comfrey

[Eleven11]

Anyone growing comfrey... not necessarily in an AP system but in general.

[foodchain]

I am friends with a homesteader that is. Not in AP, but in the ground. She swears by it.
But I have limited experience with it. IF this year ever slows down I intend to get some from her.

[Eleven11]

Somehow, this plant is suppose to speed healing of both flesh and bone.

[foodchain]

I have read it's used in all kinds of home remedies....I just have never tried any of it. I know zinc helps with that, but when I take the zinc suppliments it makes me nausious very quickly. Even 1/2 doses do not end well.

[JCO]

Information courtesy of http://wikiaquaponics.com/index.php?...ey#Cultivation and me.

Contemporary herbalists view Comfrey as an ambivalent and controversial herb that may offer therapeutic benefits but can cause liver toxicity. One of the most common uses of Comfrey extract is as a skin treatment.

The plant contains the small organic molecule allantoin, which is thought to stimulate cell growth and repair while simultaneously depressing inflammation. Scientists and medical doctors agree that the use of Comfrey should be restricted to topical use, and should never be ingested, as it contains dangerous amounts of Hepatotoxicity pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs).

Use of Comfrey can, because of these PAs, lead to veno-occlusive disease (VOD). VOD can in turn lead to liver failure, and Comfrey has been implicated in at least one death. In 2001, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against internal usage of herbal products containing Comfrey, and eventually banned Comfrey products intended for internal use.

In addition to restrictions on oral use, scientists and medical professionals recommend applying Comfrey extracts no longer than 10 days in a row, and no more than 4–6 weeks a year.