Herb & supplement monograph

Red Raspberry Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Red Raspberry interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Red Raspberry is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Red Raspberry is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Red Raspberry Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Red Raspberry drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and the evidence behind them comes mainly from lab research or single case reports rather than well-controlled human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The interaction with the best human evidence involves insulin. In one reported case, a pregnant woman using insulin developed low blood sugar after drinking raspberry leaf tea daily for a few days, so anyone whose blood sugar is tightly managed should watch for this. There is also a theoretical concern with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs, since lab studies suggest red raspberry leaf may reduce platelet activity and add to the effect of blood thinners, though this has not been reported in people.

What the rest of the list means

Red raspberry appears alongside a long list of medications, but that does not mean every combination is harmful. Most of these listings are precautionary, predicted from lab findings rather than confirmed in humans. For example, the bleeding concern has not actually been observed in people, only in laboratory research.

Check your medications against Red Raspberry

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Red Raspberry interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Red Raspberry

135 medications have a known interaction with Red Raspberry, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Red Raspberry using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Red Raspberry interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Red Raspberry combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Red Raspberry affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Red Raspberry is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Red Raspberry interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsInsulin

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, taking red raspberry leaf with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding.
In vitro research suggests that red raspberry leaf extract has antiplatelet activity and enhances the in vitro effects of the antiplatelet medication cangrelor. This interaction has not been reported in humans.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Insulin

Red raspberry leaf might reduce glucose levels in patients being treated with insulin.
In one case report, a 38-year-old patient with gestational diabetes, whose blood glucose was being controlled with medical nutrition therapy and insulin, developed hypoglycemia after consuming two servings of raspberry leaf tea daily for 3 days beginning at 32 weeks' gestation. The patient required an insulin dose reduction. The hypoglycemia was considered to be probably related to use of red raspberry leaf tea.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Red Raspberry: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Red raspberry leaf is a traditional herbal remedy most often used as a tea in late pregnancy and for menstrual discomfort, but solid scientific evidence for these uses is limited. It is generally considered well tolerated by most adults, but pregnant people should talk with their doctor or midwife before using it.

Scientific name: Rubus idaeus
Family: Rosaceae
Part used: Leaves and fruit
Common forms: Tea, capsules, tablets, dried leaf, liquid extract

People commonly use it for

Pregnancy and labor support
Menstrual cramps
Digestive upset and diarrhea
Sore throat and mouth rinse
Antioxidant support

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated by most adults, but evidence on safety is limited.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When the fruit is used orally in amounts commonly found in foods.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When the fruit is used orally in amounts commonly found in foods. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of red raspber...

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is a shrub in the rose family that produces the familiar sweet red berries. It grows widely across Europe, Asia, and North America. While the berries are eaten as food, the leaves are the part most often used in herbal medicine.

Red raspberry leaf has a long history of traditional use, especially as a tea. It is best known as a folk remedy taken during pregnancy, and it has also been used for menstrual cramps, digestive complaints, and as a gargle for sore throats. The berries themselves are valued mainly as a nutritious food rich in antioxidants.

How it works

Red raspberry leaves contain plant compounds such as tannins, flavonoids, and other antioxidants. Tannins have an astringent (tightening) effect, which is one reason the tea has traditionally been used for diarrhea and as a gargle.

Some researchers propose that compounds in the leaf may affect the smooth muscle of the uterus, which is the basis for its use in pregnancy. However, this idea comes largely from laboratory and animal studies, and the findings have not been consistent. The exact way red raspberry leaf works in the body is not fully understood.

Effectiveness

Does Red Raspberry work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 14 uses evaluated

14 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Red Raspberry, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 14 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Aging skin