It’s not often you hear someone calling a plant a “stone breaker”! Chanca piedra is the actual name of this botanical, and it’s a known cornerstone in Indigenous Amazonian medicine. If it suits your needs, our Toronto area functional medicine clinicians can integrate this medicinal supplement into a personalized wellness strategy.
Traditional healers across the Amazon, Andes, and Caribbean use it as an herbal infusion to support digestion, detoxification, and urinary health. Chanca piedra was even considered a household medicine for common ailments, like fevers and intestinal parasites. Due to the fact that it grows easily and abundantly, this botanical medicine has become a vital part of Indigenous self-care and survival medicine.
You might relate to this article if you’re seeking adjunctive inflammation and detox therapies, especially to assist kidney, liver and digestive health. In this post, we describe some of chanca piedra’s traditional uses, its beneficial nutrients and effects, and how Amazonian medicinal plants have a role in our planet’s health.
What is chanca piedra and where does it come from?
Chanca piedra means ‘stone breaker’ in Spanish, as it customarily supported the treatment and prevention of kidney stones. After scrutinizing the plant in lab settings, scientists speculate that it can potentially inhibit stone formations in the body, helping to relax muscles in the urinary tract for stone elimination. Check out more quick facts about this plant below:
- Chanca piedra is a shrub that grows up to two feet tall with small light green flowers; the stems, flowers and leaves are used in the production of supplements. It easily thrives in rainforests, especially in disturbed soils, along riverbanks, and in forest clearings — these are often degraded areas or at risk of erosion.
- Its potential therapeutic effects are also recognized by Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic practitioners from China and India.
- Historically, Amazonian healers, Andean herbalists and coastal folk medicine practitioners arranged this plant into teas for fostering healthy digestion, easing urinary discomforts, reducing fevers, and to treat parasitic infections.
- It was traditionally prepared as alcohol tinctures or it was blended with other botanical ingredients for steam baths.
Types of nutrients it contains
Since the 1960s, this plant’s pharmacological properties have been inspected by labs. The stone breaker is impressively ladened with phytochemicals, which are natural components that can protect your cellular health from toxic environmental exposures, disease conditions, and more. Some of the phytochemicals found in chanca piedra include alkaloids, saponins, lignans, terpenes, flavonoids, tannins, and several more types! These compounds have been formally studied for demonstrating antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, and diuretic actions.
Potential health benefits
“Owing to the impressive preclinical therapeutic potential, the plant extracts from chanca Piedra have been evaluated in human trials for the treatment of hypertension, jaundice, diabetes, hypercalciuria and urolithiasis.”
– The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
As an adjuvant tool, the stone breaker may be beneficial for the body in these ways:
- Helps with optimizing kidney and urinary tract functions: Early studies insinuate that the plant can inhibit calcium oxalate crystal formation because of its alkalinizing properties. Excessive levels of uric acid and oxalates can start the formation of kidney stones – however, chanca piedra has been shown to reduce these amounts. In a study from the International Brazilian Journal of Urology: Official Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology, participants who were given the botanical remedy were able to eliminate small kidney stones.
- Liver detoxification and cellular protection: Traditional healers relied on chanca piedra for hepatoprotection, helping to protect the liver from inflammation and toxins. Today’s scientists believe that the plant’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (i.e. flavonoids and lignans) can defend liver cells from the harmful effects of oxidative stress, helping to neutralize free radicals from accumulating in the body.
- Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties: Folk medicine practitioners commonly relied on the stone breaker to treat intestinal parasites and infections – this has been validated by modern scientists. Lab tests have established that compounds from the plant promote antimicrobial and antiparasitic effects against selected bacteria, protozoa and parasites. Its polyphenol and flavonoid contents have also demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which show promise for treating chronic inflammation.
Note: Before taking this supplement, it’s advised to speak to a qualified naturopathic doctor proficient in plant-based medicine. Some nutritional / botanical supplementation can trigger medication interactions, and may not be appropriate for pregnant and/or breastfeeding individuals. Chanca piedra can interact with drugs related to blood pressure issues, blood thinning, diabetes, and lithium intake – a functional medicine clinician from our practice can help determine if this medicinal plant is suitable for you.
How using chanca piedra can impact planetary care
By supplementing with ethically sourced, sustainably-grown chanca piedra extracts, you take part in a unique cycle of healing.
Many rainforest-based supplements and teas are sourced from Amazonian farming co-ops or Indigenous-led projects. When you purchase ethically-sourced products, these funds can help support local livelihoods and acknowledge traditional knowledge. This can create economic incentives to preserve rainforests rather than clear them for industrialization. Also, due to the fact that it grows rapidly and tolerates drought, chanca piedra is a climate-resilient crop. Encouraging its growth can be helpful for protecting local water systems by reducing erosion.
It’s possible to support the healing of your mind, body, and the environment – you’re invited to experience this with our functional integrative approach today.
Suggested reading: Amazonian Lessons on Chronic Disease Management: A Functional Medicine Toronto Guide
Personalized wellness begins with our Toronto integrative and functional medicine clinic
If you’re struggling with chronic fatigue, slow illness recovery, and stress management, our integrative care may lead to beneficial results! Our clinic adheres to the principles of integrative functional medicine, and our goal is to treat the root cause of your health issues. Customizing therapies for your biology may lead to desirable health outcomes, like stress reduction, decreases in digestive dysfunctions, energy boosts, and more. When you become a patient at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, you get immediate access to:
- Comprehensive testing: Many of our laboratory testing services are not available from allopathic/western medicine clinics; we offer lab testing that scrutinizes biomarkers, which can disclose findings linked to your health troubles.
- IV Lounge treatments: Our intravenous therapy services can be accessed in our IV Lounge. Numerous IV nutrient therapies can be prescribed, especially drips with NAD+, glutathione, and vitamin C. Dosages are tailored for your biology to avoid oversupplementation. These treatments are not meant to replace healthy living – they must be combined with a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and additional formal health interventions.
- Extended sessions with our functional medicine providers: We provide our patients with ample time for appointment durations – this prevents the clinician and patient from rushing, allowing you to understand the formation of chronic conditions, how to interpret diagnostic testing results, and what you can do to promote optimal function at home.
A therapeutic partnership is fostered between our healthcare providers and patients – you can collaborate with our clinicians while you’re treatment plan is being drafted, which can help you independently support lifelong wellness. Your health strategy may contain a tailored integration of several modalities, including acupuncture, nutritional / botanical supplementation, homeopathic remedies, bio-identical hormone therapy for hormone optimization, psychotherapy, ozone/oxygen therapies, and more. Think of our vicinity as a wellness hub – an atmosphere that adapts therapies only for your uniqueness and personal reflection!
Please ask us anytime about our tailored botanical supplements – our dispensary can personalize plant remedies into oils, topicals, teas, and more. Ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced, too.
Together, let’s apply a root cause approach for wellness upgrades! Simply request an in-person or virtual session to explore our functional medicine Toronto complementary services, including naturopathic medicine, psychotherapy, rainforest-based herbal medicines, and more.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media.
References
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Dhawan S, Olweny EO. Phyllanthus niruri (stone breaker) herbal therapy for kidney stones; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy, and Google Trends analysis of public interest. Can J Urol. 2020 Apr;27(2):10162-10166. PMID: 32333735.
Johnson, Brett A., and Ryan L. Steinberg. “Over-the-Counter Remedies for Recurrent Stone Formers: Where Is the Evidence?” 2023. Journal of Urology, vol. 209, no. 6, WoltersKluwer, June 2023, pp. 1043–1044, doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000003398.
Lee NY, Khoo WK, Adnan MA, Mahalingam TP, Fernandez AR, Jeevaratnam K. The pharmacological potential of Phyllanthus niruri. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2016 Aug;68(8):953-69. doi: 10.1111/jphp.12565. Epub 2016 Jun 10. PMID: 27283048.
Pucci ND, Marchini GS, Mazzucchi E, Reis ST, Srougi M, Evazian D, Nahas WC. Effect of phyllanthus niruri on metabolic parameters of patients with kidney stone: a perspective for disease prevention. Int Braz J Urol. 2018 Jul-Aug;44(4):758-764. doi: 10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0521. PMID: 29617079; PMCID: PMC6092661.
Ranilla LG, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. Antimicrobial activity of an Amazon medicinal plant (Chancapiedra) (Phyllanthus niruri L.) against Helicobacter pylori and lactic acid bacteria. Phytother Res. 2012 Jun;26(6):791-9. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3646. Epub 2011 Oct 28. PMID: 22034238.
Shoemaker, SaVanna. “Chanca Piedra: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects, and More.” Healthline, updated 24 Mar. 2023, www.healthline.com/nutrition/chanca-piedra.
Singh, S. Shyamkiran. “Phyllanthus niruri (Stonebreaker): Merging Ancient Remedies and Contemporary Science in Kidney Stone Management and Holistic Health.” World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, vol. 14, no. 10, 2025, pp. 168-181. DOI: 10.20959/wjpr202510-36629.
Sowjanya, Karri; Girish, Chandrashekaran; Bammigatti, Chanaveerappa1; Lakshmi, Nakka Chandrasekhar Prasanna2. Efficacy of Phyllanthus niruri on improving liver functions in patients with alcoholic hepatitis: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 53(6):p 448-456, Nov–Dec 2021. | DOI: 10.4103/ijp.IJP_540_20
Tan, Wee C., et al. “Evaluation of Antiviral Activities of Four Local Malaysian Phyllanthus Species against Herpes Simplex Viruses and Possible Antiviral Target.” International Journal of Medical Sciences, vol. 10, no. 13, 2013, p. 1817, https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.6902. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
UCLA Health. “What Are Phytochemicals? (And Why Should You Eat More of Them?).” UCLA Health, 10 May 2023, https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/what-are-phytochemicals-and-why-should-you-eat-more-them
Original article "Toronto Functional Medicine Centre – (416) 968-6961" first appeared in the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website.
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