Comfrey - Symphytum officinale
Comfrey
Botanical name: Symphytum officinale
Common name:
Comfrey, Blackwort, bruisewort, healing herb, slippery root, wallwort, gum plant, knitback, nipbone, knitbone
Comfrey’s Latin name means ’to heal’ or ‘boil together’. In Greek the name means ‘growing together’ or ‘unite’.
Family:
Boraginaceae
Parts used:
Leaf
root
Native region:
Europe & Asia
Constituents:
Tannins
Phenolic acids
Vitamins:
A
B
C
E
Mucilage
Minerals:
Calcium
Potassium
Phosphorus
Iron
Magnesium
Actions:
Anti-inflammatory
Astringent
Demulcent
Expectorant
Mucilaginous
Nutritive
pectoral
Static
Vulnerary
Energetics:
Cooling
Moistening
Taste:
Mild, bitter
Dosage and safety:
*FDA does not recommend ingesting Comfrey*
Tincture: 2-4 ml 3x a day
Decoction w/roots: 1-3 teaspoons for every 1 cup of water, let it steep for 10-20 minutes. Drink 3x a day
Should be taken for short periods of time with breaks every couple days. Do not take for more than 3 weeks at a time
Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women
Not recommended for people with liver disorders
Not recommended for babies & children
Do not use on new wounds or deep cuts. Top layer of skin may close up prior to the total healing of deeper tissue.
Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) which are potentially harmful to the liver. Russian and European comfrey plants contain higher amounts of PAs than comfrey grown in the U.S.
Traditional use:
Pultices are used for wounds, sprains, sores and inflammation. Crush up the leaf and apply it to the affected area.
Internally as a demulcent
Externally as a vulnerary
Topical for diaper rash
Anti-cancer use in European folk herbalism
For hiatus hernias and stomach ulcers, combine with chamomile and meadowsweet
Arthritis
Bunions
Dry skin
Bruising
Inflammation
Bronchitis
References:
The illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies C. Norman Shealy
Back to Eden Jethro Kloss
Herbally Yours Penny C. Royal
Medical Herbalism, David Hoffman
Making Plant Medicine Ricoh Cech
