The Comfrey Controversy: The Questionable Research Condemning It

I am a Master Herbalist and have used Comfrey with my chickens and rabbits for years. When I raised my first rabbits some 30 years ago, I was a new convert to alternative medicine. I learned that giving my rabbits herbs gave them better health than just straight pellets. I learned that the Comfrey and marsh mallow from our property did a better job of stopping the pneumonia rabbits often contract, than the standard of antibiotics in their water.

Animals and the placebo effect:

The placebo question does not exist when you treat animals. They either get well by a treatment, or they don't. They just eat whatever you give them. None of my rabbits or chickens died early, and in fact, they stayed very healthy. I fed them Comfrey once a week with their standard pellets, and they thrived. None of them got pneumonia again, and I had them for a number of years.

It irritates me on how shoddy -negative weighted research can affect the outcome of an herb. People think because it's in print, it is truth. So this article is to enlighten you on the research that condemns Comfrey for human consumption:

Here are some facts on the parameters of several research studies that came to the conclusion that Comfrey is dangerous for human consumption:

Comfrey Plants are not all alike chemically:

There are three main varieties of Comfrey grown; Russian Comfrey, Prickly Comfrey , and Symphytum Officinale or Common Comfrey. Common Comfrey is the one usually grown here in the US. These Comfrey plants greatly differ in the amount of alkaloids present in the plants. The kind of Comfrey used in the research project will have a great impact on the results. This is the first point to understand.

How the research was conducted is the next problem in the Comfrey controversy.

Rats are not humans and do not respond to Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in the same way.The Comfrey was not given to the rats as a whole food. The toxic Pyrrolizidine alkaloids were isolated and injected into these young rats. It has been established by later research that rats, and these were young rats, are more sensitive to Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids then, for instance, pigs or chickens. As with many herbs, the whole plant contains elements that soften or neutralize the toxic element. I don't' know about you, but I don't know many people who eat that much Comfrey, and I know they certainly don't inject it into their veins.

The young rats were injected not fed naturally the whole food product. It is well known that injecting a substance will often give you a toxic reaction when just eating it does not. These young rats were injected with a large dosage of an alkaloid that is toxic, and for which they have a greater sensitivity to than other animals. In honest research, rats were not the best subject for this project.

The fact they were young rats is also a flaw. There are many foods and substances you do not feed young humans or rats. The Comfrey made up a large percentage of their diet (30 to 50%) which is not a realistic value. In you or I was eat that amount of Comfrey, it would equal a number of huge servings per day. Is this realistic? It is like having people eat 5 pounds of tomatoes and then saying tomatoes are bad because you got stomach distress. Any food eaten to extreme will give you a stomach ache, food allergy, or negative reaction of some kind.

This regimen did cause tumors in the liver, but it was basically an overdose of the toxic part of the herb injected into young rats than are sensitive to the alkaloid to begin with. That is a negative weighted research project to say the least.

Despite the controversy over Comfrey and liver toxicity, farmers in both Japan and in the Pacific Northwest plant fields of comfrey to feed both their dairy and beef cattle. These farmers are getting remarkable results in the health of both their beef cattle and increased milk production in their dairy herds. Isn't is an interesting question that if it is so dangerous, why then is it not causing liver toxicity in these cattle? They are being fed enough to cause liver problems? There has been no problem with liver toxicity in their herds.

There are less than 10 reported cases of liver toxicity from comfrey since the 1990's. If you read the cases found on the link below, even those cases were questionable. None of the cases were explored for possible additional factors that might have caused the deaths and liver toxicity. Factors to be investigated should have included their use of prescription or over the counter drugs they might have been taking, liver compromise that already existed in the patient before the use of comfrey, or their health status overall.

Two further studies that have implicated Comfrey consumption:

The Japanese study in 1968, involved heavy amounts of Comfrey extract not the whole herb. We do not know the other factors such as diet, health status, and possible liver compromise to begin with, or any drugs they may have been taking at the same time. The Japanese study found liver toxicity only in the long term usage of the Comfrey internally and remember the research was done using the Russian Comfrey.

The Australian study in 1978 used Russian comfrey which has been tested to contain stronger alkaloid content. It is a tested fact that Comfrey plants vary on the amount of alkaloids present. Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale ) usually contains less alkaloids.

With both of the above studies, we cannot determine many factors including age, health status overall, liver status, prescriptions they might have been taking or how the patients were monitored. Without those questions answered, it cannot be clear if the conclusions were based on honesty and integrity and truth.

It is a fact that when you buy comfrey extract or powder, most of the time you will not know which kind of Comfrey it was extracted from. The comfrey root contains more of the alkaloids than the leaves. The Australian study was on long term usage. Comfrey is a tea that is generally utilized to speed the healing of broken bones and stomach problems. Most healing herbs and teas are indicated for short term usage not tea to drink for pleasure. The Japanese study found liver toxicity only in the long term usage of the Comfrey internally.

In Germany, Comfrey is available but regulated by the government making it extremely expensive and unavailable except through physicians. It is interesting to note, that Germany is where some of the most influential drug companies are based. In Germany most herbs, including Comfrey, are not available over the counter but by prescription only. They are as expensive as some drugs there. The drug companies in Germany control the sale and distribution of herbs in Germany and Europe. They derive great profit from herbs being mainly accessible only through physicians. Doesn't it make you wonder, what the motive behind some of this research is?

The Double standard that exists in this country concerning herbs and vitamins:

Isn't it interesting that most of the drugs advertised on every commercial are toxic to the liver as well as other organs? They may help arthritis but are toxic to the liver. Drugs are big money and the control of herbs here in this country by the drug companies is coming. Every year, bills are presented and defeated to make herbs only available though doctors. One of my articles will address this subject. Again investigate the research that condemned Comfrey and really think about what is going on here.

In several articles recently, I brought up the fraud in research studies and especially research on herbs. There are fewer than 10 cases of human liver problems causing death from Comfrey consumption and the facts concerning these deaths are questionable.

Each year there is some 7000 deaths due to NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These drugs can be purchased over the counter by almost anyone. Why with those kind of death statistics on public record, are these drugs still available without a prescription? If Aspirin was held to the same standards as Comfrey, it would have been taken off the shelf and only available by prescription. There is a sick double standard that exists toward herbs and alternative medicine here in this country and other countries as well. Money and power is at the root of this double standard.
So consider the issues here in this article concerning Comfrey and other herbs.

.http://www.comfreycentral.com/research/case_reports.htm

http://www.herbcraft.org/hoffmanncomfrey.html#_ednref6