Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
What is chanca piedra?
Chanca piedra is a small tropical weed, Phyllanthus niruri. The whole dried plant is used as a tea, capsule or liquid extract. Its Spanish and Portuguese names both mean "stone breaker".
People take it mainly for kidney stones. It is also used for gallstones, liver complaints, gout and blood sugar.
Here is the honest verdict. Human evidence is thin and mixed, and a few small trials only hint at help with stones. Long use in tradition is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
How is it supposed to work?
No one has shown how it works in people. Most claims rest on lab dishes and animal work.
In test tubes, extracts slow the growth and clumping of calcium oxalate crystals. Those crystals make up most kidney stones. Whether the same thing happens inside a human kidney is not known.
In small human studies, urine chemistry shifted a little, such as lower urinary calcium. That is a measurement, not proof that fewer stones form.
In animals it appears to raise urine output slightly. That may help flush out grit.
Lab tests also point to antioxidant action and effects that calm inflammation (swelling). In cell studies, extracts slow the hepatitis B virus. None of that has been confirmed as a benefit in people.
What forms is it sold in?
- Dried loose herb and tea bags, brewed as an infusion - Capsules and tablets of powdered herb - Alcohol tinctures and glycerine extracts
- Standardised extracts, usually labelled for lignan content - Blended "kidney" or "liver" formulas, often mixed with other herbs
Blends are harder to judge. If a product holds six herbs, you cannot tell which one caused a benefit or a side effect.
Labels in some markets use the names quebra-pedra, bhumyamalaki or gale of the wind. Related Phyllanthus species are sometimes sold under the same common name.
Where does it come from?
Healers in the Amazon basin, Peru and Brazil used the plant for urinary gravel and stones. That use gave the plant its name. Records of this folk use go back several centuries.
It was also given in those traditions for jaundice, fevers and stomach upsets. In Ayurveda, the same plant is known as bhumyamalaki and was used for liver and digestive complaints.
The plant moved into the wider supplement trade in the late twentieth century. These are historical uses, described here as history, not as a plan for treating yourself.
When to see a doctor
Get emergency help now if you have:
- Severe pain in your side or back that comes in waves - Fever or chills with that pain - Vomiting that will not stop - Blood in your urine - Little or no urine passed
Stop the herb and see a doctor soon if you notice:
- Yellow skin or eyes, or dark urine - Easy bruising or bleeding - Repeated dizziness or faintness - Signs of low blood sugar, such as shakiness, sweating or confusion - A rash or swelling after taking it
Tell your doctor or pharmacist that you are taking it, especially before surgery or a scan.
In the United States it is sold as a dietary supplement, not an approved medicine. In the UK and the EU it is sold as a food supplement. No regulator has approved it to treat kidney stones or any other disease.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
One email with the summary. We'll also send a short weekly evidence update — unsubscribe any time.
