And other herbs, pharmaceuticals, and lifestyle choices may also have an effect on your body’s ability to resist potential damage from PAs. Johnson, Rebecca L., Steven Foster, and Andrew Weil. This spicy root is also good for mitigating obesity and relief from menstrual pain. Even though this plant contains poisonous chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), the leaf, root, and root-like stem (rhizome) are used to make medicine. Apply the oil liberally to aches, pains, injuries, or other areas as desired. Toxicities/Warnings: Ingestion of comfrey is controversial and may be harmful to the liver. That’s amazing, Maija! However, you should not use comfrey on a deep puncture wound. Just cut it down and let it decompose on the ground to nourish your other plants. You can make a comfrey poultice with the leaf or the root. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_922777_29').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_922777_29', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [5, 5], }); The cornea of the eye is often said to be the fastest-healing tissue in the human body. Susan has said before that Syphytum uplandica x (which she refers to as cultivated comfrey and other refer to as Russian comfrey) has no PAs in its leaves. It’s such a great plant. Comfrey will tolerate cold well and will come back after deep, icy winters. He co-founded the literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and now serves as the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado. Comfrey can help minimize scaring, and may even be useful for fading established scars.17)Hoffmann, David. Unfortunately, comfrey bears a stigma. Label the jar, and place it in a dark, warm location for at least 2 weeks, although more time is better. 1. Hello to you from Southwest Colorado, USA! Comfrey tea is prepared by steeping the dried leaves of the comfrey plant, which bears the scientific name Symphytum officinale. Accessed September 21, 2019. https://herbmentor.learningherbs.com/herb/comfrey/#marker-1080-14. But I also put it in a less hospitable area. Let the tea cool if making a cold compress, or use it right away (at a comfortable temperature) for a warm compress. World of Comfrey! Fascinating that the author never tells us what part of the plant contain the most problematic jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_922777_33').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_922777_33', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [5, 5], }); On the other end of the spectrum, horses appear to be very sensitive to PAs. Comfrey is an herb that grows in temperate areas of western Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. So is comfrey safe to use internally or not? However, their levels of PAs are significantly higher. After two weeks, strain out the herbs and rebottle the oil. Do you have any comfrey stories or formulas you’d like to share? Comfrey poultices are excellent for wounds, sores, bruises, bites, pain, arthritis, and even broken bones. As you can see, it get a bit dizzying after a while. I don’t know where you live, but I think David the Good tried to grow it in Florida. “How to Love Thistles When You’ve Been Hurt Before”, “From Dinner to Detox: 15+ Ways to Get Healthy With Cleavers”, “19 Benefits of Hibiscus: Blood Pressure Regulator, Cancer Fighter, Liver Protector, and Much More!”. It is a source of nourishment for other flowers and vegetables. add leaves and plants to my compost pile. For a hot infusion, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of comfrey and let it steep for around 10 minutes, until it is cool enough to drink. Comfrey’s healing abilities are so powerful that John Parkinson, a 17th-century herbalist, said if you boiled comfrey in a pot with pieces of flesh, the comfrey would rejoin the flesh together.1)Forêt, Rosalee de la. The many health benefits of comfrey. Glad you enjoyed it. Strain out the herb after 10-15 minutes. Hi to everybody from Maija, the winterbiker. We do not always react to chemicals in the same ways. If your seeds won’t grow even in a controlled environment, you may have Russian comfrey (Symphytum uplandica x Symphytum officinale). Accessed September 21, 2019. https://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/comfrey-oil.aspx. Lay out a cloth and pour the mixture onto it. Medical Herbalism the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Images are provided by Shutterstock & our contributors. Medical Herbalism the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Some allow for short-term internal use with mature leaves, but never the root. Topical comfrey use is extremely well tolerated, even on broken skin. Panic spreads much faster than prudence or careful research, and soon comfrey had fallen out of favor. But I’m only human. Accessed September 21, 2019. https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/1087997/pages/comfrey-monograph?module_item_id=11302739. Leaves can be harvested at any time they are present, but are best when large and mature. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1308981. As much as I enjoy Susan, I want to be fair and to acknowledge that other opinions on comfrey do exist. It’s seeds are sterile. Accessed September 21, 2019. https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/1087997/pages/comfrey-monograph?module_item_id=11302739. . Use 1-3 teaspoons of dried comfrey root per 1 cup of water. He discovered that boiled comfrey roots yielded a substance that could bind meat together.2)Johnson, Rebecca L., Steven Foster, and Andrew Weil. “Comfrey.” HerbMentor. Symphytum is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. “Efficacy of a Comfrey Root Extract Ointment in Comparison to a Diclo-Fenac Gel in the Treatment of Ankle Distortions: Results of an Observer-Blind, Randomized, Multicenter Study.” Phytomedicine 12, no. Surprisingly, some may not have any PAs at all.34)Hoffmann, David. Heat this with a double boiler and stir until the wax is thoroughly incorporated. Comfrey tea is also the way gardeners commonly refer to the liquid organic fertilizer made with the leaves of this herb. If I’m to harvest potatoes and plant pumpkins, I need a plan of action, a multipronged, throw‑everything-at-it approach: chiropractor, shiatsu massage, if necessary, painkillers – and comfrey. Fun Facts about Comfrey. I hope you’re having a wonderful day! Add 1 teaspoon of dried comfrey leaves to a teapot or infuser. She’s an excellent herbalist with a lot of good information to share, and I would encourage anyone to go and see what she has to say! The leaf hairs are actually a bit on the prickly side and can occasionally get stuck in your skin. Ingestion of comfrey is controversial, with views ranging from “it’s harmless” to “it’s too dangerous to ever use internally.” The issue centers around pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Remember, drinking isn’t the only thing you can do with comfrey tea. The top health benefits of comfrey tea include the following: This herbal tea contains a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, copper, cobalt, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, E, C, and various B vitamins. 8,9,10,11 You can read more about these case studies here. So I think we’re in agreement there. There have been rare instances when certain rice noodle brands may contain gluten. However, some people have apparently eaten comfrey without issue. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2006.11.006. i keep it at bay in some places. “Comfrey Monograph.” The Homegrown School of Botanical Medicine. This would indicate that multiple phytochemicals, or likely the interaction of various phytochemicals, play an important role in the effectiveness of comfrey.19)Forêt, Rosalee de la. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2006.11.006. I would suggest obtaining a root division from a knowledgable and reliable grower instead of attempting to grow from seed. It was the dried leaves we used to make the poultice. Learn how your comment data is processed. That’s why I mostly avoided this topic. Usually it is the roots of the comfrey plant that are used to make comfrey tea, which can come with various benefits for the health of the body. Gloves will help you avoid the scratchy leaf hairs, but are not required. Nevertheless, the topic of comfrey consumption is a heated debate, with herbalists taking positions on all sides. The NPK ratio (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) of dried comfrey leaves is 1.8-0.5-5.3. You can stack several of these on top of each other and have them ready as needed. By harvesting the leaves and letting them break down, you’ll have a rich, dark, nutrient-rich plant food to use around the garden. by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) And hello from the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, USA! “Comfrey Monograph.” The Homegrown School of Botanical Medicine. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, mainly due to its compound curcumin, is responsible for weight loss. Average rating 4.4 out of 5.0 based on 25 user(s). Not only does it speed up recovery on the surface level, but the primary constituent, allantoin, penetrates into the tissues of the body to speed healing of sprains, strains, and even broken bones.13)“The Safe Ways To Use Comfrey Oil.” Mercola.com. The roots of leaves of the comfrey plant contain chemical substances called allantoin and rosmarinic acid. It can become a nuisance since it reproduces rapidly—even from just a tiny bit of root. The docktor was astonished how soon it recovered, in only 4 weeks. Some of these rats were later  shown to develop liver tumors.32)Jones, Patrick. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_922777_26').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_922777_26', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [5, 5], }); The urinary system can also benefit from internal use. It’s anti-inflammatory, demulcent, and astringent attributes combine to reduce swelling, soothe, protect, and tone inured, angry tissues.23)Pedersen, Mark. Dilute the comfrey tea with plain water at a ratio of at least 3:1, and up to 10:1, and then use diluted tea to water plants in your garden. That’s a great comfrey story! Comfrey Tea Benefits Comfrey tea is rich in nutrients, specifically in nitrogen and potassium. Comfrey Tea Put comfrey leaves and water into a container and allow the mixture to stand for 3 days to 5 weeks. We must also consider lifestyle choices, pharmaceutical use, and pre-existing conditions. In addition to tannins, saponins, and other antioxidants, this tea can help the body initiate its healing processes, and stimulate the regrowth of certain parts of the body, such as bone matter and even your teeth! Comfrey poultices are fine to use with animals, too. With several family members suffering with severe arthritis I will make them up a roll on to help with the pain. Some give the full-strength brew to their plants. I appreciate your attention to both sides of the debate over hepatotoxicity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2005.06.001. Comfrey Tea Benefits | Livestrong.com The roots have 10 times higher amounts of PAs than the leaves. There are up to 35 species, known by the common name comfrey. Other look-alikes are wild comfrey (Cynoglossum virginianum) and houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale). Too many vitamins, too much sunshine, too much water, and too much breathing. If you’re sure you will only use it topically, you can save money by using rubbing alcohol instead of more expensive choices, like vodka. It’s still up for debate. However, care must be taken to ensure that you don't consume more than what's necessary as too much of it can adversely affect you. 4 (2018): 135–41. Let it sit out for a month or more until it smells like death warmed over. First, you will have to discard the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass stalks by peeling them away with your fingers. And you’ve gotta keep those chickens happy! Comfrey is an amazing plant that can be used for so many things. Most famously, it is used to speed up and ensure proper healing of wounds. Compost Tea. The reason I don’t defer to her knowledge and experience exclusively is that, ultimately, she is just one person, and there are many other experienced herbalists with their own views on comfrey. Pigs were fed the same proportion of comfrey and had no ill effects.33)Jones, Patrick. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2003.p/note] Various preparation methods may impart greater or lesser levels of PAs. Comfrey has many benefits and is certainly worth the space it takes up in the garden. The most interesting health benefits of comfrey include its ability to reduce pain, eliminate inflammation, boost the immune system, promote growth, and strengthen bones. Some countries even banned its sale. You can combine comfrey oil and comfrey tea into one easy-to-use, super-smooth application. But proof of comfrey’s effectiveness is not limited to anecdotal evidence. Have used internally comfrey some decades ago having my right wrist broken (slightly), I bought it from apothek, root pieces and cooked tea of it. I found four case studies implicating comfrey ingestion in VOD. The nutrients and antioxidants in comfrey tea also help to treat inflammatory issues throughout the body and have even been known to improve tissue repair and regrowth. In all of these case studies, comfrey does appear to have caused problems, but there are also multiple confounding factors, such as concomitant use of hepato-toxic drugs and malnutrition. Susun Weed has used it in nourishing herbal infusions for years, and it seems to have not bothered her at all. And don’t forget that when you’re done making any of the medicinal applications above, you can use the leftover plant material as free fertilizer for your garden plants. “The Comfort of Comfrey: How ‘Knitbone’ Can Help Pain.” Dr. Axe, March 16, 2018. https://draxe.com/nutrition/herbs/comfrey/. 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