Comfrey

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I have been using products with comfrey to heal wounds for a while now and I was wondering if it can cause cancer when taken orally? The FDA says that Comfrey can cause liver damage and liver cancer if taken orally which I don't think is true but I am not sure. I mean the FDA is not the competent or reliable organization out there.

at your age? don't worry. be happy.

My dad is using it as well, he is a diabetic and it really helps him heal, and I wanted to know if the FDA is right for once and it is safe??

Internal usage of comfrey should be avoided because it contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). (Note, there are also non-hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids.) Use of comfrey can, because of these PAs, lead to veno-occlusive disease (VOD). VOD can in turn lead to liver failure, and comfrey, taken in extreme amounts, has been implicated in at least one death. [7]

In 2001, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against internal usage of herbal products containing comfrey. [8] There are ways to remove the pyrrolizidine alkaloids from comfrey, and some herbal product manufacturers have begun doing so (although the products will still be labelled “for external use only”).

Excessive doses of Symphytine, one of the PAs in comfrey, may cause cancer in rats. [9] This was shown by injection of the pure alkaloid. The whole plant has also been shown to induce precancerous changes in transgenic rats. [10]

Sin Wikipedia is not that reliable either ranks right up there around the FDA.

if you are disputing the FDA and Wikipedia, but want a random poster on WP to write any old thing so you can rely on their advice, I am sorry, I can't help you.

Merle (not Sin, thank you)

Here are some links to some university research group sites and what they say.

UMM

Purdue

And an herbal site

Henriette's

These groups have less agenda basis for their findings and may help your decision to use or not. Also, you may want to look out for companies that allow pesticides and fertilizers in their tea bags.

That is all I can provide.