The comfrey is a herb which is widespread throughout Europe, in the Caucasus and in Kazakhstan. It is used in medicine long ago, unique properties of a comfrey help to treat diseases of a bone and muscular system. But the few know about all useful properties and methods of application of this plant. Let's learn about it more.
Description of culture
Comfrey — a perennial grassy plant. It has direct, slightly curved stalk up to 1 m high, large leaves and violet inflorescences in the form of a hand bell. Root system powerful and branched; from above root of black color, and inside white. Juice from roots oily, possesses not expressed smell. A stalk and leaves are covered with white hairs, rough to the touch. Blossoming happens since May and continues prior to the beginning of August, smooth and black fruits ripen at the end of August.
The comfrey likes to grow in damp places, near the rivers and streams. It can be found both in forest, and in a steppe part of the territory of Europe.
Important! The comfrey is known under other names, such as zhivokost, the bone-setter, the slippery root, and many centuries is used for treatment of problems and injuries of a bone and muscular system.
Chemical composition
The chemical composition of a comfrey unique, it contains allantoin which stimulates processes of regeneration of connecting fabrics in an organism. This substance is present at the root system of a plant and stimulates rapid growth of cells of bones, muscles and cartilages.
The root of the zhivokost contains also B12 vitamin, tannins, alkaloids, sugar, starch, flavonoids.
In stalks and leaves a large amount of cellulose and vitamin C is found.
We advise to read about medicinal properties and application in traditional medicine of such herbs as thistle meal, a plantain, a camomile, a celandine, repeshok, a passionflower, a bergenia, a nettle, an acorus marsh, lemongrass, a stevia, a goutweed ordinary, a yarrow, a marjoram, a melissa, ivan-tea, a calendula, a tansy, a wormwood, rosemary, a horsetail.
Medicinal properties
Zhivokost it is widely used in traditional and traditional medicine, especially in homeopathy. The unique chemical composition allows to accelerate processes of accretion of bones after changes and healing of wounds.
The plant has the anti-inflammatory and restoring property. It is used at treatment of bruises, trophic ulcers, purulent wounds, furunkulez.
Also, anti-inflammatory effect cloudberries, ginger, mustard oil, buckthorn bark, mint, coltsfoot, a clover meadow, a bearberry, a sage medicinal have
Many years ago people found its unique property to stop the bleeding, to remove hypostases at different home and sports injuries.
Takes off the pain caused by sciatica, arthritis, osteochondrosis, sprain, fractures. Especially it helps to be restored quickly at fractures and injuries of edges when it is impossible to impose plaster.
Whether you know? The comfrey in translation from Latin (Latin Symphytum officinale) means growing together what emphasizes medicinal properties of a plant.
Useful properties
The comfrey is used in most cases outwardly. Its unique qualities knew many centuries ago and used for removal of pain, healing of wounds, removal of hypostases. Also the antiseptics has properties of spasmolysant. From it prepared curative ointments, broths, infusions.
The gruel or ointment prepared from the ground root reduce pain in joints, accelerate process of accretion of a bone tissue at changes. Fresh juice of a root is capable to stop bleedings. Tincture from a root helps to cure diseases of digestive system, envelops and removes inflammation of mucous.
This plant is used at treatment of bronchitis as it has anti-inflammatory and expectorant property.
In modern cosmetology and medicine, in particular stomatology, the comfrey found the application too — there are many medicines in the form of ointments, syrups, creams, cosmetic lotions.
Essential oils — perfectly look after hair and skin. Learn more about cosmetology properties of essential oils: cedar, tea tree, fir, jojoba, orange, sandalwood, rosemary.
Raw materials preparation
It is possible to prepare comfrey roots all the year round, but the maximum quantity of useful substances contains in them in the fall. The dug-out roots need to be washed, divided into thin plates and to dry up in the dark, well aired places. They are capable to be stored year.
Fresh leaves can be stored in the fridge no more than 24 hours.
Whether you know? In Ancient Rome the soldiers legionaries used a comfrey for fast healing of wounds.
Methods of application
Often apply zhivokost infusion to treatment of inflammatory diseases of bodies of digestive system, at the same time accept it inside. To prepare infusion, it is necessary to fill in roots (2 h a spoon) with warm boiled water (300 ml). In 8 hours it is necessary to merge water in separate capacity, and repeatedly to fill in roots with boiled water (200 ml). In 10 minutes it is necessary to mix both infusions. The prepared means to accept inside in the small portions during the day, but is no more than 500 ml for all day.
Fresh leaves of the zhivokost contain a lot of allantoin which stimulates accretion of a bone tissue at changes. It is possible to impose the crushed leaves in the form of gruel to the place of a change — pain as a result will decrease and intensive resumption of cages in bones and connecting fabrics will begin.
Learn what vitamins contain in rosemary, a dogrose, a barberry, a thyme, cornflowers, a guelder-rose, a sea-buckthorn, a motherwort and a St. John's wort.
Medical ointment can be prepared, having crushed plant roots. Add internal fat of a pig to the roots pounded in powder in the ratio 1:4. The prepared means can be stored in the cool place and for the night to grease sore joints (at polyarthritises, osteoarthroses, rheumatoid arthritises). Ointment is used for treatment of gout and osteochondrosis. Ukutyvaniye of sick sites a warm plaid strengthens medical action.
Heat baths with a comfrey or compresses from the prepared broth treat diseases of joints and reduce pain. Broth is prepared from roots: it is necessary to add 1 l of water on 100 g of a comfrey, to bring to boiling and to continue to cook 10 minutes. After that broth needs to be filtered.
Zhivokost it is also used as effective cosmetology remedy for improvement of health of skin and increase in a tone.
In some countries use fresh green leaves, vitamin-rich, in food, for preparation of salads and soups.
Contraindications
The comfrey contains a set of active chemicals in high concentrations and is a poisonous plant.
Important! A large amount of alkaloids of a tsinoglosin and konsolidin which contain in a comfrey at the long use collect in an organism and cause disorders of the central nervous system, up to paralysis.
At external application it is desirable to apply medicine on not affected areas of skin. Internal application needs to be carried out carefully, the herb can have negative effect on health of a liver.
The comfrey is contraindicated to pregnant women and the feeding women and also people with low arterial blood pressure.
Read also what vitamins are necessary for pregnant women and feeding mothers
There can be an allergy and individual intolerance to medicine on its basis.
So, we found out that the unique structure of a comfrey does it by very effective medicine from a set of diseases which use the millennia. But it is necessary to use it carefully, this poisonous plant. It is desirable to get advice of the doctor, to adhere to recommendations, a dosage and not to abuse medicine.