Comfrey root has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. Warriors in ancient Rome resorted to the help of this plant. It was used to splice bones, heal wounds. Medieval monks healed many ailments with dried roots. What is this plant, and what is its healing power?
Description of culture
Comfrey is a perennial herbaceous plant. The people called the culture zhivokost. It received this name for its ability to accelerate the fusion of damaged bones. But this is not its only positive effect on the body. Comfrey officinalis has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties. In addition, it perfectly improves appetite and improves overall tone.
The plant has an upright long stem. In height, it sometimes reaches 1.2 m. The stem is covered with small stiff hairs along its entire length. The leaves have a rough surface. They have a characteristic cucumber flavor. The plant has beautiful downturned flowers. They draw the eyepurple, magenta, cyan, and sometimes yellow and white palette.
Comfrey root is black-brown. He is very powerful. The root grows in breadth and depth. Fusiform processes extend from it to the sides. That is why it is very difficult to dig up the comfrey root. The photo allows you to see what kind of underground part the culture has. Healers say: to get to the root system of comfrey, you need to dig a very large hole.
Larkspur grows near canals, streams, on wet lawns, in bushes.
Chemical composition
Comfrey root is the most demanded in medicine. At the same time, the whole plant has healing power. Therefore, healers often use leaves of culture for compresses for bruises and fractures.
The underground part contains many useful components:
- mucous and rubbery substances;
- alkaloids;
- carbs;
- tannins;
- organic acids.
Useful properties
Due to its composition, comfrey root is in demand in the fight against many diseases:
- Abundant mucous components give the plant an expectorant, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic effect. That is why it is used to treat the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract. It is in demand for a wide variety of internal bleeding.
- The active ingredients of the root, according to the latest scientific research, have anti-ulcer and anti-tumor activity.
- The plant is richallantoin. This component is a natural antibiotic. It allows you to effectively deal with various pathogenic bacteria that provoke purulent inflammatory processes in the body. Due to these properties, the root is widely in demand in the treatment of trophic ulcers, osteomyelitis. At the same time, it provides excellent results even in cases where traditional means do not give positive dynamics.
- But the most basic use of the root is the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is used for dislocations, sprains, fractures, torn ligaments. Due to its rich composition, it effectively reduces pain, eliminates swelling and relieves inflammation.
Medical use
Comfrey roots have a number of beneficial effects on the human body:
- bactericidal;
- regenerating;
- bone healing;
- Antineoplastic.
They are able to accelerate the process of restoration of damaged tissues, stop necrosis. But at the same time, you should know that the plant is quite poisonous. In addition, the alkaloids that make up the culture can have a paralyzing effect on the central nervous system.
That is why you should resort to treatment with this plant only after consulting a doctor.
In official and folk medicine, larkspur is in demand in the fight against such ailments:
- osteochondrosis;
- any bone pathology;
- osteomyelitis;
- arthrosis, arthritis;
- inflammation of the periosteum;
- dislocations;
- gout, rheumatoid joint disease;
- bone tuberculosis;
- thrombophlebitis;
- sarcoma;
- tumors of various origins;
- peptic ulcers;
- hardening of the mammary gland in a nursing mother;
- non-healing wounds;
- angina;
- sciatica;
- sciatica;
- periodontal disease;
- impaired functioning of the musculoskeletal system;
- Metastasis of cancer cells to bones.
Let's consider how to prepare medicines from a medicinal root.
Features of the workpiece
Initially, you should properly prepare the comfrey (root). It is better to postpone treatment until the fall. Since it is recommended to dig up the roots in early November. But if therapy can't wait, then rooting takes place in spring and even summer.
The excavated part of the culture must be washed under running cold water. Then it should be dried. To do this, the root must be cut into small pieces and strung on a thread. Dry the plant in a well-ventilated area. The root is dried at a temperature of 30-400C. To do this, they resort to using a dryer.
Water infusion
Now that you have the raw materials ready, you can proceed to the process of making the medicine.
Prepare the remedy as follows:
- Chop comfrey root. This component will need 2 tsp
- Pour raw materials with cold water (1 l).
- The remedy is infused for 8 hours. Then carefully drain the liquid.
- The rest is poured with boiling water (1 l). The product should be infused for another 30 minutes. Carefully drain the solution again.
- It is necessary to combine both liquids (after the first and second drain).
This remedy can be used both internally and externally.
Drinking the resulting infusion is recommended when:
- digestion problems (dysentery, intestinal catarrh, diarrhea);
- diseases of the respiratory system.
Use 50 ml of medicine inside, 30 minutes before meals. During the day, you can drink the infusion up to 6 times.
The tool is also used:
- as poultices, compresses for dislocations, sprains, fractures;
- in the form of a rinse solution for sore throats, inflammation in the mouth, respiratory infections.
Tincture for compresses
The medicine is prepared somewhat differently if you plan to use comfrey root exclusively for external purposes.
Preparation of tincture:
- Chop the root thoroughly. Take 3 tbsp. l. cooked raw materials.
- Pour boiling water (0.5 l).
- The solution should be infused in a thermos for 30 minutes.
Use this remedy in the form of compresses for treatment:
- sprains, joint pain, dislocations, fractures;
- skin diseases;
- festering wounds.
Decoction of larkspur
A highly sought-after drugis the following remedy:
- Take the crushed root (1 tablespoon).
- Pour raw materials with cool water (0.5 l).
- For 5 minutes, the solution must be boiled over low heat.
- Then the decoction must be infused for 1 hour.
This medicine is used for therapy:
- various gastrointestinal pathologies (gastritis, ulcers);
- hypertension;
- internal bleeding;
- respiratory diseases.
It is recommended to use 100 ml of the received product. During the day, you need to take the medicine up to 4 times.
Alcohol tincture
For the preparation of a product for internal use, it is advisable to use alcohol or vodka 40%. If the medicine is intended for external purposes, then you can take stronger alcohol - 70 percent.
Alcohol tincture from comfrey roots is prepared as follows:
- Take raw materials. It is best to take the root of a mature plant. The older the culture, the stronger its medicinal properties. Clean the fresh root. Rinse it in several waters.
- Chop thoroughly using a grater or meat grinder.
- Put the resulting gruel (100 g) into a glass jar.
- Fill raw materials with vodka (0.5 l). If you use alcohol, then initially dilute it to 40%.
- Shake the product, stir it well. Put the solution in a dark place. Do not store it in the refrigerator.
- The medicine should be infused for 2 weeks. By this time, the root will completely settle. And the liquid will getbrown shade, reminiscent of tea. It is slightly slippery to the touch. The medicine is ready. It is necessary to carefully, without stirring the solution, drain the liquid.
- Thick again fill with vodka (0.5 l). And put it in a dark place. You will have a new dose of medicine in 14 days. Raw materials can be used 3 times.
Take tincture for a variety of ailments:
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- tuberculosis;
- diseases of the respiratory system;
- oncology of the lungs, prostate, mammary glands;
- Metastasis to bone tissue.
It can be used externally to treat ailments of the musculoskeletal system. Tincture will alleviate the suffering of the patient with diseases of the teeth, pathologies of the oral cavity. In addition, it is often used as a gargle.
Use the tincture as follows:
- 10 drops of medicine diluted in 1 tbsp. l. water;
- take 2 times a day 1 hour before meals.
It is strictly forbidden to increase the concentration of the drug. It should not be forgotten that comfrey is poisonous.
Preparation of ointment
The healing properties of comfrey are estimated by official medicine. This is confirmed by the well-known "Doctor Theiss Ointment". This development of German pharmacologists made us take a closer look at the medicinal properties of larkspur.
You can make no less healing ointment yourself:
- Comfrey roots must be ground into powder.
- Prepare the ingredients. You will need root powder andpork lard, in a ratio of 1: 1. Just don't mix them.
- Late must be melted first.
- Then inject the larkspur powder into the fat.
- Boil the remedy for 10 minutes.
- Allow the ointment to cool.
- To achieve the desired consistency, add camphor oil to the product.
Ointment is used for rubbing into sore joints. It effectively relieves inflammation, eliminates puffiness. They resort to her help with severe joint pain.
Comfrey with milk
Let's consider another fairly effective recipe.
The tool is made like this:
- Crushed root (40 g) is poured with fresh milk (1 l).
- The product must be infused (in a sealed container) in the oven at a temperature of 800C.
- The duration of languishing is 6-7 hours.
The resulting medicine is used to treat kidney and lung pathologies. It is recommended to take 1 tsp. three times a day.
Comfrey root: contraindications
It should be remembered that, despite its healing power, larkspur is poisonous. That is why, if you are considering therapy with such a remedy as comfrey root, be sure to discuss the use, contraindications of this culture with the doctor.
Larkskin is prohibited under the following conditions:
- pregnancy (it can provoke uterine contractions);
- hypotension (the root provides pressure reduction).
In addition, one should not uncontrollablyapply comfrey. Do not forget that it is quite toxic. It is not recommended to take medicine based on livestock for a long time. As a rule, optimal therapy lasts 10-20 days.
