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12 Powerful Chanca Piedra

Benefits + Dosage & Side Effects
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Ritter, PharmD, PhD

(Pharmacology) | Reviewed by Ana Aleksic, MSc
(Pharmacy) | Written by Anastasia Naoum, MS (health
informatics) | Last updated: June 25, 2019

Chanca piedra long remained a well-kept secret,

though it was widely used in both Amazonian and
Ayurvedic medicine. While its name translates to
“stone breaker,” this herb can also protect the
liver, lower in�ammation, help with diabetes, and
combat infections. Find out if it can really clear
your kidney stones, and learn more about its
bene�ts and possible side e�ects.

What is Chanca Piedra?

Chanca piedra is part of a big plant family known as

Phyllanthus. These plants grow in tropical regions all
over the world – from China to India to the vast and
largely unexplored rainforests of the Amazon.
“Phyllanthus” simply means “leaf and �ower,” because
the �owers (and fruits) of these plants are joined
together with the leaves [1].

The myriad of chanca piedra’s folk uses re�ect this

plant’s incredible geographical and herbal diversity.

In India, Phyllanthus plants were traditionally used for

liver and kidney diseases. In the rest of Asia, they are
considered a remedy for digestive disorders, while in
South America folks use them for urinary tract
infections. In Africa, on the other hand, they’re deemed
useful for malaria and wound healing [2, 3].

And if you think these uses sound too wide-ranging for

just one plant species, you’re right. In reality, two
di�erent species – Phyllanthus niruri and Phyllanthus
amarus – are both referred to as chanca piedra or
“stone breaker” [2, 3].

The �rst thrives in humid, warm places and likes a bit of

shade. Its exact origin is a mystery, but it �ourishes in
the Amazonian rainforest, India, China, the Philippines,
and even the Bahamas. The second also grows in the
Amazon, but it originates from Asia and South Africa [1,
4, 5].

The “Stone Breaker”

Chanca piedra is well-known for dissolving kidney

stones. Research has revealed it can also protect the
liver, �ght infections, and lower oxidative stress and
in�ammation. Plus, it contains some cancer-�ghting
compounds that have yet to be further explored [6, 1, 2,
7].

A while ago, Brazilian teams set out to conduct

medically-oriented research about chanca piedra for
the �rst time. They wanted to understand the traditional
use of this plant by indigenous people. But despite their
e�orts, few records of its folk use in the Amazonian
region exist [8].
In Brazil, people call it “Quebra Pedra,” which means
“stone breaker” in Portuguese. They consider it an
excellent remedy for a range of kidney disorders [8].

Its use in Ayurvedic traditional medicine is well-

documented. In Ayurveda, chanca piedra has been
used for [1, 5, 9, 10]:

Jaundice and fever

Malaria
Diabetes
Skin diseases
Digestive complaints (such as constipation, pain, IBD,
and indigestion)
Sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea)
Urinary tract infections
Menstrual problems

Chanca piedra is also used in cosmetic, dental, and skin

care products, including hair dye, face creams, and
toothpaste [11].

Bioactive Components

All chanca piedra species are abundant in bioactive

components, which carry their health bene�ts. The most
important ones are [1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]:

Tannins (geraniin, corilagin), which can �ght viruses,

bacteria, and free radicals; they also help prevent
cancer
Lignans (phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin), which have
anticancer properties.
Flavonoids (gallocatechin, rutin, quercetin,
kaempferol) which have anti-in�ammatory and
antioxidant properties.

Snapshot

Here’s an overview of the health bene�ts and risks of

chanca piedra [1, 6, 19, 5, 20, 9, 10]:
PROs

Dissolves kidney stones

Supports liver detox
Helps with diabetes
Fights infections
Lowers in�ammation, pain, and oxidative stress
May protect the stomach and heart
May �ght cancer

CONs

May cause infertility

Possible drug interactions
Likely unsafe for pregnant women
Insu�cient research for many traditional uses

Chanca Piedra Health Benefits

1) Dissolves Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are deposits of minerals and salts that

build up in the kidneys or urinary tract. In clinical studies
with over 200 people with kidney stones, chanca piedra
(Phyllanthus niruri) reduced their kidney stones,
helping to clear the minerals and salt deposits [21, 22,
23, 24, 25, 26].

Chanca piedra may truly act as a “stone crusher.”

According to rat and cell-based studies, it might
dissolve kidney stones by [27, 28, 23, 25, 29, 26]:

Blocking the growth and the clustering of salts that

form kidney stones
Dissolving already formed kidney stones
Clearing this dissolved mixture of salts and minerals
from kidney stones (uric acid, oxalate, potassium,
calcium, and magnesium) and helping eliminate them
by promoting urination

Overall, the available evidence suggests it works.

More clinical studies are desperately needed, but

chanca piedra appears to be a promising herbal
remedy for clearing kidney stones naturally.

2) Protects the Liver

In clinical studies with over 3.5k people, chanca piedra

blocked the growth and division of the hepatitis B virus,
reduced virus levels in the blood (HBsAg) and
recovered liver function [30, 31, 32, 33, 34].

However, in several studies with over 1K people with

hepatitis B, antiviral drugs worked better than chanca
piedra [35, 36, 37].

In a clinical study with 100 people with hepatitis C,

chanca piedra increased an immense number of
important antioxidant compounds (superoxide
dismutase, catalase, glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin E). It
also decreased oxidative stress and prevented liver
damage [38].

In animal and cellular studies, chanca piedra prevented

liver injury caused by toxins, drugs or alcohol and
protected liver function by lowering oxidative stress
and blocking harmful compounds [, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43,
44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49].

Traditionally, chanca piedra has been used for reducing

jaundice, a yellowing of the skin related to liver
problems [5, 50, 51].

What does chanca piegdra do to enhance liver function

and reduce damage?

Overall, it protects the liver by [30, 31, 52, 39, 40, 53, 54,
55, 56]:
 Decreasing enzymes linked to liver damage (ALT,
AST)
Reducing bilirubin levels, high levels of which
indicate liver disease
“De-blocking” liver detox pathways; it blocks an
enzyme that reverses the detoxifying process of
glucuronidation (beta-glucuronidase)
Increasing antioxidant enzymes (superoxide
dismutase, catalase, glutathione)
Lowering oxidative stress and in�ammation

To sum it up, chanca piedra may help combat viral

hepatitis, but it’s probably not superior to
conventional antivirals. It also helps clear toxins and
supports healthy liver function.

3) May Help with Diabetes

In clinical studies with 30 people,chanca piedra (the

Phyllanthus amarus species) lowered their blood sugar
levels. The same was con�rmed in numerous studies
with diabetic rats [57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 48, 62, 63, 64, 65,
66, 67, 68].

For one, it acts by blocking enzymes that digest

complex carbs, such as alpha-amylase. Subsequently, it
delays sugar absorption and may prevent spikes in
sugar levels after a meal. Secondly, it increases sugar
storage in the liver, which reduces blood sugar levels [4,
69, 59, 70].

4) May Keep Your Heart Healthy

Chanca piedra lowered high blood pressure in clinical

studies with over 1K people [57, 71, 72].

This bene�t was explored in detail in animal studies. In

rats and mice, chanca piedra had powerful lipid-
balancing e�ects; it reduced total cholesterol,
triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and it
increased HDL cholesterol. Balanced blood lipid levels
are key to preventing heart disease [39, 73, 74, 63, 65,
75, 76, 67].

In other studies on rabbits, rats, and cells, chanca

piedra reduced blood pressure, prevented excessive
platelet clumping, relaxed blood vessels, and improved
heart function [77, 78, 79, 80, 68].

It might also keep your heart healthy by decreasing

enzymes that signal oxidative stress, heart or tissue
damage (such as dehydrogenase, creatine
phosphokinase, and alkaline phosphatase) [57, 39, 73,
81, 78].

All in all, chanca piedra is good for the heart. It may

lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart damage
while relaxing and protecting your blood vessels.
Clinical studies are still limited, though.

5) May Protect the Gut and Stomach

In a clinical study of 30 children with viral diarrhea,

chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) improved symptoms
such as stool consistency, fever, vomiting, stomach pain,
loss of appetite, and dehydration. Overall, it worked
better than the placebo [82].

Plus, the other chanca piedra species (Phyllanthus

amarus) delayed diarrhea onset in mice; in mice with
diarrhea, it normalized bowel movements [83].

In rats and mice, chanca piedra prevented stomach

damage and ulcers caused by various harmful
substances; it also decreased stomach in�ammation
[84, 52, 85, 86, 87, 88].

There’s more.

Chanca piedra contains powerful antioxidants: rutin and

quercitrin (a cousin of the better-known quercetin).
These active compounds helped with in�ammatory
bowel disease and diarrhea in rats [89, 90, 91].

6) May Reduce Pain and Swelling

In a clinical study of 33 people with nerve damage
caused by diabetes (also known as diabetic
neuropathy), chanca piedra decreased pain and the
sensation of numbness, tingling, and in the legs [92].

According to studies in mice and rats, it blocks pain

signals and swelling indirectly: by lowering in�ammatory
compounds that build up around nerves [93, 94, 95, 96,
85, 84, 97, 98, 99].

7) Helps Fight Infections

In mice and cells, chanca piedra inhibited the growth of

various bacteria, fungi, and parasites, including those
that cause malaria, snail fever, and infections of the
urinary tract, bowel, stomach, blood and skin
(Plasmodium species, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus,
Enterobacter, Bacillus, Salmonella, Streptococcus,
Helicobacter pylori , Candida) [100, 101, 102, 103, 104,
105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111].

Furthermore, in cells, it blocked the replication of

hepatitis C and hepatitis B, HIV-1, herpes virus (HSV-1)
and dengue virus [55, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 56,
119, 120, 121, 122, 123].

To sum it up, chanca piedra can �ght incredibly diverse

types of infections. However, its e�cacy in humans is
unknown as the available data are limited to animal and
cell-based studies.

8) May Fight Cancer

Scientists recently uncovered that chanca piedra

contains some interesting anti-cancer compounds.
Studies are ongoing, but so far this e�ect has only been
tested in animals and cells.

In mice and rats, chanca piedra blocked cancer growth,

reduced tumors and increased survival rates [124, 125,
126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132].

In test tubes, it prevented the growth and spread of

di�erent cancer cells (lung, breast, colorectal, liver,
ovarian, skin, pancreas, brain), triggering their death [16,
133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 128, 138, 139, 140, 141].

It’s unknown if chanca piedra has any anti-cancer

e�ects in humans.

9) May Lower Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Chanca piedra reduced oxidative stress and lowered

in�ammation in rats, mice, and cell-based studies [142,
124, 143, 144, 140, 105, 84, 145, 146, 147,].

This herb acts by [142, 148, 124, 143, 85, 84, 145, 146,
147]:

Increasing important antioxidant, detoxifying

compounds (superoxide dismutase, catalase,
glutathione)
Lowering key in�ammatory cytokines, enzymes, and
messengers (TNF-a, IL-1 beta, bradykinin,
prostaglandin, Cox-2, NF-κB)
Increasing IL-4, which can act as an anti-in�ammatory
cytokine
Activating immune cells (lymphocytes and other
white blood cells)

10) May Protect the Brain

In mice, chanca piedra improved memory and reversed

amnesia [149].

To understand how it might act, we’re going to dive into

neuroscience a bit, so bear with us.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter mainly used by the

rest-and-digest nervous system. It supports cholinergic
activity in the body that counters your �ght-or-�ight
response. Acetylcholine is extremely important for
memory, focus, and good cognitive function [150].

Chanca piedra may work by blocking the enzymes that

break down acetylcholine (acetylcholinesterase and
butyrylcholinesterase). In turn, it might boost
acetylcholine levels in the brain, which would be useful
to people with Alzheimer’s disease [151, 152].

And while this is promising, remember that the research

is still preliminary. We have yet to see clinical studies of
chanca piedra in people with cognitive dysfunction.

11) May Protect from Radiation

In mice and cells, chanca piedra (Phyllanthus amarus)

prevented radiation damage by lowering oxidative
stress and increasing antioxidants compounds in blood
and liver [153, 154, 155].

With more research, it might be used to reduce the side

e�ects of radiation therapy in cancer patients.

12) May Promote Hair Growth

In one study, researchers gave testosterone to mice to

induce baldness. Chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri)
blocked an enzyme (5α-reductase) involved in baldness
and increased the animals’ hair growth. Since
overactivity of this enzyme is thought to underlie
baldness in men, chanca piedra might turn out to be a
targeted remedy for hair re-growth [156].

This may sound like great news to many, but we still

don’t know if it can enhance hair growth in humans.

13) Other Traditional Uses

The bene�ts below have been brought up in literature

and are supported by traditional use, but there are no
scienti�c studies about them [1, 5, 9, 10, 19, 157, 50]:
 Jaundice
Fever
Skin diseases (scabies, rash)
Cough
Asthma and lung in�ammation (bronchitis)
Ringworm
Eye and mouth in�ammation
Constipation and low stomach acid
Sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis, gonorrhea)
Urinary tract infections
Menstrual problems
Anemia
Leprosy
Anorexia

Chanca Piedra Side Effects & Precautions

One species of chanca piedra – Phyllanthus niruri – is

safe and non-toxic. Common side e�ects are mild and
include [32, 25, 23 158]:

Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Headache or dizziness

However, the other species – Phyllanthus amarus –

could be toxic in high doses. It enlarged blood vessels
and caused kidney damage in rats and mice [159, 160,
161].

Pregnant women and women taking fertility-

enhancing drugs should avoid taking chanca piedra.
Traditionally, this plant was used for abortions and may
cause abnormalities with the fetus. It should also not be
taken while breastfeeding or by children due to the
lack of safety data in these two populations. Although
there is no clinical evidence, chanca piedra lowered
both male and female fertility in mice [1, 162, 163, 164].

Drug Interactions
Consult your doctor before supplementing with
chanca piedra if you are on medication. Chanca piedra
(Phyllanthus amarus) inhibits the activity of the CYP540
family of liver enzymes that break down (or activate)
drugs (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP2B1/2,
and CYP3A4). Inhibition of these enzymes may cause
unpredictable drug interactions (e.g. with midazolam,
some antidepressants, beta-blockers, statins, warfarin,
and anti-seizure drugs) [165, 137, 166].

Additionally, chanca piedra may reduce blood sugar

levels. Its combination with anti-diabetes therapies (e.g.
glimepiride, insulin, rosiglitazone, tolbutamide) might
cause excessive drops in blood sugar levels [57, 58, 59].

Since chanca piedra may reduce blood pressure, it may

also increase the e�ects of blood pressure-lowering
drugs [57, 71, 72].

Chanca piedra (Phyllanthus amarus) can increase

urination and interfere with the e�ects of water pills
(diuretics); this can result in additional �uid loss [57, 29].

This herb may also counter the e�ects of

norepinephrine. Norepinephrine constricts blood
vessels, while chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri)
contains a compound that can relax them [79].

Limitations and Caveats

Studies about the bene�ts of the chanca piedra are

limited; many are reviews and historical documents
rather than clinical trials.

Furthermore, the few clinical trials that were carried out

had a small number of participants and some of their
�ndings are debatable.

Additional research on the bene�ts and side e�ects of

chanca piedra should be encouraged.

Chanca Piedra Dosage & Supplementation

Chanca piedra is available in various forms, including
liquid drops, capsules, tablets, tea, and powder [1, 6, 23,
24].

However, the preparation of these products varies from

brand to brand. Some products may not be
standardized.

Dosage

For Kidney Stones and Liver Support

The dosage varied in studies and depends on the form

of supplementation and the product.

For kidney stones and supporting liver function, the

recommended dosage is [23, 24, 19]:

1 – 2 capsules (400 – 500 mg chanca piedra extract

per capsule) daily between meals or
30 – 60 drops (chanca piedra extract), 3 times a day,
30 minutes before meals or 2 hours after meals

For Other Health Benefits

For lowering blood pressure, 100 g of chanca piedra

powder should be diluted in 2 L of water. It’s
recommended to drink 500 mL of the mixture daily, for
one to 10 weeks [72].

For lowering blood sugar, you can dilute 12.5 g of

chanca piedra powder in 100 ml of water; according to
the clinical studies, you should drink this mix two times
a day, for one to 10 weeks [58].

User Experiences

Most users were impressed with chanca piedra, as it

dissolved their kidney stones or gallstones and relieved
them from pain and discomfort. A few users reported
slight diarrhea or dizziness after taking the supplement.

Buy Chanca Piedra

Amazon or iHerb

TA K E - AWAY :

Chanca piedra is a medicinal herb used for over

2,000 years for a variety of diseases, including
jaundice, kidney stones, gut disorders, and malaria.
It is used by folk healers in the Amazon and
Ayurvedic practitioners alike.

Clinical studies con�rm its “stone-breaking” ability

and also support its use for liver detox, viral
hepatitis, diabetes, and infections. For kidney
stones, chanca piedra is best taken as an extract at
a dosage of 400-1000 mg/day.

Animal and cell-based studies reveal chanca piedra

contains powerful antioxidant, anti-in�ammatory,
anti-cancer, and antibacterial compounds. However,
few clinical studies have been carried out. Based on
the available evidence, this herb cannot be
con�dently recommended for most conditions.

Furthermore, chanca piedra is not safe for pregnant

women and can interact with various drugs. Consult
a healthcare professional before you use chanca
piedra if you are taking medication.
  

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About the Author

Anastasia Naoum, MS (health

informatics)
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