Raspberry / Rubus idaeus

The Basics

What is Raspberry / Rubus idaeus?

Some people take red raspberry leaf by mouth for easing labor and delivery, for gastrointestinal disorders including diarrhea; for infection of the airways including flu, and for heart problems.

Brand names for Raspberry / Rubus idaeus

Na

How Raspberry / Rubus idaeus is classified

Food / herb

Raspberry / Rubus idaeus During Pregnancy

Raspberry / Rubus idaeus pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Raspberry / Rubus idaeus while pregnant

N/A

Taking Raspberry / Rubus idaeus While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Raspberry / Rubus idaeus?

The leaf of the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a purported galactogogue;[1][2][3] however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Galactogogues should never replace evaluation and counseling on modifiable factors that affect milk production.[4] It is generally without side effects when used as a tea, but no data are available on the safety in nursing mothers or their infants. The raspberry fruit contains numerous polyphenols that are detectable in breastmilk.[5] Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information #about dietary supplements# is available on the LactMed Web site.

Maternal / infant drug levels

The leaf of the red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a purported galactogogue;[1][2][3] however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Galactogogues should never replace evaluation and counseling on modifiable factors that affect milk production.[4] It is generally without side effects when used as a tea, but no data are available on the safety in nursing mothers or their infants. The raspberry fruit contains numerous polyphenols that are detectable in breastmilk.[5] Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information #about dietary supplements# is available on the LactMed Web site.

Possible effects of Raspberry / Rubus idaeus on milk supply

Sixty-six postpartum mothers (22 in each of 3 groups) with no concurrent illnesses were randomly assigned to receive an herbal tea, placebo, or nothing after delivering healthy, fullterm infants. Mothers in the herbal tea group received at least 3 cups daily of 200 mL of Still Tea (Humana-Istanbul, Turkey; containing hibiscus 2.6 grams, fennel extract 200 mg, fennel oil 20 mg, rooibos 200 mg, verbena [vervain] 200 mg, raspberry leaves 200 mg, fenugreek 100 mg, goat’s rue 100 mg, and, vitamin C 500 mg per 100 grams, per manufacturer’s web site November 2011). A similar-looking apple tea was used as the placebo. All women were followed by the same nurse and pediatrician who were blinded to what treatment the mothers received. Mothers who received the Still Tea produced more breastmilk with an electric breast pump on the third day postpartum than mothers in the other groups. The infants in the Still Tea group had a lower maximum weight loss, and they regained their birth weights sooner than those in the placebo or no treatment arms. No long-term outcome data were collected. Because many of the ingredients in Still Tea are purported galactogogues, including raspberry leaf, no single ingredient can be considered solely responsible for the tea’s effects, although the authors attributed the action to fenugreek.[6]

An herbal tea containing raspberry, fenugreek, hibiscus, fennel, rooibos, vervain, goat’s rue, and vitamin C (Humana Still-Tee, Humana GmbH, Herford, Germany) or water was randomly given to nursing mothers in a dosage of 3 cups daily beginning on the day of delivery. Several markers of antioxidant capacity were measured in breastmilk on day 1 and again after 7 to 10 days. No difference was found in the markers between mothers who received the tea and the water.[7]

Possible alternatives to Raspberry / Rubus idaeus

None listed