A member of the Phyllanthus genus, it has been recommend that Chanca Piedra can provide many health benefits.
Hailing from the rain forests of the Amazon where it grows "weed like", the Spanish given name of Chanca Piedra translates as "stone-crusher" or "stone-breaker" and therein lies a clue as to it's alleged main health benefit.
Can Crusher
It has long been used as therapeutic herb for liver, kidney, gall and bladder health.
Although indigenous to the Amazon, it is also found in China, India and the Bahamas who's populations have also found the same health benefits from using the weed like herb.
It's literally breathtaking that a small weed like plant can have such incredible health benefits. Despite the fact that it has been pretty much spurned by Western medicine, Chanca Piedra has a real reputation in the sub tropical areas in which it is found.
The Main health Benefits of Chanca Piedra
As I mentioned the name suggests the cure of gallstones and kidney stones. And, with over 20 million cases of this complaint in the U.S each year alone, I wonder why Chanca Piedra is not more widely used? Especially when you think the acute pain these complaints cause in sufferers.These "stones" form due to a build up of calcium-oxalate crystals which over time form into the "stone" and cause pain through blockage and inflammation.
The normal (Western) policy of action for kidney and gallstones is antibiotics and painkillers. But these are essentially ineffective and you usually have to turn to surgery for a final cure, even though the basic qoute may well remain! So how does this breathtaking herb take off kidney stones and gallstones? Firstly it has been recommend that it promotes an increase in magnesium in the kidney.
Magnesium has been proven to break down kidney stones. It also increases Vitamin B6 which reduces the acidity of your urine and also expunges calcium oxalate. It also helps stop the crystals reforming. It is also opinion that some elements within Chanca Piedra act as a pain killer in the kidney therefore reducing the pain of stones even before they are broken up, this same element also acts as a mild muscle relaxant to additional help pain and inflammation.
It also acts as a mild diuretic helping the kidney keep a steady flow or urine and therefore good whole kidney health.In fact a German study in the 1960's found that 94% of all gall and kidney stones treated with Chanca Piedra were cured... Yet it is still not widely acceptable by Western medicine?
Chanca Piedra is also known as an effective way in which to generally detox liver, kidney, gall and bladder
Like you, I like a nice cold beer or a nice glass of big red wine, but I have found that taking this herb has helped me massively as far as liver, kidney and normal renal health is concerned.
Other recommend traditional uses of Chanca Piedra for health benefit contain the rehabilitation of diabetes, prostate disorders, asthma, fever, indigestion and constipation. Not to mention it's pain killing, muscle relaxant and anti inflammatory properties. I have also heard it can be used for the expulsion of parasites as well!
What is Chanca Piedra?
