Comfrey

It is strange to hear modern doctors ask "What is comfrey?" when traditional herbalists have used preparations of the comfrey herb for centuries.
Comfrey is one of the oldest recorded herbs, with recordings of its use to prevent bleeding, aid in digestive disorders and help with healing dating back to 400 BC. The plant is grown in most of Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States and comfrey plant is used as feed for pigs, sheep and chickens, but is not a common crop grown in most areas. Comfrey grown today is typically for herbal and medicinal uses, although there is ongoing research that there may be danger of comfrey including potential liver problems or even cancerous diseases linked to prolonged or excessive use of comfrey tea as a ingested herbal tea or supplement.

There is much evidence that comfrey as a topical application in comfrey slaves and lotions or an aloe comfrey gel is effective in speeding up healing. Comfrey application on areas of damaged skin, broken bones or bruises will dramatically increase the rate of skin repair, largely due to the compound allantoin. Comfrey can also be used to treat burns, aid in acne treatment and manage rashes and other skin conditions. There are several options for a comfrey cream – recipe or recipes can be found on the internet

Growing comfrey is relatively simple. All that is required is a well fertilized, semi-dry area in direct sunlight. The plants should be planted at least two feet apart as they will spread rapidly once they are established. Plant comfrey in the spring, but do not harvest the first year. Keep the plants well watered until the comfrey root system is very well established, then they can tolerate short periods of drought. The comfrey leaf and stems can be harvested the second year, however be careful when handling the plant as the stems are covered with fine hairs that are irritating to the skin. Since comfrey spreads by the roots, the comfrey seed can be harvest without fear of preventing further growth and spread of the plants.

Since, as mentioned earlier, there are some potentially cancerous alkaloids found in the comfrey plant, applications should be limited. Fresh comfrey root cuttings should only be handled with gloves to avoid having the high concentration of alkaloids directly touching the skin. Pregnant or nursing women should not use any products with comfrey in them.