Red Raspberry:Bramble, Gauriphal, Reapberry, and Hindberry....

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   Basic Botanical Info:

 Binomial name :Rubus idaeus
 Official Latin Name: Rubus idaeus,Rubus idaeus (L)
 Latin: Fructus Rubi
 Synonyms: Garden raspberry, European red raspberry, raspbis, hindberry (from Anglo-Saxon Hindbeer), bramble of Mount Ida
 Order: Rosaceae
 Parts used and where grown:leaves and fruit

 Raspberry bushes are native to Europe and parts of Asia. Although most well known for its delicious berries, raspberrys leaves are used in medicine.

 Collection: the leaves are collected throughout the growing season but before the fruit ripens; the fruit is collected when ripe.

 

 Basic Botanical Info:
 Botanical Description:
 Phytochemicals and Constituents:
 Indications and Combinations:
 Properties and Functions:
 Applications: What does Red Raspberry do?
 Historical or traditional use:
 Suggestions and Administrations:
 Modern Researches:
 Research update:Rubus idaeus or red raspberry


   Botanical Description:

 The unripe fruit of the perennial plant Rubus chingii Hu or Rubus palmatus Thunberg, of the Rosacae (Rose) family. Native to temperate Asia, it grows wild at hilly areas in the provinces Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang of China. Picked between June and August when the fruit is still green, it is then soaked briefly in hot water before dried for later use.

 A thorny perennial bush found in woods throughout Britain, Europe and northern Asia and cultivated in most temperate areas. It has a creeping rootstock and biennial, slightly prickly flowering stems up to 1.5m high. The leaves are divided into three to five pointed and toothed leaflets, light green above and whitish underneath; the long panicles of white flowers with short, narrow petals give way to the familiar red fruit.

 

   Phytochemicals and Constituents:

 Raspberry leaves are high in tannins and like its relative, blackberry, may relieve acute diarrhea. The constituents that affect the smooth muscles, such as in the uterus, have not yet been clearly identified. The German Commission E monograph has concluded there is insufficient proof to recommend red raspberry in modern herbal medicine.

 Constituents: flavonoids (including kaempferol and quercetin), tannins, polypeptides, volatile oil, pectin, citric acid, malic acid, fragarine (uterine tonic). The fruit contains vitamins A, B, C, E, sugars, iron, calcium, phosphorus and volatile oil.

 

   Indications and Combinations:

  Indications: diarrhoea, pregnancy, stomatitis; as a gargle for tonsillitis or an eye lotion for conjunctivitis

  Therapeutics and Pharmacology:  Rubus leaves have a long tradition of use during pregnancy to strengthen and tone uterine tissue, assisting contractions and checking haemorrhage during labour. For this action to occur the herb should be drunk regularly throughout the last trimester of pregnancy and during labour. The infusion also enriches an encourages the flow of breast milk. As an astringent, Rubus may be used in the treatment of diarrhoea, stomatitis and leucorrhoea, and as a gargle for tonsillitis, a mouthwash for mouth ulcers, bleeding gums and inflammations, and as an eyewash for conjunctivitis. The leaves are sometimes included in rheumatic remedies where they have a diuretic action, and in France they are regarded as a tonic for the prostate gland. The diluted tincture may be applied to wounds and inflammations or as a mouthwash for ulcers and gum inflammations. The berries are traditionally taken for indigestion and rheumatism. They are rich in nutrients and iron and help combat anaemia.

  Combinations:  With Agrimonia and Geum in diarrhoea. With Salvia as a mouthwash or gargle. With Euphrasia as an eye lotion.

 Red Raspberry is also known by the names Bramble, Gauriphal, Reapberry, and Hindberry. Red Raspberry is believed to be native to Europe, but it widely cultivated in North America, Britain, Scandinavia and Scotland. Red Raspberry was used by colonial Americans as an astringent. They used an infusion of the root bark and applied it to the sore eyes. The fresh fruit of Red Raspberry was used for dissolving tartar on the teeth. The leaves may be collected throughout the growing season - they are rich in vitamin C and contain astringent qualities due to their high tannin content. Red raspberry leaves have been used by women for centuries as a support to the reproductive system, especially during pregnancy. When used after birthing, it can decrease uterine swelling and minimize postpartum hemorrhaging. This herb is beneficial in normalizing blood flow during menstruation and reducing painful menstrual cramps. Red Raspberry supports the reproductive system by strengthening the tissues of the womb, increasing lactation and easing nausea caused by morning sickness.

 It also cleanses and prepares breasts for a pure milk supply for the nursing infant by cleansing and purifying the blood. The Raspberry fruit is fragrant, containing a crystallizable fruit-sugar, a fragrant volatile oil, pectin, citric and malic acids, mineral salts, and water. Raspberry leaves and fruit can benefit visual acuity when used for a period of time. It also benefits the joints and tendons. Primary chemical constituents of Red Raspberry include flavonoids, alkaloids (fragarine), organic acids, vitamin C, iron citrate, calcium chloride, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and tannins. Red Raspberry's astringent properties make it helpful in relieving diarrhea, and its antiseptic properties make it beneficial for treating sore throats and canker sores. Topical applications of this herb have included use as a mouth wash for sores, an eyewash for discharge, a douche for leucorrhoea, and a hair rinse. Raspberry vinegar is an acid syrup made with the fruit-juice, sugar, and white-wine vinegar, and water. This herb even makes a useful gargle for sore throat pain.

 

   Properties and Functions:

  Properties: Sweet and sour in flavor, slightly warm in nature; it is related to the channels of the liver and kidney.

  Functions: Tones liver and kidneys, restrains semen, checks urination, sharpens vision.

  Actions: astringent, tonic, refrigerant, parturient, uterine stimulant, digestive remedy. The fruit is diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic and cleansing.

 

   Applications: What does Red Raspberry do?

 Wild raspberry is used to treat impotence, seminal emission, enuresis (involuntary discharge of urine), frequent urination, vaginal discharge, infertility and blurred vision.

 Red Raspberry is an herb traditionally used to support women and to promote healthy nails, bones, teeth, and skin. Red Raspberry provides a wealth of nutrients including calcium, iron, magnesium, malic acid, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sulfur, vitamins B1, B3, C, D, and E, citric acid, pectin, and essential oils.

 Red Raspberry is thought to be indigenous to Europe and parts of Asia. It been used for centuries by women as an remedy for menstrual disorders, as a prenatal tonic and to ease labor and delivery. Today it is cultivated extensively in Europe and North America for its fruit.

 Red Raspberry is a deciduous bush with creeping perennial roots and erect, thorny, biennial stems. Its odd-pinnate leaves are glossy with a soft white feltlike underside. The leaves have three to seven serrate and ovate leaflets. It usually flowers in the late spring or early summer. When it blooms it has many white flowers located on auxiliary drooping racemes. The white flowers have 5 petals, 5 sepals, and numerous stamen, and ovaries. Red raspberry produces a red aggregate fruit that separates from a conical receptacle upon ripening. It grows naturally in woods and heaths and prefers temperate environments.

 Red Raspberry is a medicinal herb considered helpful in the treatment of frequent or excessive menstruation as well as other menstrual disorders. . It is sometimes used to calm morning sickness, prevent miscarriage, and to ease labor and delivery. Other uses are as a treatment for diarrhea, nausea, sore throats, colds, flu, and influenza. It may help normalize blood sugar levels. It is a good source for vitamin C, maganese, iron and niacin. . Externally, it can be used as a mouth wash for canker sores and bleeding gums It can be taken as a capsule, pill, tea, infusion, or tincture


   Historical or traditional use:

 Raspberry leaves have been used by herbalists to treat diarrhea. In traditional herbalism and midwifery, red raspberry has been connected to female health, including pregnancy. It was considered a remedy for excessive menstrual flow (menorrhagia) and as a ¡°partus prepartor,¡± or an agent used during pregnancy to help prevent complications.1

 Generally, Red Raspberry is thought to act as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, antidiarrheal, diaphoretic, diuretic, and choleretic. It has shown oxytocic properties s.c. that it can relax and tone the uterine muscles. It has demonstrated antigonadotropic activity. It may normalize blood sugar levels.

 Red Raspberry contains one of the highest number of volatile compounds of the more commonly eaten fruits. Its most representative substances have been recorded as benzaldehyde, ethyl acetate, limonene, and 2-phenylethanol. Its leaves are considered high in tannins, vitamins C, niacin, and manganese. The manganese content of Red raspberry may be one of the main components that effect glucose regulation and some if it's oxytocic qualities.

 

 The Raspberry or Red Raspberry, (Rubus idaeus) is a plant that produces a tart, sweet, red composite fruit (not a true berry) in late summer or early autumn. The fruit is similar to that of the blackberry, but is smaller, softer, and a different color. It typically grows in forest clearings or fields, particularly where fire or wood-cutting has produced open space for colonization by this opportunistic colonizer of disturbed soil. As a cultivated plant in moist temperate regions, it is easy to grow and has a tendency to spread unless cut back. Raspberry is sometimes eaten by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Emperor Moth, Peach Blossom, The Engrailed, Small Square-spot and Double Square-spot.

 RaspberriesTwo types are commercially available: the wild-type summer bearing, that produces an abundance of fruit on second-year canes within a relatively short period in midsummer, and double- or "ever"- bearing plants, which also bear a few fruit on first-year canes in the autumn, as well as the summer crop on second-year canes. Raspberries can be cultivated from USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 3.

 A golden Raspberry, which is pale yellow, has been selected by horticulturalists.

 The black raspberry, also called a blackcap, is not the same plant, being a cultivar (usually) of Rubus occidentalis, a North American species. Several other non-cultivated Rubus species are also called raspberries.

 

   Suggestions and Administrations:

  How much is usually taken?

 Dosage and Administration:3-10 g.
 Dried leaves: 4~8g or by infusion
 Liquid extract: 1:1 in 25% alcohol, 4~8ml.

 Traditionally, raspberry leaf tea is prepared by pouring 1 cup (250 ml) boiling water over 1~2 teaspoons (5~10 grams) of the herb and steeping for ten to fifteen minutes. Up to 6 cups (1500 ml) per day may be necessary for acute problems such as diarrhea or sore throats due to a cold, while less (two to three cups [500~750 ml]) is used for preventive use during pregnancy. By itself, raspberry is usually not a sufficient treatment for diarrhea. Tincture, 3/4~1 teaspoon (4~8 ml) three times per day, may also be taken.

  Additional Comments:

 Raspberry vinegars were a popular traditional remedy for sore throats and coughs. The juice from the berries has been used in folk medicine as a remedy for fevers, childhood illnesses and cystitis. Gerard believed ' the fruit is good to be given to those that have weake and queasie stomackes'. The fruit is also used for dyeing purposes. In Chinese medicine, raspberry roots and leaves are prescribed for trauma, bone and muscle pain, absent periods and diarrhoea. The wild North American raspberry, R.strigosus may be used in the same way as R. idaeus.


  Are there any side effects or interactions? Raspberry leaf may cause mild loosening of stools and nausea. Otherwise, use of the herb appears to be safe.

  Are there any drug interactions? Certain medicines may interact with red raspberry.

  Cautions on Use:  Those with fire due to deficiency of the kidneys, causing short urination, should not take wild raspberry.Avoid high doses of the leaves during early pregnancy as they can stimulate uterine contractions.

 

   Modern Researches:

 Wild raspberry is rich in vitamin C; it also contains vitamin E, carrotin, superoxide dismutase (255.3 ug/100g), minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc, iron, manganese, nickel and selenium; and sugar fructose and glucose.

 Superoxide dismutase can clean the free radical from human body; and help the activity of skin cells.

 Wild raspberry contains sufficient sugar, mainly reducing sugar (fructose and glucose) which is about 80 percent among the total sugar. Reducing sugar can be easily ingested after taking-in. Most of raspberry fruits are juicy, and with good ratio of sugar and acids, so it tastes sweet.


  Ellagic Acid and raspberry:

 Consuming one cup of red raspberries per day (40 mg of ellagitannins) prevents the development of cancer cells. At low concentrations, it slows the growth of cancer cells; at higher concentrations, it tells cancer cells to kill themselves. For example, cells infected with the human papilloma virus (which is linked to cervical cancer), when exposed to ellagic acid experienced apoptosis, or normal cell death.

  Red raspberry ellagitannins slow the growth of abnormal colon cells in humans:

 Tests reveal similar results for breast, pancreas, esophageal, skin , and prostate cancer cells. The ellagitannins also produce a breakdown in human leukemia cells.

 Another way that ellagitannins protect your body is through G-Arrest. G-Arrest means that the ellagitannins stop cells from mutating in the first place. If cells dont mutate, then we dont get cancer. This is very important when you understand that that every single day of your life you produce anywhere from a few hundred to as many as 10,000 cancerous cells in your body as part of your normal metabolism. In tests conducted by the Hollings Cancer Institute with Ellagic Acid, G-Arrest began in 72 hours in both breast and cervical cancer.


  Red raspberry ellagitannins prevent destruction of the P53 gene by cancer cells. P53 prevents mutagenic activity in cervical cells:

 Red raspberry ellagitannins protect human cells against cancer-causing agents in tobacco smoke, food additives, and petroleum-based substances. Ellagitannins act as scavengers to bind cancer-causing chemicals, making them inactive. The ellagitannins inhibit the ability of other chemicals to cause mutations in bacteria. Red Raspberry ellagitannins also protect DNA by blocking carcinogens from binding to the DNA.

 European medical studies also demonstrate that red raspberry ellagitannins lower the incidence of birth defects, promote wound healing, reduce heart disease, and may reduce or reverse chemically induced liver fibrosis. In addition, the ellagic acid produced from the ellagitannins has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties

 First of all, ellagic acid doesnt work as well as the complete ellagitannin complex. Although ellagic acid alone has been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis in vitro (in a test tube with isolated cancer cells), several studies have reported that the other phenolic compounds in the berries also contribute to the observed inhibitory effect. Those compounds are only present in a complete ellagitannin complex, not in a synthetic ellagic acid isolate. In other words, an ellagitannin complex works better than pure ellagic acid.

 Second, synthetic ellagic acid is too harsh for the human body to accept, and has some potentially serious side effects , not the least of which is its tendency to raise blood pressure.

 And third. Dr. Nixon human studies are being done with the complete complex, not with isolated ellagic acid. If you want the same results, you need to use the same source. (Yes, the in vitro, or test tube studies on individual cells, were done with ellagic acid because individual cells have no way to break down ellagitannins into ellagic acid; but all in vivo, or human studies, have been done with red raspberry puree,and it is, after all, results with human beings that we are concerned with here.)

 Instead, polymers of gallic acid and hexahydroxydipenoyl (HHDP) are linked to glucose centers to form the class of compounds known as ellagitannins. Ellagic acid is formed when the HHDP group is cleaved from the tannin molecule and spontaneously rearranges,as happens in the digestive tract.

 The bottom line is that it is the ellagitannins that are present in various fruits,not the ellagic acid.

 First of all, the availability to the body of ellagic acid from dietary sources has only been confirmed with red raspberries. Other foods such as strawberries and walnuts either contain far lesser amounts of ellagic acid producing ellagitannins, and/or their bioavailability has not been confirmed. One interesting source, however, is pomegranate. Although not proven in clinical studies, the anecdotal evidence is extremely strong ,and the concentration of ellagitannins is much higher in pomegranate than raspberries

 The other key issue is that each source of ellagitannins has its own individual mix of ellagitannins. A useful way to think about this is that the active ingredients in both green tea and grape seeds are a group of bio-chemicals called polyphenols (the same group of bio-chemicals that includes ellagic acid),but because the mix of polyphenols is different in green tea and grape seeds, they each have an entirely different range of effects on the human body. Of the different sources of ellagitannins, the only mix that has been verified is the mix in red raspberries. In other words, for now, you want a red raspberry source. (Note: at some point, future studies will likely verify the efficacy of other sources such as pomegranate,but those studies do not exist at this point in time. Then again, the anecdotal evidence is building strongly.) For the moment then, the Meeker red raspberry is the most proven source of ellagic acid producing ellagitannins, with pomegranates probably a good alternative.


  Scientific References:

  1.Red Raspberry:Bramble, Gauriphal, Reapberry, and Hindberry....