content and radical-scavenging activity. In one comparison, leaf extracts had a higher total phenolic content than extracts of the stems or peeled bark 4Reference 4In vitroIn Vitro Antioxidant and Prooxidant Activities of Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Stem Extracts — in vitroView study →.
Comparative work on berry-bush leaves ranks raspberry leaf second only to aronia for total phenolics, ahead of blackcurrant. The main contributors are quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, chlorogenic acid and the ellagitannins 2,
Raspberry stem extracts also showed pro-oxidant activity that depended on pH and temperature, so the antioxidant reading depends on the assay conditions 4Reference 4In vitroIn Vitro Antioxidant and Prooxidant Activities of Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Stem Extracts — in vitroView study →.
No human study has measured an antioxidant endpoint after raspberry leaf intake.
3. Labor & Uterine Tone
A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 192 low-risk first-time mothers in Sydney, who took raspberry leaf tablets (2 × 1.2 g a day) from 32 weeks until labour 6Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →.
The tablets caused no adverse effects in mother or baby, and they did not shorten the first stage of labour. The second stage was on average 9.6 minutes shorter, and forceps were used less often (19.3% vs 30.4%) 6Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →. A later review noted that the second-stage difference did not reach statistical significance 8Reference 8ReviewBiophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative reviewView study →.
A 2024 observational study of 91 women found that those taking raspberry leaf were less likely to have their labour medically augmented, and had fewer epidurals, instrumental births and caesareans. The authors state that the result cannot be generalised, because women chose whether to take it 7Reference 7ObservationalRaspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study — observational, n=91View study →.
In animal and tissue studies, raspberry leaf extracts have both relaxed and contracted uterine muscle, depending on the species, the preparation and the state of the uterus 8,
⚠ A systematic review of herbal use in pregnancy found oral raspberry leaf associated with caesarean delivery in one included study (adjusted odds ratio 3.47) 14Reference 14Systematic reviewHerbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period: A Systematic ReviewView study →.
Gap: the traditional claim, a shorter and easier labour, is not supported by the one controlled trial. The secondary findings have not been replicated, and the best dose and timing are undefined.
4. Anti-Inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory activity is inferred from the leaf’s polyphenol profile. Reviews of berry-leaf compounds group raspberry leaf’s flavonols and phenolic acids with anti-inflammatory activity shown in general assay systems 2,
A completed knee-osteoarthritis trial of a raspberry leaf extract (NCT03703024) has posted no results.
Gap: there is no leaf-specific animal or clinical anti-inflammatory study.
5. Smooth-Muscle Relaxant
In a guinea-pig gut preparation, a methanol extract of raspberry leaf relaxed electrically stimulated smooth muscle in a dose-dependent way. The activity sat in the more polar fractions, and at least two separate components were responsible 10Reference 10In vitroRelaxant activity of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf extract in guinea-pig ileum in vitroView study →.
This is the laboratory counterpart of the traditional use for cramps and diarrhoea.
Gap: isolated gut tissue only, with the active compounds unidentified and no animal or human confirmation.
6. Antiplatelet
In whole blood, a raspberry leaf extract at 15 µg/mL reduced expression of the activated GPIIb/IIIa receptor and inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation by 31–41% 11Reference 11In vitroThe influence of Rubus idaeus and Rubus caesius leaf extracts on platelet aggregation in whole blood — in vitroView study →.
The effect disappeared in platelet-rich plasma, and it weakened when neutrophils were depleted. The authors concluded that white blood cells take part in the response 11Reference 11In vitroThe influence of Rubus idaeus and Rubus caesius leaf extracts on platelet aggregation in whole blood — in vitroView study →.
Gap: one laboratory study at a single concentration, with no animal, pharmacokinetic or clinical follow-up.
Mechanisms
The leaf’s ellagitannins and ellagic acid have been studied for their inhibition of the enzymes that split sucrose, which matches the human glucose finding. The same tannins bind proteins, which is the basis of the leaf’s astringency.
The flavonoids and phenolic acids have been studied as antioxidants. The gut-relaxing and platelet effects come from leaf fractions whose active compounds are not yet identified.
| Mechanism | Drives | Key compounds |
|---|---|---|
| α-glucosidase / β-fructofuranosidase inhibition; astringent protein binding | postprandial glucose controlastringency | sanguiin H-6, lambertianin C, ellagic acid |
| Radical scavenging | antioxidantanti-inflammatory | quercetin, hyperoside, kaempferol |
| Metal chelation, radical scavenging | antioxidant | gallic acid, chlorogenic acid |
| Smooth-muscle relaxation; whole-blood platelet inhibition | antispasmodicantiplatelet | polar leaf fraction (uncharacterised) |
Clinical Trials
Three human trials have been completed: the 2001 labour trial, the 2025 glucose trial, and a knee-osteoarthritis trial that has posted no results 1,
| Completed | Planned | Terminated | Preclinical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31, | 0 | 0 | ~30 |
Last checked: September 2026.
Phytochemistry
Raspberry leaf is a tannin-rich herb. Hydrolysable tannins make up about 2.6–6.9% of the dried leaf, and the European Pharmacopoeia sets a minimum tannin content of 3% 13,
Most of the tannin is ellagitannin: ellagic acid accounts for about 2.1–4.1% of the dried leaf. The dimeric ellagitannin sanguiin H-6 and the trimers lambertianin D and lambertianin C have been identified, along with gallotannins and methyl gallate 3,
Flavonoids make up about 0.46–1.05% of the dried leaf. The largest single one is hyperoside, a quercetin glycoside, at 0.5–0.8%, with quercetin and kaempferol and their other glycosides in smaller amounts 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
The leaf also contains small amounts of phenolic acids, including chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, and about 0.4% vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
A cup of tea from 10 g of leaf delivered about 50 mg of polyphenols, of which 38 mg was ellagitannin 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study →.
Constituent Summary
Amounts are share of the dried leaf.
Tannin3 compounds3 with data
Phenolic Acid3 compounds3 with data
Flavonoid3 compounds3 with data
Vitamin1 compound1 with data
Dosage
| Indication | Preparation | Dose | Est. dried-herb equivalent | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood sugar after sucrose | Hot-water infusion | 10 g dried leaf, taken with 50 g sucrose | 10 g (the tea itself) | 1Reference 1RCTEffects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626)View study → |
| Labour outcomes (from 32 weeks) | Leaf tablets | 2 × 1.2 g/day | ~2.4 g/day | 6Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study → |
Traditional Dosage
| System | Preparation | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| EU traditional use: period cramps | Dry extract (4:1, water), after meals | 113–226 mg, 3–4 times daily 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study → |
| EU traditional use: mouth and throat | Infusion as a gargle | 1.5–8 g in 150 mL boiling water, 3 times daily 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study → |
| EU traditional use: mild diarrhoea | Herbal tea | 1.5–8 g in 150 mL boiling water, 3 times daily 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study → |
| Western herbal | Dried-leaf infusion | 1–2 tsp dried leaf per cup |
The EU monograph limits these uses to adults. It advises seeing a practitioner if period cramps or mouth and throat symptoms last more than a week, or diarrhoea more than three days 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
Safety & Pregnancy
Raspberry leaf tea is well tolerated, and the EU regulator has no side effects on record. The open questions are pregnancy, breastfeeding and children.
- Well tolerated. No side effects had been reported when the EU monograph was written, and a 2023 review of safety reports found no new concerns 13,
18Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →Reference 18ReviewAddendum to assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/767595/2022) — periodic review; no revision needed. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/addendum-assessment-report-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study → . - No harm in the pregnancy trial. Leaf tablets from 32 weeks caused no adverse effects in mother or baby 6Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →.
- Avoid in the first trimester. Later in pregnancy it is a traditional preparation for labour.
- Not recommended in pregnancy under the EU monograph, because its safety has not been established 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
- Not recommended while breastfeeding, for lack of data 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
- Not recommended under 18, for lack of data 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
Full Safety Detail
General use. The EU monograph lists no known side effects, no contraindication except allergy, and no reported interactions or overdoses 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →. The 2023 periodic review found no new safety signal 18Reference 18ReviewAddendum to assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/767595/2022) — periodic review; no revision needed. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/addendum-assessment-report-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
Pregnancy. The EU regulator accepted that raspberry leaf has a long tradition of use to ease childbirth, but did not adopt it as an indication because safety data in pregnancy are insufficient. Its monograph does not recommend use in pregnancy 13,
The human data are reassuring as far as they go. About 150 exposed pregnancies in the early studies showed no malformations or harm to the baby, and the 2001 trial found no adverse effects 6,
Animal studies. Injected into a vein, a concentrated leaf extract was lethal to mice, while the same dose by mouth had no effect 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →. In a rat study, an extract given throughout pregnancy lengthened gestation 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →.
Breastfeeding. There are no data, and the EU monograph does not recommend use 13,
Children. The EU monograph does not recommend use under 18, for lack of data 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
Medicines. In a laboratory study, a raspberry leaf tea extract inhibited the liver enzyme CYP2D6, which metabolises many common drugs 13Reference 13Assessment report on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44209/2012)View study →. In tests with human enzymes, raspberry leaf extract also inhibited CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, at concentrations the authors judged could matter at usual doses 21Reference 21In vitroIn vitro inhibition of human CYP1A2, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 by six herbs commonly used in pregnancy — in vitroView study →.
No interaction has been studied or reported in people 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →.
Avoid raspberry leaf in the first trimester. It is a traditional herb for the second and third trimesters, mostly the last weeks before labour. In the one placebo-controlled trial, tablets taken from 32 weeks caused no adverse effects in mother or baby 6Reference 6RCTRaspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →.
The EU herbal monograph does not recommend it in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, because safety has not been established in either 17Reference 17ReviewCommunity herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium (EMA/HMPC/44211/2012) — regulatory monograph, current version. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rubus-idaeus-l-folium_en.pdfView study →. Its traditional use to prepare for labour is best discussed with a midwife or doctor.
References
- Alkhudaydi, H. M. S., & Spencer, J. P. E. (2025). Effects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults — randomised crossover trial (NCT06385626). Nutrients, 17(17), 2849. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40944237/
- Staszowska-Karkut, M., & Materska, M. (2020). Phenolic Composition, Mineral Content, and Beneficial Bioactivities of Leaf Extracts from Black Currant, Raspberry, and Aronia — review of in vitro studies. Nutrients, 12(2), 463. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32059465/
- Ferlemi, A.-V., & Lamari, F. N. (2016). Berry Leaves: An Alternative Source of Bioactive Natural Products of Nutritional and Medicinal Value — review. Antioxidants, 5(2), 17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27258314/
- Garjonyte, R., Budiene, J., Labanauskas, L., & Judzentiene, A. (2022). In Vitro Antioxidant and Prooxidant Activities of Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Stem Extracts — in vitro. Molecules, 27(13), 4073. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35807315/
- Kucharski, Ł., Cybulska, K., & Kucharska, E. (2022). Biologically Active Preparations from the Leaves of Wild Plant Species of the Genus Rubus — in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial. Molecules, 27(17), 5486. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36080251/
- Simpson, M., Parsons, M., Greenwood, J., & Wade, K. (2001). Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 46(2), 51–59. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11370690/
- Bowman, R. L., Taylor, J., & Davis, D. L. (2024). Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study — observational, n=91. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 24(1), 169. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38649906/
- Bowman, R., Taylor, J., Muggleton, S., & Davis, D. (2021). Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21, 56. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33563275/
- Dante, G., Pedrielli, G., Annessi, E., & Facchinetti, F. (2013). Herb remedies during pregnancy: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials. Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 26(3), 306–312. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22928540/
- Rojas-Vera, J., Patel, A. V., & Dacke, C. G. (2002). Relaxant activity of raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaf extract in guinea-pig ileum in vitro. Phytotherapy Research, 16(7), 665–668. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12410549/
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