Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Smoking-related oral cell damage¹ Barrett's esophagus oxidative stress² Metabolic syndrome lipids³ Endothelial function³ Systemic inflammation markers³	Pregnancy or nursing⁴ Under age 18⁴

Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) is a berry rich in anthocyanins and ellagitannins, which gut microbes convert to urolithins⁵. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity drives supplementation for cancer chemoprevention in smokers and in Barrett's esophagus, and for cardiometabolic risk markers in metabolic syndrome.

A 2025 phase 0 study in smokers found black raspberry lozenges reduced tobacco-carcinogen genetic damage in buccal cells¹. A 2023 review of human studies in oral leukoplakia listed dried black raspberry among topical agents tested and judged the evidence for chemopreventive agents limited⁶. Many products listing black raspberry are sold in the United States, mostly as capsules and powders, while trials use lozenges, confections, and nectars; see Form comparison⁷.

Safety reporting is sparse beyond a prostate cancer study that detected no significant toxicities⁵. The pregnancy and nursing warnings are manufacturer labeling, not trial findings, and some labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with kidney or liver disease⁴.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

34 sources, 25 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources