Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Good things to know »  Poisonous plants easily mistaken for harmless ones » Comfrey (properly “Symphytum spp.” (Boraginaceae))

Comfrey (properly “Symphytum spp.” (Boraginaceae))

Perennial plant originating in Caucasus Region, which grows to a height of approximately 60 to 90 cm. In early spring it blooms a white to light purple hanging bell-like flower. In the 1970s, it became very popular as a healthy vegetable in Japan and was cultivated in household gardens. Its young leaves were eaten as tempura, it was also lightly boiled seasoned with say sauce or sauteed. Comfrey and similar are known to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). If these pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are ingested excessively for a longer period of time, they cause liver disorder and others. Germany and Australia have standards for allowed consumption quantity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. In Japan, food poisoning caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids contained in comfrey and similar are not known, however, on June 18, 2004, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare decided to prohibit sales of comfrey and beverages that contained it. If currently cultivated in a household vegetable garden, it might be better not to ingest it.


Comfrey
Comfrey
Comfrey leaves
Comfrey leaves

 

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