Interestingly, this is a product that Dr Polevoy lambasted
the infamous Christine McPhee for advertising on her infomercials
4 years ago.
http://www.canada.com/health/story.html?id=F2CB267E-67BD-40E6-B02D-E9FD5C90347B
HELEN BRANSWELL
Canadian Press
Friday, December 12, 2003
ADVERTISEMENT
"TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada issued an advisory Friday warning consumers
not to use the herb comfrey or any health products made from comfrey because
they might contain a compound that could cause liver damage.
The compound is echimidine. While not all comfrey products contain
echimidine, some products do not specify the type of comfrey they contain.
"Therefore, consumers are advised to avoid all products containing comfrey,"
the department said in a statement.
Comfrey is sometimes identified by a variety of other names including: ass
ear, black root, bruisewort, boneset, gum plant, knitbone, healing herb and
consolida.
There have been several international reports linking ingestion of comfrey
to liver damage. No cases of liver toxicity due to comfrey have been
reported in Canada.
The statement also warned against applying creams or lotions containing
comfrey to broken skin."