COMFREY Potential problems
Here info on possible effects of comfrey.
Comprey (syymphytum officinale) and Pyrrolizidine
Alkaloids.
Pyrrolizidine Alkaioids (pA’s) are found in over 300
species of plants of the gunius Heliotropium,
Crotiana, Senecui and Symphytum (Comprey)
Veno-occlusive liver diesease (characterized by vien
blocking)was obstensively observed in Jamacia due to
the consumption of Senecio or crotalaria spp. as a
bush tea. Similar outbreaks of liver disease were also
observed in areas of Africa, and south and north
America. In 1975 an outbreak of liver poisoning in
Afghanstan in which 1630 of 7200 inhabitants were
affected , due to ingestion of PAs from
Heliotropiumspp, in contaminated bread. Similarly 67
people in India were affected by cereal contaminated
by seeds of a plant of the crotalaria spp. Several
cases of Veno-occlusive disease from ingestion from
PAs from herbal teas and Compfrey leaf have been
reported. In one case a woman died from
Hepaticveno-occlusiveafter ingestion over 2 years of
small amlunts of PAsin Mate (Ilex paraguariensis)
Portal hypertension associated with obliteration of
the smaller hepatic vein occured after ingestion of a
dietary supplement containing Comfrey and pepsin 85 mg
of PS had been consumed over a six month period.