What to expect when you’re expecting… raspberry leaf tea? First of all, if you’re here because you’re pregnant, CONGRATULATIONS🎉❤️!; and if you’re here because of menstrual cramps, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!👍

The humble raspberry bush, or Rubus Idæus, has been a common sight in middle Europe since records began. It’s believed seeds made their way across to the Americas in a time when the Bering Strait was a land bridge and humans had never heard of MySpace. Planted and cultivated, processed and brewed, raspberry leaf tea has endured the test of time, and continues to be celebrated as a remedy to many ailments.

The fruit is good to be given to those that have weake and queasie stomackes¹ - John Gerard, Gerard's Herball, 1565

If nothing else, our 100% raspberry leaf tea is a great caffeine-free drink for when you wish to put the day to bed. Soft and fluffy to the touch, with a pale grassy infusion, this deceivingly light leaf is also packed to the rafters antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, vitamins and a sprinkling of bioactive compounds!

3 Benefits of Raspberry Leaf Tea

1. Ease the pain. Fragarine is an alkaloid compound found in the leaves of the raspberry shrub which, when ingested, acts as a natural muscle relaxant. Studies have shown fragarine can also help tone the pelvis and uterus, soften the cervix and shorten labour². It’s because of this miraculous compound that midwives suggest³ to start drinking one cup of raspberry leaf tea at 32 weeks, ramping up to four cups a day as full term approaches. This goes for menstrual cramps too. Fragarine can have a relaxing effect on cramps, easing the discomfort when Aunty Flo comes to visit.

2. Less midwife intervention. With every natural remedy comes a myth or two. Raspberry leaf tea apparently kick-starts and shorten the first crucial stage of labour. A 2001 placebo-controlled randomised trial found this was not the case, with their results showing, instead, a shortening in the second stage of pregnancy and less deliveries involving forceps⁴.

3. Skin defence. Antioxidants in raspberry leaves have been shown to aid the skin heal against exposure to ultraviolet light. These bioactive compounds protect against ‘protein damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and carcinogenesis⁵.’ This promising research in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity has already made it into a plethora of skincare products for damaged skin, so keep an eye out for more potions and lotions containing raspberry leaf extract in the future.

Cultivated and processed in Bulgaria, Porter Hill’s 100% Raspberry Leaf tea is a must have for any tea cupboard! Like all our teas, we recommend 4g to 237ml of boiling water. And remember, unlike raspberry leaf teabags, our tea can be brewed a second time with no loss in flavour!

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¹ https://archive.org/details/gerardsherball0000gera/page/n9/mode/2up?q=queasie.

² Gruber CW, O'Brien M. Uterotonic plants and their bioactive constituents. Planta Med. 2011 Feb;77(3):207-20. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1250317. Epub 2010 Sep 15. PMID: 20845261; PMCID: PMC3407953.

³ http://stikespanritahusada.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Catharine_Parker-Littler_Ask_a_Midwife_All_YourBookFi.pdf.

⁴ Simpson, M., Parsons, M., Greenwood, J., and Wade, K. (2001). Raspberry Leaf in Pregnancy: its Safety and Efficacy in Labor. J. Midwifery Womens Health 46 (2), 51–59. doi:10.1016/s1526-9523(01)00095-2.

⁵ Wang, P., Cheng, Y., Hung, Y., Le, C., Fang, J., Li, W., Wu, Y., and Pan, T. (2018). Red Raspberry Extract Protects the Skin against UVB-Induced Damage with Antioxidative and Anti-inflammatory Properties. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity Volume 2019. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9529676.