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| frey has been among the most widely used medicinal herbs in Europe and the United States with no adverse side effects ever reported. However, in 1984 a woman who had been taking comfrey-pepsin tablets developed liver toxicity and soon warnings of every description appeared in the media. Since then, three additional cases of liver disease have been found in people who took comfrey. Because of the laboratory rat test results and because the FDA has published warnings about the herb based on these four cases, some herbalists no longer recommend comfrey. However, since none of the four human cases of liver disease were proved to be caused by comfrey and because thousands of tons of the herb have been consumed by hundreds of thousands of people with only good results reported, others continue to use it. A middle approach, which I share, is to substitute another herb in cases of liver disease but to recommend comfrey as part of an herbal therapy for lung diseases, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory problems. |
| Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia). |
| Echinacea is a bestseller because it works. An antimicrobial herb, which means it has antibiotic properties, echinacea is a popular ingredient in preparations that fight colds and flu. It supports and strengthens the immune system and helps reduce sinus congestion. A specific for colds and flu, especially when taken frequently in large doses at the onset of symptoms, echinacea plays an important supporting role in treating asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, whooping cough, croup, hay fever and other respiratory disorders. |
| Elder Flowers, Leaves and Berries (Sambucus nigra). |
| The attractive black elder tree has new friends all over the world. Its berries recently made headlines as a cure for the flu, its leaves have expectorant properties and its flowers fight congestion and muscle spasms. |
| Madeleine Mumcuoglu, an Israeli scientist, developed a syrup made from elderberries that has been shown in clinical tests to prevent and treat influenza. Sambucol syrup and loz- |
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