HEALING HERB

EASY-TO-GROW COMFREY IS AN AGE-OLD TOPICAL MEDICINE BUT IT CAN BE TOXIC IF INGESTED AND HARD TO CONTROL IN THE GARDEN

Jennifer Stackhouse

Comfrey is a very clever plant with many great attributes, but it does have a dark side. Both the leaves and roots have been used medicinally for centuries and its common names knitbone and boneset provide a clue to one of its uses: it was applied as a poultice around broken bones to help heal the break. It’s also useful for healing wounds, reducing bruising and alleviating back pain. It has a long tradition as a medication taken to treat pain and inflammation. As for its dark side, comfrey is now known to contain toxins (pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that damage the liver and can cause death, so it should not be ingested. Indeed, the use of comfrey for any internal therapy is prohibited in Australia. Even topical applications may over time…

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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, 15.4

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