Is comfrey really toxic?
Comfrey has toxic substances that can cause severe liver damage and even death. The toxic substances in comfrey can be absorbed by the skin. Even creams and ointments should be used for only a short time, and only under a doctor’s supervision. DO NOT use comfrey on open wounds or broken skin.
How much comfrey tea should I drink?
The average adult human would probably need to ingest 20,000 comfrey leaves to produce a comparative dose. Assuming 3 dried leaves of comfrey per cup of leaf tea, this equates to drinking 6,666 cups of tea.
Is comfrey a carcinogen?
Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are both hepatotoxic and carcinogenic (13), and there is extensive literature concerning hepatotoxicity with use of oral comfrey (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10).
Is comfrey safe for skin?
In a nutshell Overall, comfrey is beneficial to all skin types; it helps to moisturise and soothe dry irritated skin, promotes rapid skin-cell growth, contributes to skin renewal, protects against bacteria and other microorganisms, reduces inflammation and helps to keep skin healthy.
Can comfrey be used internally?
Comfrey is not recommended for internal use because of the liver damage caused by its pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Patients with hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to the plant should also avoid external use.
What is comfrey leaf tea good for?
Comfrey is used as a tea for upset stomach, ulcers, heavy menstrual periods, diarrhea, bloody urine, persistent cough, painful breathing (pleuritis), bronchitis, cancer, and chest pain (angina). It is also used as a gargle for gum disease and sore throat.
Does comfrey contain B12?
Comfrey is also rich in many nutrients including protein, antioxidant vitamins, and vitamin B12 (Rode, 2002).
Is comfrey illegal in Australia?
Comfrey can be used for animal feed in small quantities only – the toxic chemicals that caused comfrey to be temporarily banned in Australia and New Zealand for a short period of time (7 Dec 2015-1 March 2016) can affect animals.
What are the side effects of comfrey tea?
This is because the potential benefits could be easily outweighed by the serious side effects of drinking this herbal tea. Comfrey contains a substance called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that is considered toxic for the liver. Serious damage to the liver could even when drinking small amounts of this tea.
Is comfrey safe to use?
The Natural Medicine Database suggests that comfrey is possibly safe for most people when applied to unbroken skin in small amounts for less than 10 days. But they add that comfrey is likely unsafe when taken by mouth or when it is applied to broken skin. They also advise pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid using it topically or by mouth. 5
Can you use comfrey tea externally?
Even when using comfrey tea just externally, you should still take some care to use it properly. For example, be careful when handling the leaves of this plant as they have hairs that can irritate the skin. Comfrey is known for its ability to quickly mend skin tissue; this is why you should be very careful when applying it to deep wounds.
Why is comfrey tea banned?
As an internal remedy, comfrey tea has been banned due to its potential side effects. Comfrey tea is also the way gardeners commonly refer to the liquid organic fertilizer made with the leaves of this herb.