20
&
April 2015
Herbs Promote Bone
Health
Used for centuries, plantain
and comfrey continue to offer
benefits
By Doris Settles, Staff Writer
Two herbs, one little known in
America and one so plentiful we
work hard at eliminating it, have been
used for bone health and healing for
centuries. And many still cultivate
and harvest them today for the same
reasons.
Plantain is generally
considered a weed and is
easily recognizable. It’s as
ubiquitous as broken glass
throughout both urban
and rural settings. I don’t
mean the banana-like
plantain, which is a
totally different plant.
Native Americans
called Plantago Major
“the white man’s
footprint”
because it
Plantain’s
broad,
rounded
leaves are
loaded with
iron and other
important
vitamins
and
minerals.
seemed to follow European settlement. Plantain’s broad, rounded
leaves are loaded with iron and other
important vitamins and minerals.
The leaves are tastiest when small and
tender, usually in the spring. Bigger
leaves are still edible
but they tend
to be
bitter and tough. The
shoots of the broadleaf
plantain when green and
tender and no longer than
about 4 inches are called
poor man’s asparagus. Pan fry
them in olive oil for just a few
seconds to bring out this taste.
Plantain helps heal wounds,
cuts and scratches. Because it is
found in high-traffic areas around
playgrounds, baseball fields and
parks, it is easy to grab, crush and
use. Since it contains epidermal
growth factor, it can be used in place
of comfrey to repair damaged tissue,
treat bruises and broken bones.
Which brings us to the second
herb, comfrey, which is well known
and prized in Britain and Europe. Its
blue/purple to pink/white funnelshaped flowers rise from its
thick roots and large, bristled,
tapering leaves. Its roots and
rhizomes are generally used,
but its leaves are also prized as com-
post activators and for use in poultices and salves. A sweet, cooling herb
with astringent, soothing and healing
effects, it reduces inflammation and
bleeding. With allantoin, mucilage,
tannins, triterpenes and organic acids,
comfrey is a superb wound-healing
herb, and indeed it is also called knitbone for its bone-healing properties.
For centuries, comfrey and plantain
were made into teas to drink, but high
levels of Pyrrolizidine alkaloids can
be carcinogenic and cause liver damage, so taking either herb internally
is not considered a good idea today.
Externally, infusions, poultices and
salves of both herbs – perhaps combined with other anti-inflammatory
healing herbs such as rosemary,
mint and yarrow – are commonly
used for bruises, psoriasis, eczema,
varicose veins, arthritis and injuries,
including fractures and bone surgeries. The poultice can be so effective in
healing that using it on deep wounds
is discouraged because rapid healing on top of a wound can lead to an
abscess.
With spring upon us, it’s time to
start checking out the plantain growing in your own yard and consider
planting comfrey. It’s a beautiful plant
as well as very useful. But beware:
Plant comfrey in a spot where you
want it to stay, because it is tenacious.
And be sure to get the Bocking 14
variety, because any other will spread
seeds near and far.
Comfrey
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