Native to England and a member of the rose family, Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) shrubs grow wild along roadsides and in thickets throughout many parts of the world. The ancient Greeks, Chinese, Indians and American Indians used Raspberry for its health properties. The roots were also used as a vegetable– boiled and eaten like turnips. In the 1940’s, renewed interest in Raspberry resulted in a published study in the British medical journal, The Lancet, supporting the traditional use of the Raspberry. Over the next 30 years, several other studies confirmed this finding, and today, physicians in England and Europe recommend a number of Raspberry preparations.