Fu Pen Zi | Fructus Rubi | Chinese Raspberry Fruit
Properties: sweet, astringent, neutral
Channels: kidney, liver
This powerful little berry holds the ability to augment qi, lighten the body, and restore what has been separated by strengthening both yin and yang. Known in Chinese medicine as Fu Pen Zi (Chinese raspberry), this herb is often included in formulas that support lower jiao conditions—essentially anything happening below the belly button. Think urinary incontinence, impotence, low back pain—and even vision, due to the energetic channels it enters.
You might be familiar with the leaf of the raspberry plant, commonly used in Western herbalism as red raspberry leaf tea. It's widely available and often recommended for PMS or even to help ripen the cervix before childbirth. But in Chinese medicine, we use the berry itself—Fu Pen Zi—for many of the same benefits, but with deeper effects on the body’s energy systems.
In our yoni steam, we include the whole Fu Pen Zi fruit for its rich bioactive compounds:
- Phenolic acids
- Flavonoids
- Anthocyanins
- Diterpenoid glucosides
Together, these give Fu Pen Zi its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor qualities. One compound in particular—rosmarinic acid—has drawn attention for its ability to induce apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells, highlighting just how medicinal this berry can be.
Fu Pen Zi is also astringent, which makes it useful for toning the tissues, especially in cases like urinary incontinence or loss of jing, our vital essence. When used in a yoni steam, the body absorbs these medicinal properties through the warmth and moisture of herbal steam—gently penetrating the tissues to support the natural cleansing process during menstruation or to moisturize and nourish the cervix during and after menopause.
We designed our yoni steam to be used both before and after bleeding to help regulate the cycle. And for women who are no longer cycling, this steam remains just as relevant—offering deep nourishment, moisture, and a way to retain the body’s core vitality.
Fu Pen Zi is referenced in the classical Chinese medicine text “Discussion of Medicinal Properties” for its ability to govern infertility. (Bensky et al., 2004) While fertility is a nuanced topic we’ll explore more deeply in another blog post, Fu Pen Zi’s strong relationship with the kidneys—the root of reproductive energy in Chinese medicine—makes it a potent ally for conception and reproductive health.
Whether you’re cycling or not, Fu Pen Zi in our yoni steam helps soothe, restore moisture, and support a woman through every phase of life. Most importantly, yoni steaming is a ritual—an invitation to tune into your body and connect with your womb, the sacred space of feminine wisdom, in a way that meditation alone often cannot reach.
If you’d like to learn more about yoni steaming read our longer blog post here. And if you’re ready to open to the world of yoni steaming, you can purchase our yoni steam here.
Citations:
Bensky, D., Clavey, S., & Stöger, E. (2004). Chinese herbal medicine : materia medica. Eastland Press, Cop.
Chen, C., Liu, Y., Shen, Y., Zhu, L., Yao, L., Wang, X., Zhang, A., Li, J., Wu, J., & Qin, L. (2023). Rosmarinic acid, the active component of Rubi Fructus, induces apoptosis of SGC-7901 and HepG2 cells through mitochondrial pathway and exerts anti-tumor effect. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 396(12), 3743–3755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-023-02552-z
Mirosława Chwil, Matraszek-Gawron, R., & Mikołaj Kostryco. (2023). Rubi idaei fructus as a Source of Bioactive Chemical Compounds with an Important Role in Human Health and Comparison of the Antioxidant Potential of Fruits and Juice of Three Repeat-Fruiting Rubus idaeus L. Cultivars. Metabolites, 13(11), 1124–1124. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13111124