Hi Gitch, I make a Comfrey ointment from the roots. I chop about a cup of roots very finely and simmer it in good quality coconut oil until it’s gone soft. I cool it enough to strain the pieces out and add about a teaspoon of lavender oil (the lavender oil isn’t necessary of course). It keeps well in the fridge and sets very well. If I make it to go into a jar on the shelf, I add about 1 1/2 ounces of beeswax while it’s still warm and use a light olive oil instead of coconut.

I haven’t made it from the leaves but I’m sure it would be much the same recipe. To make it super strong, I would strain it, add more leaves and repeat the process.

I know a lot of people don’t believe in decoctions and probably for good reasons but I’ve always used them for Coltsfoot and comfrey because simmering for ten minutes is supposed to destroy the (supposedly problematic 🙄 ) pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

I hope things work out for you.

The alkaloids are only “dangerous” if used internally. For external use there is no issue whatsoever.

I REALLY don’t like applying heat to things if I don’t have to. Heat and oxygen are typically destructive of things we need. It would be best if one can keep the temp below 120 F.

I do know there are some formulations that do require simmering, but they are few and far between.

Is there a way you could put your material in a crock pot set on absolutely the lowest setting? I wonder what that temp would be? As mentioned, multiple processing to increase strength is a great option as well.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids in comfrey can be absorbed through the skin. For this reason, it has been recommended that when using comfrey preparations, the daily amount of pyrrolizidine alkaloids should not exceed 100 mcg. Unfortunately, few products are labeled to indicate their pyrrolizidine alkaloid content.

When comfrey is applied externally to the skin, as a cream, it is not considered to be a significant intake of PA’s, in view of low dermal absorption of the PA’s. When comfrey is dried, enzymes are released and much of the alkaloid is destroyed.

And…

From trials, in Minnesota U.S.A. in 1987, in an attempt to determine cultural and environmental factors associated with the production of PA’s, it was found that comfrey, harvested at different times in the growing season, can be of varying PA amounts. Roots were found to have the highest concentration of PA’s, generally with 10 times as much as young leaves. In one trial, in 1986, immature leaves contained 0.026% pyrrolizidine, on a dry weight basis. A subsequent harvest during the growing season, had no detectable PA’s in the leaf (the minimum detectable quantity was 5 ppm). The data indicated, harvest time was a critical factor in producing PA free comfrey, and that mature leaves have an even lower alkaloid content, than young leaves.

The thing is, I’ve used comfrey externally and internally and so have some of my relatives. We’ve never had adverse effects ever.

This site here has many stories of people who have used it without side effects. There are times when anecdotal evidence sways me more than flaw-filled lab results.

I would never be without Comfrey in my garden.

Just as well we all have free will and can make our own informed decisions.

And then there’s this…. The sentence in bold says it all to me.

It has been estimated that 3% of the world’s flowering plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Honey can contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, as can grains, milk, offal and eggs. To date (2011), there is no international regulation of PAs in food, unlike those for herbs and medicines.

I think this alkaloid is reported as dangerous only when it suits them.

As you discovered, internally, except for preggers (because of the fetus), infants and liver patients, is a very minimal risk. Externally it is WAY less risky. I can’t remember Patrick’s schtick on this, but it is probably on this site somewhere. Certainly is or will be in the HGH materials.

IdahoHerbalist wrote: For external use there is no issue whatsoever.

I just thought that seeing you said this, then issues should be clarified so people can make an informed choice. According to science, there are issues with using it externally.

We do agree on one thing; we both like to use Comfrey and I don’t have a problem at all with using it. It’s my herb of choice for many things.

Personally, I don’t believe test tube and Petri dish results reflect the true medicinal or toxic nature of a herb. Tests done on rats that have produced tumours, would need an equivalent of almost 20,000 leaves as a dosage for a 70 kg man. (From the web site in previous post) that’s 5 to 6 (2ft long) leaves a day for 48 years before any liver changes occurred and 150 years before liver damage occurred.

And this puts it in a nutshell. This is what most test tube nuts forget….

There is a balance of constituents that operate in a synergistic manner, (working together to balance the action of separate constituents) that makes comfrey so valuable as a healing herb … a balance of allantoin, alkaloids, chlorophyll, mucin, saponins, inulin and an array of nutrients. ; Dr. MacAllister. (Liverpool university hospital.)

Whenever we take, eat or use anything we need to do a risk:benefit analysis (If you want to be really terrified some time, read the fine print on your ibuprofen bottle :scared: ).

In my experience, the benefits of comfrey vastly outweigh the risks. As Steven said, I don’t use it internally in infants, pregnant ladies or folks with liver disease. Otherwise, I use it pretty liberally.

Doc