Comfrey | Symphytum Officinalis

Comfrey, also known as knit bone, boneset and bruisewort, is in the boraginaceae family, like borage. It's a perennial plant that loves growing near water and damp soil. They produce beautiful, purple bell-shaped flowers. Gardeners grow comfrey and steep the leaves for a few weeks to use as fertilizer for vegetation. This is because the roots uptake nutrients from the soil and store them in the leaves which make great plant food. Some people even cook the leaves and eat them like any other leafy green.

Constituents:

• mucilage

• tannins

• silicic acid

• phenolic acid

• allantoin

• alkaloids

• B12

• vitamin A and C

• beta-sitosterol

• triterpenoids

• protein

• zinc

• resin

• pyrrolizidine

• chlorophyll

Medicinal Characteristics:

• anti-inflammatory

• expectorant

• astringent

• anti-hemorrhagic

• vulnerary

• cell proliferant (root)

• anti-rheumatic

• demulcent

• hemostatic

• promotes wound and tissue repair

• promotes bone repair

Parts used: roots (external used only) and leaves.

What Ailments Does Comfrey Help With?

Topically, comfrey is great for back pain, sore muscles, broken bones and sprains, torn ligaments, cuts, wounds, bruises, inflammation (phenolic compounds), and ulcers. It also helps soothes burns and minimizes scar formation. Internally, comfrey is used to help relieve diarrhea, hemorrhaging and coughs. The allantoin it contains is used as a cell proliferant to stimulate cell production, connective tissue (silicic acid compound), bone, cartilage and collagen. There is some controversy when it comes to using comfrey internally. This is mostly for people who have liver damage, are pregnant and or lactating. The alkaloids have been shown to cause veno-occlusive disease.