Re: red raspberry leaf tea for menstruation, does raspberry itself work

From Doc John Ray Christopher's School of Natural Healing guide:

RedRaspberry - Rubus idaeus; R. Strigosus; Rosaceae

Parts Used: Leaves; also root bark, fruit.

Therapeutic Action-leaves:
astringent, tonic, stimulant, alterative, stomachic, anti-emitic, parturient, hemostatic, cathartic, antiseptic, anti-abortive, anti-gonorrheal, anti-leucorrheal, anti-malarial.

fruit: mildly laxative, esculent, antacid, parturient, refrigerant.

Doc John provides a fairly extensive reference for using this herb under numerous conditions, most examples based on using the leaves, however, he said this: " both the leaves and fruit are high in citrate of iron, which is the active alterative, blood-making, astringent and contractile agent for the reproductive area. The tea is a valuable and effective agent for female menstrual problems, decreasing flow without stopping it abruptly."

Aside from a specific for various female ailments, including during pregnancy and delivery, the medicinal uses he made of the leaves are numerous. Tea of the leaves, drunk warm 3 or mor cups per day while ill is a specific tonic for cold and or flu. The tea, a few ounces cooled, can also be used as a rectal injection, retained, to reduce or eliminate hemorrhoids, and I can attest to these particular latter benefits on multiple occasions. He recommended the tea can also be used cool as a douche.

In the northern hemisphere, now is a great time of year to gather leaves from healthy plants and dry then store for longterm use. Rule of thumb is to pick young, unblemished leaves. Do not strip a given bush, take no more than one third of its leaves so that the bush can recover and continue healthy growth.

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