In folk medicine, comfrey was a common feature among those in Europe. Known as “knitbone."

It can be used in gardening as a fertilizer as well as an herb.

Comfrey products such as poultices, ointments and salves have been used as herbal remedies because of the plant’s ability to reduce inflammation and urge healing. 

It’s not just humans who can benefit from comfrey — in 2014, researchers in Taiwan looked at the ability of its leaves to alleviate UV damage to the fins of zebrafish, suggesting it as a potential development for an agent to protect zebrafish embryos from future damage.

There is also preliminary research on the development of comfrey extract in creating an anticancer drug to combat prostate cancer. An animal study found very promising results — although it’s very important to note here that this does not mean you should ever ingest it. Controlled research in a lab of a chemically-extracted component of the plant is extremely different than just eating or drinking the substance.