AOR’s Chanca Piedra is the Spanish common name for the herb Phyllanthis niruri, which is traditionally used in Ayurveda as a diuretic (Mutrala) to help relieve mild urinary tract infections.
Chanca piedra literally means “to break stone, which is an apt name as it is best known for its ability to 'break' gallstones and kidney stones.
This plant has been used for over 2000 years to treat a wide variety of conditions and diseases including influenza, tumours, diabetes, jaundice, gallstones, kidney stones and upset stomachs. More recently, Chanca Piedra has become well known for its effectiveness in treating liver toxicity, viruses like hepatitis B, and possibly even high blood pressure and malaria.

The extract of the leaves of Chanca Piedra contains various biologically active chemicals that have been associated with a wide variety of effects. Many different classes of organic compounds of medicinal interest have been reported, including alkaloids, flavonoids, lactones, steroids, terpenoids, lignans, tannins, with lignans, triterpenes, alkaloids, and tannins generally being the most abundant. Although this sounds very complicated, it is this diverse mix of chemicals that gives Chanca Piedra the ability to treat a wide range of problems.

• dilates urinary tract vessels
• helps pass gallstones and kidney stones
• protects the liver from toxins
• anti-viral

background reading
Antiviral Properties
One of the most impressive applications of Chanca Piedra is in the treatment of certain viruses, particularly hepatitis B. Infection with hepatitis B is always associated with the presence of a certain surface antigen on the liver cells called Hep B Surface Antigen or HBsAg. Both In-vitro and In-vivo studies have reported that Chanca Piedra exhibits marked anti-HBsAg activity on the surface of liver cells. Authors of several studies postulate that Chanca Piedra may inhibit proliferation of the virus by inhibiting replication of the genetic material of the virus.

Hepatitis B is not the only virus that can potentially be treated by Chanca Piedra. Evidence suggests that the virus-inhibiting ability of Chanca piedra extract is related to its alkaloid components.

Liver Protection
In addition to protecting the liver from viruses like hepatitis B, Chanca piedra has also been documented to protect the liver from damage by a variety of chemical liver toxins. 

Kidney Stones and Gallstones
Another well documented application of Chanca piedra extract is for the treatment of kidney and gall stones. In South America, Phyllanthis niruri is commonly known as “Chanca Piedre” which in the local dialect of Spanish means, “to break stone”. The ability of Chanca piedra extract to inhibit the growth of kidney stones has been clearly demonstrated in both animals and humans. A study examining calcium excretion has shown that Chanca piedra extract significantly decreases calcium levels in the urine and inhibits the internalization of calcium oxalate crystals, which are the building blocks of kidney stones. 

In addition to its ability to inhibit crystal internalization , Chanca piedra's ability to treat kidney stones may be further enhanced by the powerful muscle relaxant, activity of one of the constituents of Chanca piedra, phyllanthin. Relaxation of the smooth muscle of the kidney tubules and ureter may help to expel stones.

In conclusion
Extracts of Chanca piedra have a wide variety of therapeutic applications. Results of animal studies and human clinical trials have provided compelling evidence of PN’s effectiveness in the treatment of hepatitis B and kidney stones. Other beneficial effects of PN are still being investigated, but the potential of its use in the treatment of malaria and other disorders such as diabetes and hypertension are promising.

PN also known as Chanca Piedra, has become well known for its effectiveness in treating several conditions including: urogenital conditions, gallstones and kidney stones, liver toxicity, viruses like hepatitis B, and possibly even high blood pressure and malaria.