![]() Comfrey is viewed as aesthetically beautiful for its shape and colorful blooms in many parts of the world, and thus it is commonly used as an ornamental plant in gardens.įodder. In the Christian tradition, some believe comfrey to be one of the patriarchal herbs, present in the Garden of Eden alongside the first of humankind. Salves and other skin ointments that feature the herb, however, are still regarded as safe by a significant number of herbalists for treating osteoarthritis, a condition affecting more than 20 million people in the U.S. However, the plant remains popular as an ornamental plant and is greatly demanded in England for this purpose. Among certain areas of its largest markets, most notably Canada, the sale of all comfrey supplements and topical preparations was banned altogether, producing a significant toll on the industry. Economic Dataīecause recent research has suggested that comfrey should not be ingested, the importance of comfrey as a commercial crop has greatly diminished in recent years. The herb was brought to England for ornamental use at the turn of the 17 th century, from where it traveled to different British Imperial colonies and territories before spreading across the world. Through the Middle Ages, comfrey was deemed to be effective in treating everything from stomach ulcers to bronchitis, and Catholic monks frequently grew it in their gardens. The first empirical evidence of human use of comfrey dates back roughly 2,500 years to the herbalists of ancient Greece and Rome. Symphytum x uplandicum, or Russian comfrey, is actually a hybrid species that is a cross between S. asperum, or rough comfrey, has notably prickly foliage. ![]() ibericum, or dwarf comfrey, is the smallest variety, while S. They are primarily differentiated based on physical characteristics like size and texture: S. In addition, the seven other members of its genus also use the term as part of their nonscientific names. bocking, a sterile hybrid that doesn't self-seed. variegatum, which can be recognized by its leaves with white margins, and S. The first subspecies has two main varieties: S. Symphytum officinale is divided into two distinct subspecies, S. Blooms can range in color from white to pink to a deeper mauve, and the dense root system is sometimes harvested for medicinal use.Ī member of the Boraginaceae, or forget-me-not family, comfrey is classed with 2,000 other species of flowering shrubs, trees, and herbs, most notably borage ( Borago officinalis). Growing up to three feet (1 m) tall, its thick leaves and bell-like flowers are arranged on erect stalks that grow together in clusters. It should not be used for more than 10 consecutive days, and more no more than four to six weeks out of the year. and Canada.Ĭomfrey should not be given to children or applied to open wounds or broken skin. In addition, its use in supplements and other ingested products is discouraged worldwide and has been banned in both the U.S. However, it is still considered relatively safe for topical use when care is taken. Comfrey CautionsĬomfrey contains highly toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which is why its oral use is unsafe. Other herbs with wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties are achiote and calendula. The herb also has high concentrations of phenolic acids - notably rosmarinic acid. Comfrey's high levels of rosmarinic acid are responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce swelling, accelerating the healing process of bruises and contusions. It increases the water content of the body's organ tissues and stimulates the peeling of the upper layers of dead cells. Allantoin is a very potent cell-growth stimulator and after being applied triggers near-immediate cell proliferation. 1Ĭomfrey's primary active compound is allantoin. ![]() It has also been shown to be effective reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Comfrey helps relieve the pain and swelling of contusions and sprains. Comfrey is considered effective for healing broken bones and bruises. Although comfrey has been used for a wider range of maladies throughout history, modern research that has been done thus far supports the potential use of topical comfrey preparations for the following purposes:
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