Red Raspberry Leaf

 It has been used medicinally for centuries, with it being the best known and oldest of all the herb infusions used as an aid in maternity (1). It is a herb rich in vitamins A, C, E, as well as iron, calcium, and potassium. It is recommended as a tea, taken 1-3 times cups daily.

Red Raspberry leaf tea is recommended as an aid in pregnancy

Raspberry leaf tea has been used for at least two decades for morning sickness, uterine irritability, and threatened miscarriages (1). While raspberry leaf tea is often mistakenly recommended to induce labour, its role is to strengthen the uterus throughout pregnancy and labour, by assisting contractions and preventing haemorrhage (1). Research has demonstrated that its alkaloids, fragrine, acts directly on smooth muscle (3). Mollart, and colleagues found that 52.5% of a group of Australian midwives recommend raspberry leaf to women experiencing a post-dates pregnancy (2)

1. 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(1), 56. 

2. Parsons M, Simpson M, Ponton T. Raspberry leaf and its effect on labour: safety and efficacy. Aust Coll Midwives Inc J. 1999 Sep;12(3):20-5.  PMID: 10754818.

3. Mallory J MD., in Integrative Medicine (4h edition), 2018.