Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus)

Also called raspberry leaf, red raspberry leaf tea, raspberry leaf tea, Rubus idaeus, European raspberry, European red raspberry.

Best grade C across 4 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 9 sources

Red raspberry leaf is widely used in late pregnancy to try to shorten labour. The only randomized trial, in 192 first-time mothers, found it did not shorten the first stage of labour and reported no adverse effects, though it was too small to rule out uncommon harms. A leaf extract missed its main knee-pain outcome. Evidence is thin.

Every graded outcome on this page

4 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade CKnee pain in osteoarthritisJoint painn 198
  2. Grade CLength of labour and birth outcomesLabourn 192
  3. Grade DMedical augmentation of labourLabourn 91
  4. Grade DGlucose and insulin after sucrose or glucoseBlood glucosen 22

Key facts

Labour
Tablets of 2 x 1.2 g/day from 32 weeks did not shorten the first stage of labour in 192 first-time mothers; the second stage was about 9.6 minutes shorter and forceps use was lower (19.3% vs 30.4%); a systematic review notes these differences were not statistically significant12
Safety in pregnancy
No adverse effects for mother or baby were found in the trial, but a systematic review judged the overall evidence weak12
How common
About 37-38% of women surveyed in Australian maternity settings used raspberry leaf during pregnancy, mainly to make labour easier67
Knee osteoarthritis
400 mg/day of a leaf extract lowered walking knee pain versus placebo over 12 weeks in 198 people, but the primary WOMAC pain score did not differ5
After-meal glucose
10 g of raspberry leaf tea taken with sucrose lowered glucose at 15 and 30 minutes in 22 healthy adults; there was no effect with glucose4
Breastfeeding
Promoted to boost milk supply, but LactMed found no valid clinical trials supporting this and no safety data in nursing mothers or infants8

What it is

Red raspberry leaf is the dried leaf of the European red raspberry (Rubus idaeus), used as a tea or tablet, most often late in pregnancy.

How it works

Proposed

Laboratory studies show raspberry leaf affects smooth muscle, including uterine muscle, in animal and human tissue. Leaf polyphenols such as ellagitannins inhibit carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, which the tea study authors propose explains the blunted sugar response. Neither effect has been linked to clinical outcomes.24

Forms, side by side

3 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) forms compared

3 forms
Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) forms compared: 3 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
3 formsDried leaf tabletsLeaf tea (infusion)Ethanolic leaf extract
Absorption in peopleNo human absorption data.1A 10 g infusion supplied about 38 mg ellagitannins, 7 mg flavonoids and 4 mg phenolic acids.4Not measured.5
GI toleranceNo adverse effects for mother or baby at 2.4 g/day from 32 weeks.1Single doses only in the glucose study.4Well tolerated at 200-400 mg/day for 12 weeks.5
Studied forLabourAfter-meal glucose; traditional use in pregnancyKnee osteoarthritis pain
  1. Dried leaf tablets
    Absorption in people
    No human absorption data.1
    GI tolerance
    No adverse effects for mother or baby at 2.4 g/day from 32 weeks.1
    Studied for
    Labour
  2. Leaf tea (infusion)
    Absorption in people
    A 10 g infusion supplied about 38 mg ellagitannins, 7 mg flavonoids and 4 mg phenolic acids.4
    GI tolerance
    Single doses only in the glucose study.4
    Studied for
    After-meal glucose; traditional use in pregnancy
  3. Ethanolic leaf extract
    Absorption in people
    Not measured.5
    GI tolerance
    Well tolerated at 200-400 mg/day for 12 weeks.5
    Studied for
    Knee osteoarthritis pain
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

4 graded outcomes, largest study first

4 graded outcomes: 2 improved, 2 mixed. The largest, a 2022 randomized trial of 198 people on knee pain in osteoarthritis, found mixed results.

3. Medical augmentation of labour: improved, 91 people34. Glucose and insulin after sucrose or glucose: improved, 22 people4
1. Knee pain in osteoarthritis: mixed, 198 people12. Length of labour and birth outcomes: mixed, 192 people2

1Knee pain in osteoarthritis

Mixed · Grade C · RCT, 198 people, 2022

Adults with knee (femorotibial) osteoarthritis

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Knee pain in osteoarthritisMixed198Grade C · RCT, 2022Adults with knee (femorotibial) osteoarthritis
Length of labour and birth outcomesMixed192Grade C · RCT, 2001Low-risk first-time mothers in Sydney, Australia
Medical augmentation of labourImproved91Grade D · Observational, 2024Pregnant women in an Australian maternity service (44 users, 47 non-users)
Glucose and insulin after sucrose or glucoseImproved22Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2025Healthy adults (12 men, 10 women) in the UK
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

4 rows

Showing 4 of 4 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CKnee pain in osteoarthritisJoint painPrimary pain score not metRCT
n 198 · 2022

Mixed WOMAC pain (primary outcome) did not differ from placebo. At 400 mg, walking knee pain on a visual scale fell by more than 7 mm versus placebo. No differences in function, stiffness, walking or quality of life. Well tolerated.

Design
RCT, n = 198, 2022
Population
Adults with knee (femorotibial) osteoarthritis
Form
Ethanolic Rubus idaeus leaf extract
Dose
200 or 400 mg once daily
Duration
12 weeks
Source
Reference 5 · PubMed 35799169 (opens PubMed)
Grade CLength of labour and birth outcomesLabourFirst stage not shorterRCT
n 192 · 2001

Mixed No adverse effects for mother or baby. The first stage of labour was not shortened. The second stage was 9.59 minutes shorter and forceps deliveries were less common (19.3% vs 30.4%), the only differences the authors called clinically significant; no significant relationship with birth outcomes overall.

Design
RCT, n = 192, 2001
Population
Low-risk first-time mothers in Sydney, Australia
Form
Raspberry leaf tablets
Dose
2 x 1.2 g per day from 32 weeks' gestation until labour
Duration
About 8 weeks (32 weeks to labour)
Source
Reference 1 · PubMed 11370690 (opens PubMed)
Grade DMedical augmentation of labourLabourLess augmentation (observational)Observational
n 91 · 2024

Improved Users were less likely to have labour augmented, epidurals, instrumental births or caesareans, and labours were shorter. The authors say the results cannot be generalised and are not evidence of safety.

Design
Observational, n = 91, 2024
Population
Pregnant women in an Australian maternity service (44 users, 47 non-users)
Form
Raspberry leaf (self-selected use)
Dose
Self-selected
Duration
During pregnancy
Source
Reference 3 · PubMed 38649906 (opens PubMed)
Grade DGlucose and insulin after sucrose or glucoseBlood glucoseLower early glucose with sucroseCrossover RCT
n 22 · 2025

Improved With sucrose, glucose was 1.19 and 2.03 mmol/L lower at 15 and 30 minutes and insulin lower at 15 and 60 minutes; no significant effect with glucose.

Design
Crossover RCT, n = 22, 2025
Population
Healthy adults (12 men, 10 women) in the UK
Form
Raspberry leaf tea (10 g leaf, 5-minute infusion, about 50 mg polyphenols)
Dose
10 g leaf as tea with 50 g sucrose or glucose
Duration
Single dose, four sessions
Source
Reference 4 · PubMed 40944237 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

One trial, many users

Over a third of women in Australian surveys used raspberry leaf in pregnancy, yet the evidence rests on one randomized trial from 2001 and a 91-person cohort.6713

How we got this: Survey prevalence compared with the evidence table

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 200 mg/day of a leaf extract for 12 weeks to 2.4 g/day of leaf tablets from 32 weeks of pregnancy until labour, plus single 10 g servings of tea. These are research doses, not recommendations.514

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Red raspberry leaf meets

0 cited rows 1 tested together

Medicines 0

No medicine rows in our sources.

Red raspberry leaf0 medicines · 1 supplement

Supplements and foods 1

  • Tested together in a graded trial
Also cited: 1 tested together

  1. Slippery elmSlippery elm page

    • Tested together

      Digestive symptoms and body composition (detox blend with slippery elm). Graded on the Slippery elm page; tested together is not a claim that they work better together.

Rows as our evidence profiles cite them; links stay on this site. Line weight shows what backs a row, not how serious an interaction is. No line means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe. Not medical advice: ask your pharmacist.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Red raspberry leaf and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Red raspberry leaf.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

5 groups
Pregnancy before the third trimester
The only randomized trial started at 32 weeks. Raspberry leaf acts on uterine muscle in lab studies, and use earlier in pregnancy has not been tested in a trial. It is not a proven way to start labour, and a 2023 review notes a possible negative effect on cervical ripening.129
Higher-risk pregnancies
The randomized trial enrolled only low-risk first-time mothers, so it tells us nothing about women with complicated pregnancies, a history of preterm labour, or a previous caesarean. Raise raspberry leaf with your midwife or obstetrician before using it in those situations.1
Pregnancy in general
No harms were seen in the trial or a small cohort, but reviewers and the cohort authors say this is not proof of safety; it is a decision to make with a midwife or doctor.23
Breastfeeding
LactMed says raspberry leaf is a purported milk booster with no scientifically valid trials behind it; it is generally without side effects as a tea, but no data exist on safety in nursing mothers or their infants.8
High-dose or injected use
Toxicity appeared in animal studies only when high doses were given into a vein or the abdomen; there are no human data at high doses.2
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

1 checks
Leaf vs fruit vs raspberry ketone

These trials tested the leaf. Raspberry fruit and raspberry ketone supplements are different products with different evidence.15

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, red raspberry leaf (rubus idaeus) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers
Does raspberry leaf tea shorten labour?

In the only randomized trial, raspberry leaf tablets from 32 weeks did not shorten the first stage of labour. The second stage was about 10 minutes shorter and forceps use was lower, but these were secondary findings that were not statistically significant.12

Does it help joint pain?

One 12-week trial of a leaf extract missed its main pain outcome, though the 400 mg dose lowered walking knee pain. The trial was industry-linked.5

Does raspberry leaf tea increase breast milk?

There is no good evidence. LactMed says it is promoted as a milk booster but no scientifically valid clinical trials support this, and safety in nursing mothers and infants has not been studied.8

Does raspberry leaf interact with medicines?

No drug interactions are documented in the trial reports, the 2021 systematic review or LactMed, but interaction studies have not been done. Because the leaf acts on uterine muscle in lab studies, mention it to your midwife or doctor alongside any medicines used in labour.28

Is raspberry leaf safe in pregnancy?

The 192-woman trial found no adverse effects for mothers or babies, but reviewers rate the evidence as weak. Use in pregnancy is best discussed with a midwife or doctor.12

When in pregnancy was it studied?

The randomized trial started at 32 weeks of pregnancy and continued until labour. Earlier use has not been tested in a trial.1

Is raspberry leaf the same as raspberry ketone?

No. Raspberry leaf is the dried leaf of Rubus idaeus; raspberry ketone is a flavour compound sold for weight loss, with separate evidence.1

Sources

9 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

9 sources
  1. 1Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor.RCT J Midwifery Womens Health, 2001 · PMID 11370690
  2. 2Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review.Systematic review BMC Complement Med Ther, 2021 · PMID 33563275
  3. 3Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study.Observational BMC Complement Med Ther, 2024 · PMID 38649906
  4. 4Effects of Raspberry Leaf Tea Polyphenols on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Responses in Healthy Adults.Crossover RCT Nutrients, 2025 · PMID 40944237
  5. 5Rubus idaeus extract improves symptoms in knee osteoarthritis patients: results from a phase II double-blind randomized controlled trial.RCT BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 2022 · PMID 35799169
  6. 6Survey of Raspberry Leaf Tea in pregnancy.Observational Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol, 2022 · PMID 35188267
  7. 7Beyond prescription medicine in pregnancy - raspberry leaf and other herbs in Australia.Observational BMC Complement Med Ther, 2026 · PMID 41668030
  8. 8Raspberry (Drugs and Lactation Database, LactMed)Database National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (LactMed), 2024 · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. 9Raspberry Leaves and Extracts-Molecular Mechanism of Action and Its Effectiveness on Human Cervical Ripening and the Induction of Labor.Review Nutrients, 2023 · PMID 37513625

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

2 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
key facts, who should be careful, FAQAdded the LactMed raspberry record for breastfeeding (NBK501785) and a 2023 review on cervical ripening and labour induction (PMID 37513625); two new FAQs on milk supply and medicines. PubMed search for 2021–2026 trials and meta-analyses found no new randomized trial of the leaf. No drug interactions are listed in LactMed, the 2021 systematic review or the trial reports.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
allInitial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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