Comfrey is King

I first made the acquaintance of comfrey on a yearlong SHIFT programme in Practical Sustainability and Permaculture. We discussed its properties as a fertiliser and comfrey’s ability to enrich soil by ferrying nitrogen way below the surface in one of the very early sessions.  Asked to state one thing we took home from the session at the end of the day, I spontaneously said “Comfrey is King!” And I hadn’t even learned about its medicinal prowess yet!

This is a plant that has been used throughout history to heal injuries. Its common name “knitbone” points to its remarkable ability to speed up cell generation, and thereby the rate at which fractured bones reset and open wounds close. It is so effective that one of my lecturers during my training as a herbalist warned only to apply it on thoroughly cleaned wounds, as the skin might close very quickly, enclosing any dirt particles - advice I have not put to the test yet. For the most part, I use comfrey oil in my muscle and joint rub, which I use liberally for minor insult to my tendons and muscles if I have overdone my runs (or under stretched!)

The constituents primarily responsible for its healing properties are allantoin. Comfrey does, however, also contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which can be very damaging to the liver. Both root and leaves are used medicinally, but since the PAs are far more concentrated in the root, oils, tinctures or decoctions containing comfrey root should only be used externally.