Red Raspberry Leaf Tea: What Research Shows About the Tea, Safety and Cautions
What research and the EU herbal committee say about red raspberry leaf tea, why pregnancy use is a question for a midwife or doctor, and who should be careful.
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Read this first: pregnancy and raspberry leaf tea
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The EU herbal monograph for raspberry leaf states that safety during pregnancy and lactation has not been established, and that in the absence of sufficient data use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended. [1] (EMA herbal committee, European Union, monograph compiled 2014.)
- What studies in pregnancy show. A 2021 systematic review of 13 studies, only six of them in humans, found that human studies have not shown any harm or benefit, and called the evidence base for pregnancy use weak. [2] A 2024 observational study of 91 records said its results cannot be relied on for the wider population and should not be taken as evidence that raspberry leaf is safe. [3]
- What to do. Talk with your midwife or doctor before using raspberry leaf tea while pregnant or breastfeeding. Our pregnancy and breastfeeding guide explains how to ask.
What red raspberry leaf tea is
Raspberry leaf tea is an infusion of the dried leaf of Rubus idaeus L., a plant in the rose family (Rosaceae). [4] The EU herbal committee describes raspberry leaf medicines as usually available as a herbal tea to be drunk. [5] It is a herbal tea (tisane), made from a leaf rather than the fruit; see Tisane vs Tea for the word. Check the botanical name and plant part on the label, because "raspberry" on a box can mean the fruit or a flavor (see herbal tea quality and labels). The plant profile is in Red Raspberry Leaf in Herbs & Botanicals.Traditional use and what regulators concluded
These are two different things.Traditional use: a 2021 review notes that childbearing women have been using various herbs to assist with pregnancy, labour and birth for centuries, and that raspberry leaf is one of the most common. [2] In one hospital survey of 121 postnatal women, 46 (38%) reported using raspberry leaf during pregnancy. [6] Popularity is not proof that it works.
Regulatory view: the EU herbal committee (HMPC) accepts raspberry leaf as a traditional herbal medicine, based on long-standing use, for minor spasms associated with menstrual periods, mild mouth or throat inflammation and mild diarrhoea. [5] It said that although there is insufficient evidence from clinical trials, the effectiveness is plausible, and it noted the lack of clinical studies for these uses. [5] Its monograph lists the menstrual-spasm use under a dry extract, and the herbal tea under the mild-diarrhoea use. [1] That is a regulatory category, not proof from trials. Raspberry leaf medicines should only be used in adults. [5]
What research found about the tea itself
Labels used here: promising but limited, insufficient evidence, preclinical (cells or animals).| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Population and form studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour and birth | Human studies have not shown any harm or benefit; the evidence base is weak. [2] | Insufficient evidence | Review of 13 studies (5 laboratory, 2 animal, 6 human), forms vary |
| Labour augmentation | In a small observational study, women who used raspberry leaf were less likely to have labour medically augmented, but the authors say it cannot be generalized and a randomized trial is urgently needed. [3] | Insufficient evidence (observational, 44 users and 47 non-users) | Pregnant women in one service; the abstract does not say the form was tea |
| Uterine muscle | Raspberry leaf has been shown to have biophysical effects on animal and human smooth muscle, including the uterus. [2] | Preclinical (laboratory tissue and animals) | Not tea in people |
| Blood sugar after sugar | In a crossover study, blood glucose after sucrose was significantly lower at 15 and 30 minutes when raspberry leaf tea was taken with it; there was no significant difference with glucose. [7] | Promising but limited (short-term lab marker, not a health outcome) | 22 healthy adults, tea made from 10 g of leaf per session |
| Menstrual cramps, diarrhea | Proper evidence not found for trials of the tea; the EU committee noted the lack of clinical studies. [5] | Traditional use only | Not applicable |
Proper evidence not found for a randomized trial of raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy: a PubMed phrase search for "raspberry leaf tea" returned 9 records, and the two filtered as randomized trials were the healthy-adult glucose study above and a survey. [8] The survey's authors wrote that no experimental data exist to support the claims made for the tea. [6]
What the EU monograph describes (not advice)
For the mild-diarrhoea use in adults and the elderly, the monograph describes 1.5 to 8 g of comminuted leaf in 150 ml of boiling water as a herbal tea, three times daily, and says to consult a doctor if symptoms last longer than 3 days. [1] This describes an authorized product. It is not a recommendation, and it does not cover pregnancy. A clinician or pharmacist decides what is right for a person. See EU monograph tea amounts.Safety details
- Side effects. At the time of the EU assessment, no side effects had been reported. [5] That is not proof of safety. The monograph also notes that tests on reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity have not been performed. [1]
- Medicines. The EU monograph lists interactions with other medicines as none reported. [1] Lack of reports is not proof of safety; ask a pharmacist, and see how interactions work.
- Children. The monograph says use under 18 years has not been established and is not recommended. [1]
- Liver, kidney, surgery, allergy. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for raspberry leaf tea. Tell the surgical team about herbal teas before an operation (supplements before surgery).
- Quality. Herbal teas are not all tested the same way; see quality testing and certifications.
Frequently asked questions
Is red raspberry leaf tea safe in pregnancy?
Nobody can promise that. The EU monograph says safety in pregnancy has not been established and does not recommend use without sufficient data. [1] A 2024 study observed no safety concerns in its small group but said that should not be read as evidence of safety. [3] Ask your midwife or doctor.
Does raspberry leaf tea bring on labor?
Proper evidence not found that the tea does. A systematic review found the evidence base weak and human studies showed neither harm nor benefit. [2] A small observational study found fewer medically augmented labours among users but said the results cannot be relied on. [3]
Does raspberry leaf tea help period cramps?
The EU committee accepts a traditional use for minor menstrual spasms, listed for a dry extract, based on long-standing use rather than trials. [5][1] Proper evidence not found for trials of the tea.
Is raspberry leaf tea the same as raspberry fruit tea?
No. The EU assessment covers the leaf of Rubus idaeus. [5] Read the plant part on the label.
Can children drink raspberry leaf tea?
The monograph says use under 18 has not been established and is not recommended. [1] Ask a pediatrician.
References
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Rubus idaeus L., folium, EMA/HMPC/44211/2012. Compiled 28 January 2014. Read 2026-10-23.
- Bowman R, et al. Biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf use in pregnancy: a systematic integrative review. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021. Read 2026-10-23 (abstract).
- Bowman RL, Taylor J, Davis DL. Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) use in pregnancy: a prospective observational study. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024. Read 2026-10-23 (abstract).
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, species match for Trifolium pratense L. (Fabaceae), Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae), Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and Echinacea angustifolia DC. (Asteraceae), Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae), Zea mays L. and Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae), Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton (Oleaceae), Chrysanthemum x morifolium Ramat. ex Hemsl. (Asteraceae). All returned as accepted names by the API on 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Rubi idaei folium (raspberry leaf): herbal medicinal product, public summary, EMA/237849/2017. Published 2017. Read 2026-10-23.
- Farnaghi S, Braniff K. Survey of raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2022. Read 2026-10-23 (abstract).
- Alkhudaydi HMS, Spencer JPE. Effects of raspberry leaf tea polyphenols on postprandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults. Nutrients 2025. Read 2026-10-23 (abstract).
- National Library of Medicine. PubMed search records, E-utilities esearch, phrase searches in title/abstract run 2026-10-23, with and without a randomized-controlled-trial filter: "red clover tea" (0 records), "milk thistle tea" (0), "echinacea tea" (0), "raspberry leaf tea" (9; 2 with the trial filter), "barley tea" (28; 3 with the trial filter), "mugicha" (11; 3), "chrysanthemum tea" (40; 0), "jasmine tea" (79; 0), "corn silk tea" (6; 0).