NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Chanca Piedra

Phyllanthus niruri

Amazonian "stone breaker" herb taken for kidney stones and liver health.

Preliminary evidence 🛡️Gut & Immune

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Gut & Immune
❝
What the evidence says. Graded preliminary: small RCTs hint that it reduces urinary calcium and improves stone clearance after lithotripsy, but the supporting meta-analysis pooled only two studies, the 2025 systematic review called results mixed, and Cochrane found no benefit for its other big claim, hepatitis B. (Preliminary evidence: Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.)

What is Chanca Piedra?

Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) is a gut and immune supplement used for support stone-free outcomes after lithotripsy. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Chanca piedra ("stone breaker") is a tropical herb long used in South America and Ayurveda for kidney stones and liver complaints. The human evidence is thin but not empty. A randomized trial found it normalized high urinary calcium in stone formers, and a controlled study reported higher stone-free rates after shock-wave lithotripsy, especially for lower-pole stones (93.7% vs 70.8%). A 2020 meta-analysis of just two studies found small reductions in stone size and number, and a 2025 systematic review concluded it appears safe but with mixed efficacy. A 2023 year-long RCT in fatty-liver patients showed a modest improvement in liver-stiffness (fibrosis) score but no change in liver enzymes or metabolic markers. For chronic hepatitis B, Cochrane reviews found no convincing benefit. Most trials are small, short, and at high risk of bias, so claims remain unproven.

Purported Benefits

✓Support stone-free outcomes after lithotripsy
✓Lower elevated urinary calcium
✓Kidney stone prevention
✓Liver support

Evidence by outcome

The same supplement can be well-proven for one use and unproven for another — here is the human evidence graded outcome by outcome.

OutcomeEvidenceEffectStudies
Stone-free rate after shock-wave lithotripsyOne RCT showed higher lower-pole stone clearance (93.7% vs 70.8%), but a systematic review calls efficacy mixed and trials high-bias. Preliminary ↑ benefit · moderate 2
Lower elevated urinary calcium in stone formersSingle RCT (n=69) reduced urinary calcium in hypercalciuric patients but did not improve stone passage overall. Preliminary ↑ benefit · small 1
Reduce kidney stone size and numberMeta-analysis of only 2 controlled studies found small reductions (SMD ~-0.38); authors call efficacy modest and pending. Preliminary ↔ mixed · small 2
Liver fibrosis/stiffness in NAFLD12-month RCT (n=226) improved liver-stiffness score but showed no change in liver enzymes or metabolic markers. Preliminary ↔ mixed · small 1
Chronic hepatitis B viral controlCochrane review and a separate RCT found no significant seroconversion or viral-load change; trials at high risk of bias. Moderate — no effect · negligible 2

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standardized extract roughly 1–2 g/day (or 300–500 mg standardized capsules), typically taken for 1–3 months; no consensus dose is established.
Active Compounds
Lignans (phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin)Flavonoids (quercetin, rutin)Niranthin

Safety & Cautions

Generally well tolerated in short trials, with side effects limited mainly to mild GI upset; no serious harms were reported in the lithotripsy or fatty-liver studies. Because it can have diuretic, blood-pressure-lowering and blood-sugar-lowering effects, it may add to the action of antihypertensives, diuretics and antidiabetic drugs, and theoretically to anticoagulants. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding (insufficient safety data), and use caution before surgery; tell your clinician if you have kidney or liver disease, as quality and dosing of products vary widely. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Chanca Piedra with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review Iregui-Parra 2025 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review of 16 studies: P. niruri appears safe and may improve stone-free rates after ESWL, but clinical efficacy data are mixed.
Meta-analysis Dhawan 2020 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis (2 controlled studies): small reductions in stone size (SMD -0.39) and number (SMD -0.38); authors call efficacy modest, pending study.
Meta-analysis Yang/Xia 2011 (Cochrane) ✓ PubMed
Review of 16 trials (1,326 patients): Phyllanthus vs placebo showed no significant HBeAg seroconversion; all trials at high risk of bias.
RCT Abu Hassan 2023 ✓ PubMed
12-month RCT (n=226) in NAFLD: significant drop in fibrosis (liver-stiffness) score vs placebo, but no change in liver enzymes or metabolic markers.
RCT Cealan 2019 ✓ PubMed
Open study (n=48), extract plus magnesium and B6 for 3 months: 40% of stones cleared, 22% shrank; best for stones <=3 mm.
RCT Nik Mohamed Kamal 2018 ✓ PubMed
RCT vs placebo in chronic hepatitis B: no significant change in HBV viral load at 12 months and no HBsAg clearance.
RCT Micali 2006 ✓ PubMed
After shock-wave lithotripsy, 3 months of P. niruri raised lower-caliceal stone-free rate to 93.7% vs 70.8% in controls (p=0.01).
RCT Nishiura 2004 ✓ PubMed
RCT (n=69): reduced mean urinary calcium in hypercalciuric stone formers (4.8 to 3.4 mg/kg/24h); no difference in stone passage overall.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Chanca Piedra

What is Chanca Piedra used for?

Chanca Piedra is most often taken for Support stone-free outcomes after lithotripsy, Lower elevated urinary calcium, Kidney stone prevention, Liver support. Amazonian "stone breaker" herb taken for kidney stones and liver health.

Does Chanca Piedra work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Chanca piedra ("stone breaker") is a tropical herb long used in South America and Ayurveda for kidney stones and liver complaints. The human evidence is thin but not empty. A randomized trial found it normalized high urinary calcium in stone formers, and a controlled study reported higher stone-free rates after shock-wave lithotripsy, especially for lower-pole stones (93.7% vs 70.8%). A 2020 meta-analysis of just two studies found small reductions in stone size and number, and a 2025 systematic review concluded it appears safe but with mixed efficacy. A 2023 year-long RCT in fatty-liver patients showed a modest improvement in liver-stiffness (fibrosis) score but no change in liver enzymes or metabolic markers. For chronic hepatitis B, Cochrane reviews found no convincing benefit. Most trials are small, short, and at high risk of bias, so claims remain unproven.

What is the typical dose of Chanca Piedra?

Standardized extract roughly 1–2 g/day (or 300–500 mg standardized capsules), typically taken for 1–3 months; no consensus dose is established.

Is Chanca Piedra safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally well tolerated in short trials, with side effects limited mainly to mild GI upset; no serious harms were reported in the lithotripsy or fatty-liver studies. Because it can have diuretic, blood-pressure-lowering and blood-sugar-lowering effects, it may add to the action of antihypertensives, diuretics and antidiabetic drugs, and theoretically to anticoagulants. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding (insufficient safety data), and use caution before surgery; tell your clinician if you have kidney or liver disease, as quality and dosing of products vary widely.

How many studies support Chanca Piedra?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Chanca Piedra, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/chanca-piedra

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_chanca_piedra,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/chanca-piedra},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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