Rubus idaeus – Raspberry
Leaf
Common Name
– Raspberry Leaf
Botanical
Name - Rubeus idaeus
Family
– Rosaceae
Other
Names - Hindberry, Bramble of Mount Ida
Parts Used - The leaf is used, commonly in tea
form. The leaves are harvested from December to January, though there is some
flexibility in the timing of its harvesting.
History - This herb is native to many parts of
Europe. It was known to the ancients and Linnaeus as Ida. In Greek it was
called Batos Idaia and in Latin Rubus Idea, the Bramble of Mount Ida. This was
possibly because it was abundant on Mount Ida in Asia Minor.
Ancient
Chinese, Ayurvedics and Greeks valued raspberry for treating wounds, diarrhoea,
fevers and ulcers.
Description - Raspberry grows up to 2m, though most
varieties are about1.5m. They usually have prickly or bristly stems though
there are now cultivars that have no prickles on the stems. The leaves are
green and glabrous on the top, and are light green tormentose underneath. They
have 3 to 7 ovate leaflets that are up to 100mm long. The flowers are white and
are about 15mm across, in drooping panicles of 1 to 6 flowers, followed by red
cone shaped fruits.
Cultivation - Raspberry is generally cultivated by
suckers using the layering technique which is preferred as they are better
preferred as they has a stronger root system, which themselves will send out
less suckers. In preparing plants do not break off the buds that are a short
distance from the stem as these produce new shots the following summer. Plant
herb 2 feet apart in rows allowing 4 to 5 feet between the rows. Good loam soil
is best recommended.
Active
Constituents - Crystalline
fruit sugar, Volatile oil, Pectin, Citric, tartaric and malic acids, Mineral
salts, Flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin, Tannin and fragarine. It is a rich
source of iron, calcium, magnesium and manganese. The vitamins B1, B3 and E are
also helpful in pregnancy. Minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus,
sulphur, chromium, potassium, copper, selenium, manganese, zinc and sodium.
Actions
·
Astringent
·
Stimulant
·
Laxative
·
Uterine
tonic
·
Antioxidant
·
Amphoteric
·
Antispasmodic
·
Refridgerant
·
Alterative
·
Diuretic
Indications
- It is commonly used for its astringent action and during the latter part
of pregnancy, the fragarine content being the valuable constituent.
It is
commonly used during pregnancy to help ease morning sickness, soothe and prevent
bleeding gums, relax smooth muscle during contractions, assist with childbirth
of the baby and the placenta, calm a cramping uterus, aid fertility, promote
breast milk and stop excessive bleeding after childbirth. It is thought that around one fifth of pregnant
women take some form of raspberry leaf. Women believe that it will shorten
labour and make the birth easier. The use of this herb for remedial purposes
dates back to the sixth century and its benefits in childbirth have been
recorded as a proven aid in maternity in the most ancient of herbal books.
It helps to tone and relax the pelvic region,
uterine muscles as well as stimulating them to help in the process of
childbirth. The tea is also a valuable herb for cleansing the afterbirth and to
enrich and increase the flow of breast milk. Some women have found it useful in
morning sickness when used as a weak tea.
Its astringent actions have also been useful in
excessive bleeding during menstruation and to help ease pain. Its high mineral
content makes it useful as a reproductive tonic for all female reproductive
cycles, helping to regulatethe menstrual cycle and decrease heavy periods.
Raspberry leaf tea can be used as a gargle for sore
throats and as a wash for wounds and ulcers. The leaves powdered and combined
with slippery elm are good for wounds, burns, scalds and to promote healing.
The tea is also very good for laxity of the bowels and will help reduce stomach
complaints especially in children. It is an excellent all-purpose herb useful
for diarrhoea, dysentery, it helps lower blood sugar levels, stopping excessive
bleeding and reducing fevers. It is also a valuable herb as a tea to help
cleanse liver congestion.
The ripe fruits of the raspberry are fragrant,
subacid and cooling. It will reduce heat and thirst and can be sued as a mild
laxative. Raspberry vinegar also from the fruits makes a useful gargle for sore
throats. Raspberry syrup will dissolve the tartar of the teeth.
Dosage - Many
practitioners recommend that raspberry leaf is best commenced at 32 weeks of
pregnancy and continued through to the birth
1oz
of the dried leaf to 1 pint of water.
Tablets -
Take two 300mg or 400mg tablets with each meal (three times a day) from 32
weeks.
Teabags - 1st trimester- one cup per day -2nd
trimester - two cups per day -3rd trimester - up to 4 to 5 teabag cups
throughout the day.
Studies
Three
midwives from Westmead Hospital in Sydney carried out a observational study on
women who were currently taking raspberry leaf in pregnancy. They compared them
to women who did not take any raspberry leaf. There were 108 women in the study
(57 taking raspberry leaf and 51 who did not take any). Some women started
taking raspberry leaf in their pregnancy as early as 8 weeks and others started
as late as 39 weeks. Most women however started taking raspberry leaf between
28 and 34 weeks in their pregnancy. The findings of the observational study
suggested that the raspberry leaf herb can be consumed by women during their
pregnancy for the purpose for which it is taken, that is, to shorten labour
with no identified side effects for the women or their babies. An unexpected
finding in this study was that the women in the raspberry leaf group were less
likely to require an artificial rupture of membranes, a caesarean section,
forceps or vacuum birth than the women in the control group.
Two of
the three original midwives (Myra Parsons and Michele Simpson) decided that the
next step was to perform a randomised controlled trial, using a larger sample,
to substantiate the findings of the observational study. This second study was
completed earlier this year. Parsons (2000) reports that this second study
demonstrated the safety of raspberry leaf tablets (2.4gm daily) taken from 32
weeks pregnancy until the commencement of labour. There were no side effects
identified for mother or baby. The analysis of the findings suggested that
raspberry leaf tablets shortened the second stage of labour by an average of 10
minutes but made no difference to the length of the first stage of labour.
Raspberry leaf tablets reduced the incidence of artificial rupture of
membranes, forceps and ventouse births. Although the reduced incidence of
these interventions did not prove to be statistically significant - the
researches stated that ‘these results are clinically significant’.
If you would like to purchase raspberry leaf here is a link :)
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