Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Premier Pregnancy Herb

Family: Rosaceae; (includes Rose, Apple, Almond, Strawberry)

Genus and Species: Rubus Idaeus, R. Strigosus

Also known as: Hindberry, Bramble

Parts used: Leaves, fruits

For more than 2,000 years, raspberry was considered a minor healer, a footnote under blackberry. But since the 1940s, it has emerged from blackberry’s shadow and virtually replaced it in herbal healing-all because it has become the herb for pregnant women.

The Also-Ran Herb

The ancient Greeks, Chinese, Ayurvedics, and American Indians used raspberry and blackberry interchangeably, as a treatment for wounds and diarrhea.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended raspberry as “very binding” (astringent) and good for “fevers, ulcers, putrid sores of the mouth and secret parts [genitals] … spitting blood [tuberculosis] … piles [hemorrhoids], stones of the kidney … and too much flowing of women’s courses [heavy menstrual flow].”

The Eclectic text, King’s American Dispensatory, continued the long tradition of considering raspberry a footnote under blackberry, which it recommended as being “of much service in dysentery … pleasant to the taste, mitigating suffering, and ultimately effecting a cure.”

Contemporary herbalists recommend raspberry for diarrhea and to treat nausea and vomiting, especially the morning sickness of pregnancy. One herbalist goes so far as to call raspberry a “panacea during pregnancy … allaying morning sickness, preventing miscarriage, [and] erasing labor pains.”

Raspberry won’t “erase labor pains,” and it’s no “panacea during pregnancy,” but science has shown it to be of some value for pregnant women.

Pregnancy - In 1941, raspberry emerged from blackberry’s shadow when an animal study published in the British medical journal Lancet showed it contains a “uterine relaxant principle.” Over the next 30 years, several other studies confirmed this finding, and today physicians in England and Europe prescribe a number of raspberry preparations for morning sickness, uterine irritability, and threatened miscarriage. The herb is also included in many herbal pregnancy blends sold in the United States.

Diarrhea - Raspberry leaves contain tannins, which are astringent and help explain its traditional use as a diarrhea treatment.

Intriguing Possibilities - One animal study shows raspberry helps reduce blood sugar (glucose), suggesting possible value in diabetes management.

Another shows raspberry root tannins of value in treating a rare form of cancer.

Rx for Raspberry

For a pleasantly astringent, sweet infusion to treat diarrhea or the discomforts of pregnancy, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink as needed.

In a tincture, take ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Parents may use dilute raspberry tea cautiously to treat infant diarrhea.

Standard medical advice warns pregnant women against taking any drugs during pregnancy because of the possibility of harming the fetus. Raspberry used medicinally is an exception to this rule, although it should only be used with the consent and supervision of an obstetrician. Raspberry has been widely recommended for decades as a uterine relaxant. and there are no reports in the medical literature of any problems with it. Women with a history of miscarriage may find it especially valuable. On the other hand, prudence dictates using the lowest effective dose. Start with a weak infusion and increase the concentration if necessary.

Tannins have both pro-and anti-cancer action. Pregnant women with a history of cancer should discuss using raspberry with their physicians.

Other Cautions

For otherwise healthy adults, raspberry is safe in amounts typically recommended.

Raspberry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If raspberry causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Berry Good Fruit

Raspberry’s perennial invasive roots produce a dense spreading mass of thorny biennial stems, which can grow to 10 feet, with serrated, lance-shaped leaves, small white summer blooming flowers, and hanging clusters of tart red berries, which become very sweet as they ripen.

Raspberry bushes grow so vigorously and invasively, they quickly become impenetrable pests. Rooting them out is quite difficult. Even when cleared, stray root fragments send up new shoots. Make sure your raspberries are well contained.

Plant ½-inch root cuttings in a few inches of soil.

Raspberry grows best under full sun in loose, rich, well-drained soil amended with manure or compost.

Harvest leaves any time. Mature fruits appear in summer.

For ease of harvesting the berries, train branches along supports. Prune mercilessly.