How and where comfrey grows. Comfrey officinalis: application for joints and medicinal properties

Date: 07.04.2019

“Your works are wonderful, Lord!” I recalled these words from a biblical parable when I visited several forums about plants on the Internet. One of them sounded a cry for help: “My mother is sick. For its treatment, comfrey roots are urgently needed, I beg you, help me get them. ” And then the responses rained down:

"Comfrey is growing in my garden, ready to send, tell me the mailing address."
"Comfrey grows behind my garden", etc.

What kind of miracle is this, I thought, and decided to find out.

The first information, and this is understandable, was about how much the unknown and amazing presents to us the immense world of plants and how much more will present. It is impossible to grasp the immensity, but at least to touch it is very interesting, useful and necessary, which we will try to do now. So, in Latin comfrey is called Symphytum - fused, because the underground parts of the plant have long been used as a remedy for bone fractures.

Comfrey is mentioned already in the 10th century in the famous medical poem of the French scientist and doctor Odo from Men "On the properties of herbs": “The root, which was perfectly boiled in hot plums, mixed with honey, heals fractures and tears ... If someone doubts that he has so much strength in the comfrey, let him prepare the crushed roots with boiled meat ... You will help the broken bones or crushed bones with medicine. If comfrey and pepper and honey are drunk when mixed with wine, then tears and wounds are treated with this application. The bone that has broken is held together by grass with salve ointment. ”. Readers should immediately be warned that comfrey treatment should be treated very carefully, since in addition to many substances useful to the body, it also contains toxic substances.

On the history of the spread of comfrey species

As an ornamental plant, hard comfrey was grown in the St. Petersburg Botanical Garden as early as the 18th century. The court gardener D. Bush sent his seeds to England, saying that these are seeds of a garden-decorative comfrey. In England, comfrey was very quickly appreciated as an excellent fodder plant and began to actively grow it. At the beginning of the XIX century. it turned out that this is the same species that grows in the Caucasus, i.e. comfrey hard. Comfrey came from England to many countries, not only to Europe, but also to the USA, Japan, New Zealand.

And in England they began to grow another type of comfrey - a foreign comfrey. This species is very close to the comfrey hard, but differs in less hard pubescence. Some botanists do not recognize it as a separate species, according to others, this species is a hybrid between a hard comfrey and a medicinal comfrey. In England, this species was called the Russian comfrey, it was especially appreciated as fodder for poultry and pigs and as an excellent material for compost, including liquid fertilizer from the infusions of its greens, and was recommended to be grown on small farms - in small areas, along fences, near buildings, in wastelands. Particularly increased interest in him during the Second World War. And in 1953, Lawrence D. Hills’s book, Russian Comfrey. One hundred tons per acre of livestock feed or compost for a farm, garden or small farm. ”

There is information that in Russia, when the Pharmaceutical Order was organized in Moscow in the 17th century and the “pharmaceutical gardens” were broken, 20 pounds of comfrey roots (from Polotsk and Smolensk) were brought there for breeding. As a fodder plant comfrey began to be grown in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. And at the end of the 19th century, comfrey was actively carried away in many Russian farms, especially in those that were conducted according to the English model. Much has been written about comfrey in agricultural journals of the time.

In old abandoned estates, even now you can find comfrey with blue flowers, planted at the end of the XIX century, but already run wild. In the USSR, work with comfrey as a forage crop was started in the 30s. The starting material for the work was samples from the collection of the All-Union Institute of Plant Production, obtained from England and called hard comfrey. This comfrey is characterized by high productivity, winter hardiness, grows well after mowing. The crop of green mass in different areas of cultivation can be from 300 to 1000 centners per hectare. Green mass is characterized by a high content of protein, vitamins and other beneficial substances. Comfrey can be used as a green food, and for the preparation of silage, grass meal and liquid fertilizer. It can grow in one place for more than 10 years without compromising productivity. It seems to us expedient to dwell in more detail on comfrey. We make a reservation that all information about the healing properties of comfrey and its use is not random, but taken from sources approved by medical scientists.

Family borax, popular names: visa grass, fat root, cucumber grass, bone marrow. A perennial herbaceous hairy plant with a branchy winged stalk.

The leaves are alternate, large, harsh, oblong-lanceolate, with a protruding network of veins below.

The flowers are small, tubular-bell-shaped, purple-violet, collected in inflorescences-curls. Five stamens adhered to the corolla, pistil with upper four-lobed ovary.

Fruits - large black shiny nuts, located four in a cup of flower.

The leaves, when rubbed, have a faint cucumber smell.

The roots are black, fractured whitish, their taste is sweet, slimy, slightly astringent.

Plant height 60 - 90 cm. Flowering time May - August. It occurs almost throughout the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Western Siberia, Central Asia. It grows among shrubs, in gardens, in humid places along the banks of rivers, streams and in flood meadows. For medicinal purposes, roots that are harvested in spring or late autumn are used. Comfrey roots contain starch, sugar, a lot of mucous substances, tannins, asparagine, alkaloids cinoglossin and laziokarpin, glyoxyldiurend allantoin, digallic acid and traces of essential oil. The plant, as already noted, is poisonous.

Application

There is evidence of its potential carcinogenicity.

Comfrey is widely used in folk medicine in various countries as an internal and external remedy. Mucous broth and infusion of fresh roots reduce and stop inflammatory processes, reduce and relieve pain, kill many germs, stop bleeding and heal purulent wounds. An infusion of comfrey roots has an astringent and emollient effect. Infusion and decoction of the roots also has the remarkable property of enhancing the regeneration (restoration) of various tissues, dulling pain and contributing to the rapid fusion of bones in fractures.

In Russian and German traditional medicine, an aqueous infusion of roots is used for gastrointestinal diseases: diarrhea, dysentery, chronic intestinal catarrh, gastric and intestinal ulcers, chronic catarrh of the respiratory organs with copious sputum production, with hemoptysis, bleeding, paralysis. And as external - with inflammation of the veins, periosteum, and especially with bone fractures and dislocations, pain in amputated stumps and sciatica. Comfrey is used internally and for various skin diseases, ulcers and wounds with simultaneous external use.

Comfrey roots infusion is used for baths, washes, and compresses for fractures and dislocations, bruises, joint pains, scrofula, various skin diseases, and especially for treating old, poorly healing wounds and ulcers. The root powder serves as a hemostatic agent for nasal and other external bleeding. Alcohol tincture of the roots is used for anti-inflammatory and analgesic compresses. For bone fractures, rheumatic and gouty pains, wounds and ulcers, ointment from the roots is used. Internal use of comfrey as a poisonous plant requires caution.

Application methods

Two teaspoons of fresh comfrey roots, insist 8 hours in 1.5 cups of cooled boiled water, strain. The resulting residue of the roots should be insisted for half an hour in a half glasses of boiling water, strain. Both infusions mix together. Take a quarter cup 4 to 6 times a day before meals. Drink each serving in small sips.
Mix one part of fresh or dry root with two parts of bee honey. Take one teaspoon 3 times a day before meals for 7 days.
Heat three tablespoons of the roots for half an hour in a liter of water in a closed vessel over low heat, without boiling, leave for 4 hours, strain. Use for baths, rinses and compresses.
Grind two tablespoons of fresh roots with two tablespoons of unsalted lard, use as an ointment.

Breeding

The plant propagates by seeds, possibly self-sowing and dividing the bush in the spring and in August; it is not demanding on soils, it does not get sick, it is cold-resistant. Seeds can be sown in spring, but they show better germination when sowing in the winter.

March madness - this is how those who grow seedlings of their favorite vegetables themselves perceive the first calendar month of spring. In March, favorite tomatoes and peppers are sown, the first crops in the greenhouse and even sown vegetables in the beds. Growing seedlings require not only timely diving, but also considerable care. But only her efforts are not limited. It is worth continuing to sow in greenhouses and window sills, because fresh greens from the beds will not appear so soon.

With the approach of spring, indoor plants gradually come out of their dormant state and start growing. After all, already in February the day becomes significantly longer, and the sun warms up completely in the spring. How to help flowers wake up and prepare them for the growing season? What should I look for and what measures should I take to ensure that the plants are healthy, bloom, multiply and delight? We will talk about what indoor plants expect from us in the spring in this article.

One of the most important rules for growing strong and healthy seedlings is the presence of the “correct” soil mixture. Typically, gardeners for growing seedlings use two options: either purchased soil mix, or made independently from several components. And in fact, and in another case, the fertility of the soil for seedlings, to put it mildly, is doubtful. So, seedlings will require additional nutrition from you. In this article, we will talk about simple and effective top dressing for seedlings.

After a decade of dominance in the catalogs of original variegated and vibrant varieties of tulips, trends began to change. At the exhibitions, the best designers of the world offer to remember the classics and give honor to the charming white tulips. Sparkling under the warm rays of the spring sun, they look in the garden in a special festive way. Meeting the spring after a long wait, the tulips seem to remind that white is not only the color of snow, but also the joyful triumph of flowering.

Despite the fact that cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables, the cultivation of its seedlings is not obtained for all summer residents, especially for beginners. In an apartment, it’s hot and dark. In this case, it is impossible to obtain high-quality seedlings. And without strong, healthy seedlings, it is difficult to count on a good harvest. Gardeners with experience know that it is better to sow cabbage for seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses. And some even grow cabbage by direct sowing of seeds into the ground.

Florists are tirelessly discovering new indoor plants for themselves, replacing some with others. And here the conditions of a particular room are of no small importance, because the requirements for their content in plants are different. Lovers of beautifully flowering plants often face difficulties. Indeed, for flowering to be long and plentiful, such specimens require special care. Unpretentious plants blooming in the rooms are not very many, and one of them is streptocarpus.

Cordon Blue chicken rolls with bechamel sauce is an excellent dish for a festive table and daily meal! It is prepared simply and quickly, it turns out juicy, and also thick bechamel sauce - you will lick your fingers! With mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers and a slice of fresh bread, you will get a hearty and tasty dinner. Cheese for this recipe, choose according to your taste, can be processed, can with blue mold. It is important that the cheese and ham be sliced very thinly, this is the secret to success!

Calendula (marigolds) - a flower that stands out among others for its bright color. Low bushes with delicate orange inflorescences can be found on the side of the road, in the meadow, in the front garden next to the house or even in beds with vegetables. Calendula is so widespread in our area that it seems that it has always grown here. For interesting decorative varieties of calendula, as well as the use of calendula in cooking and medicine, read our article.

I think many will agree that the wind is well perceived by us only in a romantic aspect: we are sitting in a cozy warm house, and the wind is raging outside the window ... In fact, the wind that walks around our sites is a problem and there is nothing good in it. Creating windbreaks with the help of plants, we break a strong wind into several weak currents and significantly weaken its destructive force. How to protect the site from the wind will be discussed in this article.

Shrimp and avocado sandwich for breakfast or dinner is easy to make! This breakfast contains almost all the necessary products that will recharge you with energy so that before lunch you don’t want to, and extra centimeters will not appear on your waist. This is the most delicious and easy sandwich, after, perhaps, the classic sandwich with cucumber. This breakfast contains almost all the necessary products that will recharge you with energy so that before lunch you do not want to.

Modern ferns are those rare plants of antiquity that, despite the elapsed time and all kinds of cataclysms, not only survived, but in many ways were able to maintain their former appearance. In the indoor format, of course, it is not possible to grow any of the representatives of ferns, but some species have successfully adapted to life and indoors. They look great as single plants or decorate a group of decorative leafy flowers.

Pilaf with pumpkin and meat - Azerbaijani pilaf, which differs from the traditional eastern pilaf in the cooking method. All ingredients for this recipe are prepared separately. Rice is boiled with ghee, saffron and turmeric. The meat is fried separately until golden brown, slices of pumpkin as well. Separately cook onions with carrots. Then they lay everything in layers in a cauldron or thick-walled pan, pour in some water or broth and simmer over low heat for about half an hour.

Basil - a wonderful universal seasoning for meat, fish, soups and fresh salads - is well known to all lovers of Caucasian and Italian cuisine. However, upon closer inspection, basil is a surprisingly versatile plant. For several seasons, our family has enjoyed drinking fragrant basil tea. In the flowerbed with perennials and in flowerpots with annual flowers, a bright spicy plant also found a worthy place.

Thuja or juniper - which is better? Such a question can sometimes be heard in garden centers and in the market where these plants are sold. He, of course, is not entirely correct and correct. Well, anyway, what to ask is better - night or day? Coffee or tea? Woman or man? Surely, everyone will have their own answer and opinion. And yet ... But what if you do not approach with bias and try to compare juniper and thaw on certain objective parameters? Let's try.

Since ancient times, comfrey root has been used in folk medicine. Warriors in ancient Rome also resorted to this plant. It was used for bone fusion, wound healing. Medieval monks healed many ailments with dried roots. What is this plant, and what is its healing power?

Culture description

Comfrey is a perennial herb. The people nicknamed culture zhivostok. It received such a name for its ability to accelerate the growth of damaged bones. But this is not its only positive effect on the body. It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. In addition, it perfectly improves appetite and improves overall tone.

The plant has an erect long stem. In height, it sometimes reaches 1.2 m. The stem along the entire length is covered with small hard hairs. Leaflets have a rough surface. They have a characteristic cucumber flavor. The plant has beautiful flowers down. They attract the eye with a purple, purple, blue, and sometimes yellow-white palette.

Comfrey root is black and brown. He is very powerful. The root grows in breadth and inland. Spindle-shaped processes extend from it to the sides. That is why it is very difficult to dig out comfrey root. The photo allows you to consider what underground part the culture has. The healers say: to get to the root system of comfrey, you need to dig a very large hole.

A livestock grows near canals, streams, on moist lawns, in shrubbery.

Chemical composition

The most popular in medicine is comfrey root. At the same time, the whole plant has healing power. Therefore, healers often use leaflets of culture for compresses for bruises and fractures.

The underground part contains many useful components:

mucous and rubbery substances;
alkaloids;
carbohydrates;
tannins;
organic acids.

Beneficial features

Due to its composition, comfrey root is in demand in the fight against many diseases:

Abundant mucous components give the plant an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic effect. That is why it is used to treat the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract. It is in demand for a variety of internal bleeding.
The current root ingredients, according to recent scientific studies, have antiulcer and antitumor activity.
The plant is rich in allantoin. This component is It allows you to effectively deal with various pathogenic bacteria that provoke purulent inflammatory processes in the body. Due to such properties, the root is widely in demand in the treatment of trophic ulcers, osteomyelitis. At the same time, it provides an excellent result even in those cases when traditional means do not give positive dynamics.
But the most basic use of the root is the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is used for dislocations, sprains, fractures, torn ligaments. Due to its rich composition, it effectively reduces pain, eliminates swelling and relieves inflammation.

Therapeutic use

The roots of comfrey officinalis have a number of beneficial effects on the human body:

bactericidal;
regenerative;
bone-healing;
antitumor.

They are able to accelerate the process of repairing damaged tissues, stop necrosis. But you should be aware that the plant is quite poisonous. In addition, the alkaloids that make up the culture are capable of paralyzing the central nervous system.

That is why resorting to treatment with this plant should only be after consultation with a doctor.

In official and traditional medicine, the laparfire is in demand in the fight against such ailments:

osteochondrosis;
any bone pathology;
osteomyelitis;
arthrosis, arthritis;
sprains;
gout, rheumatoid lesions of the joints;
thrombophlebitis;
sarcoma;
tumors of various origins;
peptic ulcer disease;
hardening of the breast in a nursing mother;
long healing wounds;
angina;
radiculitis;
sciatica;
periodontal disease;
impaired functioning of the musculoskeletal system;
metastasis of cancer cells in the bone.

Consider how to prepare medicines from a healing root.

Workpiece Features

Initially, comfrey (root) should be properly prepared. It is better to postpone treatment until the fall. Since digging out the roots is recommended in early November. But if therapy cannot wait, then the harvesting of roots takes place in spring and even in summer.

The excavated part of the culture must be washed under running cold water. Then it should be dried. For this, the root must be cut into small pieces and strung on a thread. Dry the plant in a well-ventilated area. Dried out the root at a temperature of 30-40 0 C. To do this, resort to the help of a dryer.

Water infusion

Now that you have the raw materials ready, you can proceed to the process of making the medicine.

Prepare the tool as follows:

Grind comfrey root. This component will need 2 tsp.
Fill the raw material with cold water (1 liter).
The remedy is infused for 8 hours. Then carefully drain the liquid.
The residue is poured with boiling water (1 l). The product should be infused for another 30 minutes. Carefully drain the solution again.
It is necessary to combine both liquids (after the first and second discharge).

This tool can be used both internally and externally.

digestive problems (dysentery, intestinal catarrh, diarrhea);
diseases of the respiratory system.

Take the medicine inside 50 ml, 30 minutes before a meal. During the day, you can drink the infusion up to 6 times.

The tool is also used:

as poultices, compresses for dislocations, sprains, fractures;
in the form of a rinse for tonsillitis, inflammation in the mouth, respiratory infections.

Tincture for compresses

A medicine is prepared in a slightly different way if you plan to use comfrey root exclusively for external purposes.

Preparation of tincture:

Grind the root thoroughly. Take 3 tbsp. l cooked raw materials.
Fill with boiling water (0.5 liters).
The solution should be infused in a thermos for 30 minutes.

Use this tool in the form of compresses for the treatment of:

sprains, joint pains, dislocations, fractures;
skin diseases;
festering wounds.

Liver bone broth

A very popular medicine is the following remedy:

Take chopped root (1 tbsp. L.).
Pour the raw materials with cool water (0.5 L).
Within 5 minutes, the solution must be boiled over low heat.
Then the broth must be infused for 1 hour.

Such a medicine is used for therapy:

various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, ulcers);
hypertension
internal bleeding;
respiratory diseases.

Alcohol tincture

For the preparation of funds for internal use, it is advisable to use alcohol or vodka 40%. If the medicine is intended for external purposes, then you can take stronger alcohol - 70 percent.

Alcohol tincture from comfrey roots is prepared as follows:

Take the raw materials. It is best to take the root of a mature plant. The older the culture, the stronger its healing properties. Clean the fresh root. Rinse it in several waters.
Grind thoroughly using a grater or meat grinder.
Put the resulting slurry (100 g) in a glass jar.
Pour the raw materials with vodka (0.5 L). If you use alcohol, then initially dilute it to 40%.
Shake the product, stir it well. Put the solution in a dark place. Do not store it in the refrigerator.
Infuse medication should 2 weeks. By this time, the root has completely settled. And the liquid will get a brown shade, reminiscent of tea. To the touch it is a bit slippery. The medicine is ready. Carefully drain the liquid without stirring the solution.
Thick again, pour vodka (0.5 liters). And put in a dark place. After 14 days you will have a new batch of medication. Raw materials can be used 3 times.

Take the tincture for a variety of ailments:

gastrointestinal tract diseases;
tuberculosis;
ailments of the respiratory system;
oncology of the lung, prostate, mammary glands;
metastasis to bone tissue.

It can be used externally for the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Tincture will ease the suffering of the patient with diseases of the teeth, pathologies of the oral cavity. In addition, it is often used for gargling.

Use the tincture as follows:

10 drops of the drug is diluted in 1 tbsp. l water;
take 2 times a day for 1 hour before meals.

Preparation of ointment

The healing properties of comfrey are assessed by official medicine. This is confirmed by the well-known “Dr. Tissa Ointment”. This development of German pharmacologists forced to pay more attention to the healing properties of the live-breed.

You can make at least healing ointment yourself:

Comfrey roots must be ground into powder.
Prepare the ingredients. You will need root powder and pork fat, in proportion - 1: 1. Just do not mix them.
Smilets must first be melted.
Then enter the live-stock powder into the fat.
Boil the product for 10 minutes.
Allow the ointment to cool.
To provide the necessary consistency, add camphor oil to the product.

The ointment is used for rubbing into sore joints. It effectively relieves inflammation, eliminates puffiness. To her help resorted to severe joint pain.

Milk Comfrey

Consider another fairly effective recipe.

The tool is made as follows:

Chopped root (40 g) is poured with fresh milk (1 l).
The product must be infused (in a sealed container) in the oven at a temperature of 80 ° C.
The duration of languor is 6-7 hours.

The resulting medicine is used to treat renal and pulmonary pathologies. It is recommended to take 1 tsp. three times a day.

Comfrey root: contraindications

It should be remembered that, despite its healing power, the live-bone is poisonous. That is why, if you consider therapy with such a means as the root of contraindications of this culture, be sure to discuss it with the doctor.

Zivokost is prohibited under the following conditions:

pregnancy (it can provoke uterine contraction);
hypotension (the root provides a decrease in pressure).

In addition, you should not uncontrolled to use comfrey. Do not forget that it is quite toxic. It is not recommended to take long-term medication on the basis of larkspur. As a rule, optimal therapy lasts 10-20 days.

doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Kaf. botany RGAU-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazeva

Genus comfrey ( Symphytum) from the family Burachnikov has 19 species, and in addition, interspecific hybrids are described. First of all, it is the comfrey (mentioned in all herbal medicine books) S. officinalis), then a very powerful comfrey rough ( S.asperum Lepech.), And quite small comfrey tuberiferous (S. tuberosum L.). In the Caucasus, there are foreign comfrey (S.peregrinum Ledeb.) And comfrey Caucasian (S.caucasicus Bieb.). In addition, there is also mentioned growing in Europe and the US comfrey Russian (S.xuplandicum). However, in this case, the nerds have no agreement. Some equate it with a foreign comfrey, and some consider it a hybrid of comfrey medicinal and rough. But it is better to leave this problem to the taxonomists.

They are almost the same in chemical composition and therefore, talking about medicinal properties, we will call them comfy. Although there are some differences - some species lack individual alkaloids. And rough and medicinal are very close.

Latin name Symphytum derived from greek "Symphyeiln" - grow together, which speaks of its traditional use for the accretion of bones in fractures. Since the time of Dioscorides, it has been used as a wound-healing and with boils.

The elevated mass of comfrey contains up to 0.2% of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (ehimidin, simfitin, cinoglossin), glycoalcoloid consolididin, tannins, mucus, choline, traces of essential oil. Both the above ground mass and the roots contain a large amount of vitamin B12, its amount is comparable to meat and eggs and 4 times more than in yeast! Possessing also low fiber content, it is readily eaten by pets. And, according to some studies, it is the high content of this vitamin that neutralizes the harmful pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the “animal stomachs”. There is a lot of potassium in it - almost three times more than in other plants. The herb in traditional medicine of the Central European countries used in diseases of the lungs. Now, due to the content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, they are practically not used.

The root contains allantoin (0,6-0,8%), tanning and mucous substances (fructans), aspargin, triterpene saponins (first of all, simfitoxide A), rosmarinic acid, silicon compounds, phytosterol and all the same pyrrolizidine alkaloids (0.3 -0.4%), which should be discussed in more detail. In addition, a new glycoprotein was isolated, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and is of great importance.

Allantoin is a fairly common compound in the plant world, and there are a lot of them in legumes. Scientists attribute this to the fact that bacteria that live on roots are involved in its formation, and in the form of allantoin, nitrogen simply moves in the plant to the places where it is necessary for growth and formation of proteins, nucleic acids, etc. Labeled nitrogen tests confirmed this. When bacteria were removed, the content of this substance in soy turned out to be insignificant. Comfrey also has a lot of “soil friends" and, probably, the high content of this compound has the same reason as that of legumes.

Allantoin promotes granulation and tissue regeneration, as well as bone healing. It possesses specific osmotic properties - liquid is released through the surface of the wound, washing out bacteria and their metabolic products. The formation of new cells is increasing. Choline helps to improve local blood circulation and more rapid resorption of hematoma. Present rosmarinic acid has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant effects. Saponinoxide A demonstrates antimicrobial action.

Previously, comfrey was used for gastritis and even a stomach ulcer inside as a decoction, but now it is limited to external use. Although in many European culinary books, its young leaves are recommended for salads and as a nutritious substitute for spinach. In general, popular experience broke up with science.

Some horror

Isolated from the roots of comfrey medicinal allantoin and its aluminum salt (aluminum hydroxide allantoinate) are non-toxic compounds. Comfrey toxic effects on animals and humans are due to the content of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, in particular, cinoglossin, consolididine and laziocarpine, which can cause paralysis of the central nervous system, since they cause partial blockade of the ganglia, disrupting the conduction of impulses to the striated muscles.

In 1992, suddenly there was a problem with the pyrrolizidine alkaloids. In Germany, extremely restrictive norms have been published for this group of compounds due to their carcinogenic and toxic effects, which they have shown in animal studies. Contained in comfrey roots, as well as in the seeds of a hairy heliotrope ( Heliotropium lasiocarpium L.) The alkaloid lasiocarpine is a fairly toxic compound. Because of this alkaloid and heliotrope seeds containing it, which fell into the grain, the inhabitants of Central Asia in 1931–1945. toxic hepatitis was common.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids have carcinogenic properties. The ability of comfrey to induce the development of liver cancer in experimental animals is associated with simfitin. In addition, the alkaloids laziokarpin and cinoglossin can cause mutations in the body.

Alkaloid laziokarpin in pure form at a dose of 50 ppm / 1 kg of weight causes liver cancer in experimental rodents. Toxicological studies indicate that the addition of 0.5% of roots and 8% of comfrey leaf to rats causes the development of malignant tumors of the liver and bladder. But at the same time, it should be remembered that there is very little in the comfrey and it does not enter the body in a pure form.

Many previously used plants containing these substances were blacklisted, for example, in Germany they banned ... mother and stepmother.

Medicinal use of comfrey

Despite the above-mentioned danger, in the same Germany there is a huge amount of preparations from a comfrey. Its effectiveness is confirmed by serious clinical trials. In the formulations of a number of drugs, some changes were simply made (Rectosan, Digestosan, Neopectosan) and the internal use of comfrey preparations was limited.

For use allowed only drugs from the comfrey for external use, dental and cosmetic products. Due to teratogenic properties, comfrey preparations cannot be used during pregnancy and feeding. Comfrey preparations in Germany recommend using no more than 4-6 weeks per year.

But, as some literary sources indicate, comfrey roots contain a small amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and they are not typical alkaloid-containing raw materials. Therefore, funds from the roots can not lead to the above toxic manifestations in the body. Despite the significant toxicity of individual comfrey alkaloids, in the scientific and practical literature we have not found publications about the lethal toxicity of galenic or novogalenovyh funds made on the basis of roots or comfrey grass. Rather, a couple of questionable examples wander from one source to another. In general, it seems that this problem is greatly exaggerated. After all, alkaloids were tested in pure form, and in the plant they are contained with polysaccharides and other substances. But he has not canceled a strong hemostatic and wound healing effect on ulcers and tuberculosis.

In modern medical practice, comfrey drugs are used in clinical dentistry, due to the ability to stimulate and regenerate periodontal cells. Positive results were obtained when using comfrey for periodontal disease, including purulent form. For this purpose, a mouth rinse was prescribed with a decoction of comfrey roots. The combination of comfrey and other plants, such as basil grass and lime blossom, is very popular, which greatly enhances the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action.

For example, the Bulgarian drug for the treatment of this disease is a decoction of comfrey roots, herb St. John's wort, a leaf of bearberry, a leaf with roots of nettle, and roots of soapworm. Antiseptics were added to the finished decoction: metronidazole, collargol and sodium benzoate. Such a combined decoction in the experiment showed a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and a positive effect in 78% of patients with periodontal disease. But you can cook a decoction without chemical ingredients at home, it will also be quite effective.

On the basis of allantoin in combination with aluminum fluoride, aluminum lactate, chlorhexidine, bisabolol and peppermint essential oil, quite well-known pharmaceutical companies produce rinsing for gums.

In Romania, the patented ointment with anti-inflammatory, keratolytic and epithelial properties for the treatment of psoriasis, which includes allantoin. In cosmetics, this substance fights acne. The data of clinical observations indicate a high therapeutic effect of the use of ointment from comfrey roots in case of annular granuloma, vasculitis, focal scleroderma, trophic ulcers, and cracks in the corners of the mouth.

For over 100 years, comfrey remedies have been widely used in homeopathy. Comfrey was introduced into homeopathy based on the knowledge of traditional medicine. As a homeopathic remedy, comfrey was partially tested for the first time by McFerlan, who first used it in the form of poultices as a wound-healing agent. Later, Grosserio began to apply Symphytum in a 30-fold dilution for bone injuries, especially fractures. At present, its use has expanded, and modern homeopaths prescribe it not only for bone fractures, but also paralysis, caries, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, and hemorrhoids.

How to use comfrey at home

Recipes weight: from the usual broth to ointments and candles. Here is one of the options. Take fresh comfrey root, rub on a grater or grind in a meat grinder, sprinkle with corn oil, mix. This mass in the form of a compress is applied to sore veins, burns, wounds, sore joints and ligaments, bruises and bruises. In winter, you can take a powder of dry roots, pour a little water in order to make gruel, again add a few drops of oil and use it as described above.

Decoction Prepared from 10 g of crushed roots and a glass of water. Boil for 10 minutes, filter and use for compresses.

If you are a fan of aromatherapy, then add a few drops of pine and lavender oil to the crushed roots of the comfrey. Oils complement the action of comfrey, in addition, exhibit a very strong antimicrobial effect. Lavender was even used in World War I to prevent gangrene. Apply the obtained gruel on a sore spot with sprains, hematomas and other traumatic injuries. These same oils can be added when preparing ointment from comfrey roots.

BUT ointment Prepared as follows: Mix 10 g of comfrey roots, chopped into mincers, with 100 g of sala or ointment base. Put this mixture in a water bath for 2-3 hours. After that, hot strain through a rag and store in a refrigerator in a jar. Apply as described above.

Among other things, ointment from comfrey well stops nosebleeds.

For the monastery

In Soviet times, comfrey was among the promising new fodder crops, designed to raise livestock. The protein content in it is almost the same as in alfalfa, and only 2 times less than in soy beans, including all the essential amino acids that are free from protease inhibitors. And given that he has several mowings during the summer, the protein yield per unit area is higher than that of soybeans. In addition, comfrey rough, for example, is a very powerful perennial plant, the competition with which weeds cannot withstand. It grows in partial shade, where other cultivated plants simply do not grow. And what is interesting, despite the presence of pyrolizidine alkaloids, which German pharmacologists fear, toxic hepatitis and other “pyrrolizidine” charms are not detected in any way.

In addition, comfrey is sometimes called "green manure." Due to the high content of nitrogen and potassium, it is nutritionally comparable with cow manure. But if you still decide to grow this plant, find him a shaded place somewhere away from the beds and other cultivated plants. It becomes a malignant weed with a very deep root, and its behavior resembles the spread of horseradish around the site.

And the comfrey is a wonderful honey plant: comfrey hard gives 101.5–227.1 kg / ha of honey, Caucasian comfrey - 114.5–205.0, foreign comfrey - 116.6–127.5 comfrey medicinal - 79.6– 181.2 kg / ha, and it is also with fairly long flowering.

You can sow it with seeds or transplant the root. Then self-seeding is already abundantly formed - try to remove it in time from places not intended for it.

Photo: Maxim Minin, Rita Brilliantov

Today, most people do not even suspect the curative power of ordinary flowers and herbs, preferring to be treated with chemical preparations, whereas until recently even the most serious diseases, such as tuberculosis or arthrosis, were treated with comfrey.

Comfrey - chemical composition and healing properties

Comfrey medicinal is a medicinal plant that has always been highly valued by herbalists; it was popularly called “zhivokost” or “zhivokost”, with its help it was possible to quickly grow even the most severe fractures or help with joint diseases. Thanks to the anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and analgesic properties of comfrey, it is used not only externally in the form of ointments and compresses, but also taken orally for colds, tuberculosis and lesions of the digestive organs.

Comfrey contains tannins with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, resins, starch, choline, mucus, sugars and other beneficial substances. Due to this composition, comfrey infusions and ointments have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, antispasmodic, enveloping and tonic effect.

In addition, a substance — allantoin — was found in the comfrey, which is of particular interest to scientists and physicians. Initially, allantoin, a substance with a unique ability to accelerate and activate cell division, was found only in the placenta of mammals and in the body of pregnant women. It is through the action of allantoin that the embryo cells divide and grow so quickly. It turned out that allantoin is present not only in animal tissues, but also as a part of comfrey! Now, scientists and doctors can scientifically confirm what our ancestors knew firsthand - Comfrey helps heal wounds and splice broken bones.

Indications for the use of comfrey

Today comfrey is used to treat the following diseases:

Open and closed fractures, wounds and skin lesions - during the recovery period after injuries, compresses and bandages with comfrey ointment or the plant roots crushed into gruel were used to accelerate healing. Comfrey accelerates the regeneration of tissues and contributes to more rapid and proper fusion of bones;
Diseases of the osteo-articular system - in case of arthrosis, osteoarthrosis, gout, polyarthritis, osteochondrosis, rheumatism and other diseases of the joints; application of comfrey ointment helps relieve inflammation, reduce pain and speed up recovery;
Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system - helps to destroy bacteria, and mucus and other components alleviate inflammation and improve sputum discharge;
Inflammatory diseases of the digestive system - with gastritis, gastric and intestinal ulcers, and some other diseases, comfrey infusions due to antispasmodic and analgesic action reduces the symptoms of the disease and accelerates the healing of ulcers;
Inflammatory diseases of the mouth - with periodontal disease, gingivitis and other diseases of the mouth rinse with comfrey infusion helps to fight the reproduction of microbes and inflammation;
Tuberculosis - it is believed that the infusion of comfrey can destroy Koch's wand and speed up the regeneration of damaged cells.

When using comfrey for medicinal purposes, one should not forget about caution - this plant is poisonous and, if used improperly, can cause poisoning of the body.However, for this you need to greatly exceed the recommended dose.

Foreign scientists conducted a series of studies in which they found that comfrey contains substances that are toxic to the liver, as well as components that can stimulate the growth of tumor cells. Therefore, in the United States since 2001, preparations containing comfrey are prohibited for internal use, and for external use, treatment periods should not exceed 10 days in a row and not more than 4-6 weeks a year.

In our country, comfrey is treated with great confidence, however, they should not be abused, and it should not be taken for colds and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, another thing is externally for fractures, joint injuries and injuries.

Contraindications

Comfrey should not be used to treat pregnant and lactating women, children under 12 years of age, patients with benign and malignant diseases, and people suffering from nervous disorders.

Comfrey recipes

1. Comfrey ointment prepared from crushed or powdered plant root. To do this, it is mixed with melted inner fat in equal quantities and left for several hours in a dark place, store the ointment in the refrigerator. It is used to treat fractures, dislocations and joint diseases, and when applying an ointment, it is not possible for the skin to be allowed to come into contact with damaged tissues. For the treatment of articular diseases, comfrey ointment is warmed and smeared over the painful joints at night, then wrapping them with a warm cloth. The course of treatment is 10-14 days;

2. Comfrey tincture - 50 g finely chopped comfrey roots pour 500 ml of alcohol, leave for 3 weeks. Filter and use for compresses and ointments. For the treatment of joint diseases make a compress from comfrey tincture for a night for 10-14 days;

3. Comfrey decoction - chop dry comfrey root, 2 tablespoons of plants, pour 1 tablespoon of cold water, heat in a water bath for 30 minutes and then filter. This infusion is used for lotions, baths, washing with purulent wounds, skin diseases and other injuries;

4. Comfrey infusion milk - it is used for tuberculosis, for this, 10 g of dried comfrey root is poured 1 tablespoon of milk and put in the oven for 5-6 hours. The resulting infusion is given to the patient for 1 hl 3 times a day, a course of treatment is 7-10 days, if necessary, it is repeated;

5. Fresh Comfrey - fresh comfrey root is used to treat fractures, it is crushed into small gruel, mixed with fresh honey in a ratio of 1: 2 and impose on the sore spot under the bandage.