 Who wouldn't want to make labor faster and easier? Enter the Grand Saviour Raspberry Leaf Tea! Uh, actually Eric, it's really not all it's cracked up to be. Oh, well that's a shame. Yeah, tell me about it. Huh, guess Raspberry Leaf Tea has some explaining to do. Or I do, because I'm making the video right now. This tea isn't made from those pretty red raspberries, but it is those leaves from the raspberry plant. And really, it doesn't taste much like raspberries. It's not very fruity at all. And a lot of people say it tastes a little bit like black tea. You're also going to want to harvest it in the spring time. As that's when it's at its peak for medicinal purposes. Raspberry Leaf Tea has a nice complement of vitamins and minerals, including iron. One of the most important minerals for pregnant women. I know this well because my wife, who is currently pregnant as of filming, actually has an iron deficiency, which is quite common amongst pregnant women. Truth be told, when you're enjoying Raspberry Leaf Tea, you're not getting much of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. What you are getting though are tannins, which are helpful against those illness-causing free radicals. Raspberry Leaf Tea also has allagic acid, which is in various fruits and nuts. And is said to have anti-cancer properties and can protect the liver. The flavonoids and antioxidants in Raspberry Leaf Tea are actually anti-inflammatory. They also fight cancer and are helpful at preventing neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. There's even a little bit of research on how it's beneficial for larynx or colon cancer. Let's get this out of your head right now. There is nothing except a little bit of scant anecdotal evidence that says Raspberry Leaf Tea is helpful to induce labor. No way! Some women have said that it has helped them enter labor faster. But the thing is, without any research, it's just too hard to say if it wasn't just their time anyhow. So unless some research comes out that irrefutably confirms this supposition, I wouldn't depend on Raspberry Leaf Tea inducing labor unless you're a big fan of the placebo effect. Are there any labor benefits, though? Yes. Kinda. Sorta maybe. You're gonna end up getting a lot of that in this video, unfortunately. The research so far has been murky yet mostly positive at best, and contradictory and frustrating at worst. If you're hoping Raspberry Leaf Tea can shorten your time dealing with all that pain and pushing, there has been research that says it shortens the first stage of labor. Then also there is another study that says it doesn't shorten the first stage of labor, but it did help the second stage of labor. Yes! But only by 10 minutes. No! That's not even enough time to watch an episode of The Simpsons. Does anyone still watch The Simpsons? Well, I suppose any less labor is a good thing, and if you're lucky maybe you'll get more than those 10 minutes. And there were another five studies that said Raspberry Leaf Tea wouldn't hurt you, but then again they couldn't really find any conclusive labor benefits either. Well, you are. You are no help today. But do not despair! There is hope for Raspberry Leaf Tea yet! One study showed an 11% decrease in the use of forceps in women who consumed Raspberry Leaf Tea for the last eight weeks of pregnancy. This is backed up by the American Pregnancy Association, who says that Raspberry Leaf Tea can help reduce various interventions, like artificial rupture of membranes and cesarean deliveries. And it's also believed that Raspberry Leaf Tea can help lead to less bleeding after the baby is born. Okay, now this is where Raspberry Leaf Tea really shines. We think. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Raspberry Leaf Tea is believed to tone up the uterus, making the womb stronger and ready for labor. Midwife Rachel Fitz-De-Shorger says, by getting really toned up and ready for action in this way, a woman is less likely to go past 41 weeks of pregnancy, which is a bad thing because that means you're past your due date and things get much tougher at that point. Raspberry Leaf Tea is chock-a-block full of fray-green. Yeah! Which, in addition to helping tone the aforementioned uterus and pelvic muscles, can help control bowel movements. There are also studies showing that Raspberry Leaf Tea can help facilitate more rhythmic contractions, which help to move your labor along. But here again is a confusing part. Some studies showed that it helped by toning, but some say that it helps by relaxing, which are on the opposite ends of things, right? Luckily, there are some experts who say that this is because Raspberry Leaf Tea reacts to what your body needs. So, if you aren't really strong down to uterus alley, then Raspberry Leaf Tea can help tone you up, while somebody who's tense or already really fit might very well need the relaxing benefits. As you won't always be pregnant, or for some of us, never will be, it's good to note that there are other benefits of Raspberry Leaf Tea as well. For PMS, it can help with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and can decrease the pain of cramps. Because of its iron content, it's also believed that Raspberry Leaf Tea can help combat blood loss in women with heavy-flow menstrual cycles. Sadly, most of these benefits are still unproven scientifically, but there are many anecdotal stories of women saying it helps them with their PMS symptoms, so hopefully it can help you too. Raspberry Leaf Tea is often referred to as the women's herb, but there's a bevy of other helpful uses, and there is some research backing up these other benefits as well. For men in particular, it's supposed to be extra helpful in maintaining a healthy prostate. The European Medicines Agency has affirmed the idea that Raspberry Leaf Tea can help with spasms during periods, mild mouth and throat inflammation, and diarrhea. There are some stories of people having miscarriages from having Raspberry Leaf Tea too early in their pregnancy. But rest assured, there isn't any hardcore evidence backing this up yet. In fact, some research says that if you drink it in the first trimester, you can prevent a miscarriage. Overall, if you have a history of or any extensive concerns about a miscarriage, you're probably best to lean on the safe side and use it sparingly, or not at all. That said, most research shows that the biggest benefits for Raspberry Leaf Tea started 32 weeks of pregnancy. So the general rule right now is to start with 1 cup per day of 32 weeks, and move up to as many as 3 cups per day after 35 weeks. Experts say it's best to avoid Raspberry Leaf Tea if you're having any of these conditions or problems, and many of these are pretty specific and don't involve most women. The primary side effect of Raspberry Leaf Tea is that it can have laxative properties, which can be a really good thing if you're one of those women who's having constipation problems due to pregnancy. Raspberry Leaf Tea is also a diuretic which causes increased urination. Great, as if women aren't having enough increased urination during pregnancy. Other reported side effects have been nausea and increased Braxton-Hicks contractions. I also found a pair of odd studies that suggested Raspberry Leaf Tea could possibly have multi-generational effects. Yeah, like it could actually affect your grandkids kind of thing. And it could even possibly have effects on your baby later in life like growth restrictions. Both of these studies were done on rats and these are the only studies on this subject, so it's still very much up for debate on this possibility. As with many herbs, Raspberry Leaf Tea can affect other medications. So because of this and other potential issues, it's always best to consult your doctor and or your midwife if you're pregnant when looking to drink Raspberry Leaf Tea. To learn about another tea that's great during pregnancy, watch this video next. Please be kind, take care of each other, and hopefully your babies grow up to be decent, loving individuals. Isn't that nice?