Chanca piedra (Phyllantus niruri) is an herb indigenous to the Amazon and also found in the Bahamas, southern India, and China. The Spanish name for this plant is “stone breaker” or “shatter stone”. Not surprisingly, this plant is still used in the Amazons as well as in some South American major cities to eliminate kidney stones and gallstones.
Since the mid-1960s, chanca piedra has been researched due to its rich, interesting constituents and pharmacological activities. Many of the active constituents are attributed to biologically active lignans, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, ellagitannins, and many more.
In 1990, the Paulista School of Medicine in São Paulo, Brazil, implemented the use of chanca piedra to humans and rats with kidney stones. They were given a tea of chanca piedra for one to three months and favorable outcomes were seen. The tea promoted the elimination of kidney stones and an increase in urine, sodium, and creatine excretion.
In a 1999, in vitro clinical study, liquid extract of chanca piedra clearly demonstrated the ability to block the development of calcium oxalate crystals (the source of most kidney stones), which shows this plant to be a useful, effective, and preventive agent for people with a history of renal calculi (kidney stones).
In 2002, Indian researchers reported the ability of chanca piedra to increase bile acid secretions in the gallbladder and significantly decreased cholesterol levels in mice. Other studies have demonstrated the liver-protecting activity of chanca piedra. Several in vitro studies have also shown chanca piedra’s effectiveness to protect against liver damage from various chemical liver toxins. In Europe, British researchers have reported that children with hepatitis had liver function returned to normal within five days.
Chanca piedra is a good example of an herb that offers many health benefits due to its rich, complicated, and biological activities. More research is needed and should be performed in order to increase the understanding and therapeutic applications of this magnificent plant.
Renzo J. Bustamante-Wendorff, B.S., M.S.
Research & Development
Source: Leslie Taylor, ND., The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs
