The Comfrey Plant and Roots

The Comfrey Plant and Roots

Comfrey is a veritable medicine cabinet, an herb whose amazing healing powers have been known and appreciated for centuries. Comfrey belongs to the same family of plants as touch-me-nots. It is a native of Europe and some parts of Asia, and also found to grow in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It is often seen growing in the wild along river banks.

With thick, fleshy roots and stems overflowing with sticky mucilage, it has large, wide leaves covered with short bristly hair that are fused to the stem running down along it as if unwilling to let go, and could almost be interpreted as a sign of its powers of cohesion and joining. Because that was exactly its use in folk medicine; to mend bones, heal wounds to put a stop to heavy bleeding, even that occurring inside the body due to internal injury.

In fact, its name comes from con firma, which is Latin for "bone uniting". It was even hailed as curing stomach and intestine ailments such as ulcers and gastrointestinal inflammations; tea steeped from its leaf was consumed for digestive benefits.

It is remarkably hardy and easy to grow, so much so that you might have more trouble if you wanted to get rid of it once you plant it in your garden! A new plant will spring out from almost any cut part of the plant.

However, some researches have shown that comfrey contains substances that may cause liver damage if used in large quantities and over a long period of time. Even though this research has been challenged in some circles as being faulty and inconclusive, even so their consumption in the form of food or herbal medicine is not recommended until the matter is investigated more and proper scientific conclusions have been drawn.

References:
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/comfre92.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/comfrey.html
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_health/22632
“Complete Earth Medicine Handbook” by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi

** POPULAR WEIGHT LOSS ARTICLES **

Why do people experience dramatic weight loss while juice fasting?

The main benefit offered by a juice fast, to those who wish to lose weight, is the speed of the weight loss. Click on juice fasting for weight loss to read the article.

Are Negative Calorie Foods for Real?

Create your own weight loss recipes from some of the negative calorie foods on this free list:
Negative calorie foods to lose weight