![]() ![]() Further to that in 2008 the FDA looked at PA in comfrey products taken internally. Īs far as the USA FDA is concerned, on their website, comfrey does not appear as a restricted cosmetic ingredient. ![]() (2007) Comfrey extract ointment in comparison to diclofenac gel in the treatment of acute unilateral ankle sprains (distortions). (2010) Efficacy and safety of comfrey root extract ointment in the treatment of acute upper or lower back pain: results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled, multicentre trial. radix) extract ointment in the treatment of patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee: results of a double-blind, randomised, bicentre, placebo-controlled trial. (2007) Efficacy of a comfrey root (Symphyti offic. Three pharmaceutical companies (see below) are developing new ointments and would not do so if they were in doubts as to its global marketability. Phytotherapy Research Published online in Wiley Online Library ( ) DOI: 10.1002/ptr.4612 You will note that the author works for the drug company Merck who are doing clinical trials on a comfrey root ointment. The above was from a paper called Staiger, C. As a consequence there are no restrictions in Germany on these products as regards the duration of treatment (Bundesgesundheitsamt, 1992).” The application results in far below the daily allowance of 10 mg. Fully licenced medicinal products available today contain depleted or PA-free extracts. However, in Germany, the restriction limiting application to 4–6 weeks/yr applies only to preparations containing more than 10 mg, but less than 100 mg pyrrolizidine alkaloids (daily allowance Bundesgesundheitsamt, 1992). “Literature on comfrey often concentrates on PAs, recommending a restriction of the duration of treatment, also with externally applied comfrey preparations. Although Germany is reported as restricting topical comfrey, please read the following extract from the most recent 2012 research: The information on an MSDS sheet cannot be literally transferred to a finished product as, in a finished product, the ingredient is considerably diluted and also becomes part of a synergistic blend. They do not realise that information from MSDS sheets is about the ingredient in its concentrated form and is to provide health and safety advice for use by factory workers in the case of spills, etc. Many people also raise concerns after they have read MSDS sheets on the internet which warn against use on broken or irritated skin. The clinical safety is very high in these new products and comfrey ointments would certainly not be allowed by the FDA or MHRA if there were any safety concerns. They are widely used in cosmetics, herbal medicine and also in new pharmaceutical treatments for arthritis. These concerns do not apply to topical use except possibly in strong concentrations and there is no restriction on external use. Comfrey leaf skin preparations have not been shown to damage the liver. You can read more about it in this article ‘Is Comfrey Edible?’. ![]() The worry about comfrey is over products taken internally because of safety concerns with internal use. Comfrey extract also helps to renew & stabilise collagen, and maintain elastin, two critical proteins that support connective tissue and capillary walls. It binds the connective tissue together, helping your skin to remain soft and supple. Comfrey (Symphytum spp.) is used in a lot of cosmetics because it contains allantoin and is fantastic for preserving skin elasticity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |