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ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE
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What is it?
We use the leaves of Raspberry in herbal medicine. It is a true ‘mother herb’, growing in a way that has a central ‘mother’ plant which shields and protect its ‘babies’ as they grow up. It is also remarkably good for women on a number of levels.
Raspberry leaf is mostly thought of and now known as a herb to help a healthy pregnancy but the ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Ayurvedic physicians also used it widely as a treatment for wounds and diarrhoea (somewhat interchanged with Blackberry) Culpeper talked about Raspberry leaf as 'very binding and good for fevers, ulcers, putrid sores of the mouth and secret parts, for stones of the kidneys and too much flowing of the women's courses' T Lyle writes 'herbal practitioners following Dr. Thompson always recommend Raspberry leaf tea, for use during the period of pregnancy. It's free use ensures good health during gestation, renders easy and speedy parturition, assists milk secretion and hastens convalescence' M. Grieves writes ' an infusion of Raspberry leaves, taken cold is a reliable remedy for extreme laxity of the bowels. The infusion alone, or as a component part, never fails to give immediate relief and it is especially useful in stomach complaints of children.' Raspberry leaf has been particularly valued in the last 2 or 3 months of pregnancy where it is used to strengthen the uterus prior to giving birth but there are also many historical recommendations for Raspberry leaf in the first months of pregnancy to help prevent miscarriage and to reduce morning sickness. Raspberry leaf has been widely recommended for many generations as a uterine relaxant and pregnancy tonic and there are no reports in the medical literature of any problems with it. Women who have had repeated miscarriages may find it especially useful. Raspberry leaf has also been traditionally used as an eyewash or a mouthwash when there is inflammation or infection present or when there are sores that are slow to heal. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP) describes the actions of Raspberry leaf as an 'astringent & partus praeparator (to help prepare for labour) and says it is specifically indicated to facilitate childbirth and also for 'diarrhoea, pregnancy, stomatitis, tonsillitis as a mouth wash and conjunctivitis as an eye lotion. The BHP recommends a dose of 4-8 grams or by infusion and suggests it may be combined well with Agrimony for diarrhoea, Sage as a mouthwash or gargle and Eyebright as an eye lotion.
Historically women have taken raspberry leaf tea throughout their pregnancies up to and including childbirth. Many mothers extol this herb's ability to make childbirth easier and less painful. In a letter to the editor of the medical journal The Lancet, Dr Violet Russel wrote " I have encouraged expectant mothers to drink this infusion and in a great many cases labour has been free and easy from muscular spasm." Some women also drink the tea throughout their labour, or suck on frozen cubes made beforehand. It reportedly helps expel the placenta, and its nutritional value is thought to be responsible for encouraging and enriching the mother's breastmilk. Many women continue to drink the tea long after childbirth as it is thought to help restore the reproductive system and continue to help nourish the new mother. ~ Raspberry leaf has had some rather fascinating studies done on it; a concentrate of Raspberry leaf extract relaxed the uterus and intestine in laboratory experiments. For the uterus the relaxation was occasionally followed by contraction and further relaxation. The degree of relaxation increased with successive doses. Secondary contractions were eliminated and those that occurred were evenly spaced. Relaxation was promoted in tonically contracted isolated uteri but if allowed to relax raspberry leaf caused the organ to contract. When little tone was present in isolated uterus, raspberry leaf caused stimulation but when the uterus was toned the raspberry leaf induced relaxation. All this gives the strong impression that Raspberry leaf has a regulatory action on uterine tone (Burn JH, Withell ER, Lancet 2(6149):1-3,1941 -- Patel AV et al. J Pharm Pharmacol 47(12B):1129, 1990) and (McFarlin BL, Gibson MH, O'Rear J, Harman P. A national survey of herbal preparation use by nurse-midwives for labor stimulation. Review of the literature and recommendations for practice. J Nurse Midwifery 1999;44:205-16) ~ A controlled study involving 108 women found that they could consume Raspberry leaf during their pregnancy with no side effects for the women or their babies. Taking Raspberry leaf may decrease the likelihood of preterm and post-term labour, evidenced by the smaller spread of the gestation period among the group who consumed the Raspberry leaf. An excellent proof of the benefit of Raspberry leaf was the finding in this study that the women who consumed Raspberry were significantly less likely to need artificial rupture of their membranes, caesarean section, forceps or vacuum birth. Treatment began as early as 8 weeks pregnant though the majority commenced at 30 to 34 weeks. ( Parsons M, Simpson M, Ponton T. Raspberry leaf and its effects on labour: safety and efficacy. Aust Coll Midwives Inc J 1999;12:20-5) ~ Most importantly, Raspberry leaf has been proven to be entirely safe to use during pregnancy (see safety notes below for more on this) (Simpson M, Parsons M, Greenwood J, Wade K. Raspberry leaf in pregnancy: its safety and efficacy in labor. J Midwifery Womens Health 2001;46:51-9) The authors, titles and the 'where-and-when' published of nearly 40 further studies and articles on Raspberry are listed in a PDF found here
However, the price of popularity is that, the higher something becomes esteemed, the more there will be people who will want to knock it down. A while back I started to read some initially inexplicable cautions about Raspberry leaf, including comments that it is unsafe to use in pregnancy! Is there any truth in that caution? Well no, there isn't, firstly there are a total of zero adverse events from the use of Raspberry leaf in any of the medical literature despite a great deal of common usage, secondly the only negative evidence in the literature I could find was an animal study that suggests 'Raspberry leaf seems to increase serum ceruloplasmin oxidase activity, which is a measure of estrogenic activity in the liver' (Eagon PK, Elm MS, Hunter DS, et al. Medicinal herbs: modulation of estrogen action. Era of Hope Mtg, Dept Defense; Breast Cancer Res Prog, Atlanta, GA 2000;Jun 8-11) For what it is worth, I can stage categorically that Raspberry leaf is, without doubt, exceptionally safe for the young and old and that it can and should be used with utmost confidence when needed, including whilst pregnant or breastfeeding
For some years now, against this proven and safe way of herbalism, there has been a rising tide of excessive caution and scare-mongering in many parts of the world. The same authorities that, not so long ago, decried herbal medicines as ineffectual, have now taken up a different adversarial position; that they are dangerous substances that should only be prescribed by Doctors, who of course have zero training in them. Unfortunately, the same unnecessary fear and worry has crept into many natural health websites and popular publications on herbs. Herbs that we have safely used for thousands of years, that have no reports of adverse reactions in the medical literature despite widespread use by millions of people, are suddenly described as contraindicated because of something that should have been seen as completely unimportant, or at the utmost a merely theoretical concern, such as a laboratory study on one of the herb's constituents to use an all too common example. I wonder sometimes if the writers of such articles feel that the herb will be more deserving of respect if it is thought to be a little bit dangerous, in other words more like a drug than something that has simply come out of the earth and been used by ordinary people for generations beyond count. There is just so much misinformation about herbal medicine on the internet now. Ludicrous claims and cautions abound in equal measure; it seems like one group are trying to make money out of the public whilst the other are busily trying to scare them off. I have to believe that the kind of reader who takes the time to read pages on herbs that are as extensive as this one is much less likely to be swayed by marketers or misinformers. I hope that you will keep your wits about you if you get conflicting opinions from people who have never really got to know these herbs, who have never worked with them, or learned how to use them safely and effectively. I want to remind you that the reason that herbs can never be patented and owned by any individual or corporation is because they are, and always will be, the People's medicine. They belong to all of us and it is my great hope in sharing this work that you will learn how to use them wisely for yourself, and the people you care for. Be safe, but do not be afraid.
This is because Raspberry leaf truly is a superb uterine tonic all round. By the way this is not just my personal view. I have talked with other herbalists, especially those who work extensively with women’s health problems, and it is clear that they have come to the same kind of high regard for Raspberry leaf in their own work and through their own experiences. Raspberry is an uplifting herb to the mind and the body and the words ‘tone and strengthen’ give you a close sense of how it feels when you take it for a time. I have found Raspberry leaf to be of tremendous healing support for many women with fibroids, endometriosis, or heavy, painful or irregular periods. Likewise I have found it to be of great value to women who have become badly depleted through the extraordinary demands of child making and child-raising. Raspberry leaf is not a herb to be shy of in terms of dosages. If using it for at least a few weeks I will gladly use a couple of heaped tsps a day of the leaf in tea form or up to a tsp of its tincture. If needing to get its benefits very quickly for an acute problem you can use it very freely and frequently in higher amounts with no need to worry about side-effects. If you who are reading this are studying herbal medicine or have your own reasons to want to understand this fine plant ally at a much deeper level then I warmly encourage you to take a cup of Raspberry leaf tea of a small dose of its tincture and then, with a quiet and attentive mind, observe for yourself how it makes you feel. This old method of 'experiential' learning may give you a greater appreciation of the herb's 'action' than any amount of academic learning about it. Of course you have to try such things for yourself to see but I think you may very well soon feel some of the reasons why this herb gets its reputation for 'toning'. If you tune into it you can literally feel how it 'binds together' that which has become weak and how at the same time there can be a lovely sense of those nurturing qualities that have made this such a premiere herb for the great creative journey of life that women undertake. Further to this, if you would like to learn more about the ancient art of pulse testing, a simple but powerful way to ask the intuitive intelligence of the body for its responses to a herb by feeling the pulse whilst giving a tiny dose by mouth, read here Raspberry leaf combines particularly well with Lady's mantle for a weakened uterus, with Shepherd's purse for heavy periods, with Vitex for irregular periods or to enhance fertility, with Cramp Bark for painful periods and with Yarrow for a leaky gut.
Much of the information here about the traditional uses of Raspberry leaf is consistent with the model of thinking whereby one may treat problem A with plant B. There is value in this approach, especially in how it helps us pass on useful knowledge to one another, but it falls short in one vital area; and that is that people are not all cut from the same cloth! Something that works brilliantly for one person may do less for another -- why is this? Part of the reason is that people vary in their constitutions as to whether they are either hotter or cooler and, at the same time, either dryer or damper. This useful and rather fascinating subject is introduced further here Another big part of using the right herb when it is most needed comes from understanding the need to treat what is going wrong for the person that had led up to their getting a health condition. In this light, Raspberry leaf can particularly offer its benefits when a nourishing action is needed in the 'cycle of healing', more about this here
Please understand that I cannot advise you, including on products or dosage, without seeing you in person in my clinic but for ideas
on how you might find a good herbalist in your area read here |
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© 2011 R.J.Whelan Ltd