Comfrey: The Moistening Marvel with Remarkable Healing Powers
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is a remarkable perennial herb that has been revered in traditional medicine for centuries.
It’s energetics are cooling and moistening, although it’s not used internally often. Comfrey is used most often externally as an oil, a medicinal wash, tincture or poultice.
Coming from Europe and parts of Asia, this plant has earned a reputation for its potent moistening and healing properties.
Here’s a closer look at comfrey and the scientific evidence supporting its therapeutic claims.
Comfrey owes its magick to a lot of different compounds but there are two that stand out, allantoin and mucilage.
Allantoin is the superstar compound in comfrey. It plays a crucial role in the healing process. It stimulates cell proliferation, aiding in the speedy regeneration of tissues.
Think of your body as a brick and mortar building, with the cells being the bricks and the allantoin being the mortar. Comfrey helps rebuild or heal your body using Allantoin (mortar) to promote tissue regeneration and wound healing (putting the bricks back together).
Modern science has taken an interest in comfrey’s potential as a healing herb. And clinical trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in promoting wound healing, with allantoin being a key contributor.
Mucilage gives comfrey its moistening powers making it perfect for dry and dehydrated skin.
Comfrey’s mucilaginous nature is a game-changer when it comes to hydration. With its moisturizing properties, it’s great for skincare products as a natural solution for dry skin.
When used externally, comfrey-based preparations create a protective, moisturizing layer on the skin. This makes it especially effective for soothing dry, chapped skin and relieving discomfort caused by skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
And internally, its hydrating effects extend to mucous membranes, making it useful for addressing dryness in the respiratory and digestive tracts.
Studies have also looked at comfrey’s benefits in alleviating joint pain due to this moistening effect..
Its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties also make comfrey a potent ally.
It’s great used externally for reducing pain and inflammation associated with bruises, sprains, and other injuries. I use it as an infused oil for this, because it’s just so effective.
These days, it’s incorporated into a variety of topical products, like ointments and salves, because of it’s wound healing properties and it’s ability to reduce inflammation. A winning combination.
All of the attributes named above make it great for burns. An herbalist in Oregon, Kimberly Gallagher, makes a slurry of comfrey root and water in the blender. Freezes the slurry in a small cardboard juice box and then just slices off pieces as needed for burns. That’s a great way to keep it on hand.
Using Comfrey
Comfrey’s traditionally been used as a poultice for external wounds, and its effectiveness has been proven over and over.
Infusion is another popular method of extracting these beneficial properties. Infuse it in oils to create ointments and salves. Or make a tincture that can be use internally or as a topical application.
The Controversy surrounding comfrey
Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). This is a chemical that has been shown to cause damage to the liver when taken internally. The mature leaves of the plant contain the lowest amount of PAs, with the largest amount being found in young leaves and the root.
The studies that showed the most concern fed 6 week old rats 40% of their diet in comfrey. Some of those rats got liver tumors. In another study, pigs were fed comfrey as 40% of their diet. No lesions or ill effects of any kind were noted in the pigs.
While these PAs can be damaging to the liver when taken in large amounts, over long amounts of time, these types of tests tend to reduce the credibility of their results, in my personal opinion.
The human reports of injury that was contributed to comfrey were never shown to be due to the actual use of comfrey. It was only mentioned that the person had used comfrey in the past. The amounts used and details of use were never determined.
Precautions and Considerations:
Be that as it may, it’s recommended that anyone with liver issues of any kind and nursing or pregnant women avoid comfrey for internal use. And I tend to agree. And I would avoid any internal use for children.
In any instance, long term internal use is not recommended for anyone.
Another consideration is its ability to stimulate cell proliferation. You’ll want to be mindful of the cells or tissue you are stimulating.
ALWAYS ensure there is no infection present when using comfrey to help heal wounds. Never use comfrey on a puncture wound as you just can’t be sure that deep in that wound you have removed all bacteria that may be present. The healing power of comfrey is so profound, it will heal right over any infection and bacteria which may be left.
There are no precautions against it’s use externally otherwise.
Comfrey is a moistening marvel with remarkable healing powers. It continues to impress both traditional healers and modern researchers alike.
With its ability to moisturize and heal, it remains a potent herbal remedy for various skin and joint issues.
Remember to always be cautiously aware when using any kind of controversial herb, including comfrey. Do your research when deciding on how to use it.
Have you ever tried comfrey? If so, what did you think? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you have to say.
