Comfrey leaves - Symphytum officinale folium 100 g

What is Comfrey?

Comfrey is a perennial herb that can be found in old gardens, probably because it is a good medicinal plant. The name comes from the old word vella, which means to join together, perhaps that is why it was already used in antiquity for broken bones or burns.

The leaves are dark green and rough, the bell-shaped sky-blue flowers emerge like a shell at the end of June. Currently, comfrey is only used externally due to the presence of many pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the herb, which are toxic and accumulate in the liver and can cause serious, even fatal, poisoning.

What are comfrey leaves good for?

The herb contains allantoin, mucus and alkaloids, acids - chlorogenic, caffeine, resins, starch, sucrose, asparagine and others. It also contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids in an amount of up to 0.32%, including: lasiocarpine (0.0058%) and heliosupine N-oxide.

*Comfrey leaves act in the same way as the root, but contain lower concentrations of alkaloids. Alkaloids have an astringent and soothing effect on irritation of the mucous membrane and outer layers of the body.

*Comfrey leaves are used externally for, among other things: burns, eczema, boils and hard-to-heal wounds. The herb is sometimes used to reduce swelling and swelling resulting from bodily injuries (fractures, sprains, muscle strains).

* The herb used externally in the form of compresses helps in the healing of bone, joint and muscle injuries.

*The plant can be used together with calendula, cornflower and lavender. The chilled herbal infusion can be used externally to wash the skin of people with dry and sensitive skin.

Tincture:

Pour 300 ml of 60% alcohol over 100 g of comfrey leaves. Set aside for 14 days. After two weeks, filter and pour into a bottle. Use externally to rub painful muscles and joints, to wash wounds, bruises and swelling.

Decoction

Pour 250 ml of water over 20-25 g of comfrey leaves and let it boil. Boil for a few minutes until large amounts of mucus are released. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, for 40 minutes. Fill a linen cloth with the paste and use it as a compress for joint and bone injuries, muscle and burns.

Ointment for wounds

Pour 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil over 100 g of comfrey leaves. Leave to ferment for 14 days. Strain the pulp after two weeks. Heat and melt 40 g of beeswax in a saucepan. Add 250 ml of castor oil and the strained comfrey mass and 20 drops of lavender oil. Mix everything very thoroughly. Pour into smaller jars, preferably of dark glass (if you don't have any, you can cover them with paper to protect the contents from light). Store the ointment in a dark, cool place. Use on skin wounds, bruises, swelling, joint swelling and fractures, etc.

Are there side effects with comfrey?

Due to the content of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, comfrey cannot be taken orally. Used externally in the form of ointments, creams, tinctures or compresses. Importantly, the herb should not be used on damaged skin, and the entire treatment should not last longer than six weeks in a year. Products containing comfrey are also not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as children under three years of age.