500 mg · vegan · gluten-free · 60 caps
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Chanca Piedra is the Spanish name for Phyllanthus niruri, a tropical herb known in India as Bhumi Amla or Keelanelli. It has been used for centuries across South America, India and China as a natural remedy for kidney stones and liver ailments.
The herb contains lignans (phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin) and flavonoids that inhibit calcium oxalate crystal formation, reduce urinary calcium and oxalate excretion, and relax ureteral smooth muscle — helping stones pass more easily.
Adults with a history of calcium oxalate or uric acid kidney stones, those with mild hyperuricosuria, and individuals seeking liver-protective support. Not a substitute for medical stone management in acute obstruction.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women; people with acute urinary obstruction or severe renal impairment; those on anticoagulants or immunosuppressants. Side effects: Mild abdominal discomfort, dysuria or nausea in some users; generally well tolerated.
A plain-English read of the literature behind this supplement. Not a clinical recommendation.
Key citations: PMID 32333735 (systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy for kidney stones), PMID 29617079 (prospective trial on metabolic parameters and stone reduction)
SacredBod's longer take on Chanca Piedra — context the structured blocks above don't capture.
Chanca Piedra — Phyllanthus niruri — is a small annual herb native to tropical regions, widely known as the “stone breaker.” In India it is called Bhumi Amla (Sanskrit/Hindi) or Keelanelli (Tamil). The plant appears in traditional Ayurvedic practice for liver detoxification (yakrit shodhana) and urinary stone disorders (ashmari), though it is not explicitly named in the classical Charaka Samhita as a primary pradhana dravya; its use grew through later folk and tribal medicine across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The active lignans — particularly phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin — interfere with calcium oxalate crystal nucleation and aggregation in urine. A 2020 meta-analysis found that P. niruri treatment significantly decreased mean stone size and number in controlled human studies. Additionally, a 12-week prospective trial in 56 stone-forming patients showed that P. niruri infusion increased urinary potassium and magnesium excretion while significantly reducing urinary oxalate (from 59.0 to 28.8 mg/24h, p=0.0002) and uric acid in hyperuricosuric subjects. The herb also promotes ureteral relaxation, potentially easing stone passage.
Adults with recurrent calcium oxalate or uric acid nephrolithiasis, sedentary individuals with low urinary citrate, and those seeking adjunctive liver support. It is not appropriate for acute renal colic, obstructing stones, or severe chronic kidney disease (eGFR <30).
Generally well tolerated. Mild abdominal pain, dysuria, or nausea may occur. Because P. niruri may inhibit platelet aggregation, use caution with warfarin and other anticoagulants. It may also lower blood glucose and blood pressure slightly — monitor if on hypoglycaemic or antihypertensive medication.
Bhumi Amla is cultivated in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and parts of South India. Indian brands such as Neotea (Keelanelli capsules), Bharat Herbal, Planet Ayurveda, and Morpheme Remedies offer capsule and tablet forms priced between ₹300–₹800 for a 60-count bottle. It is not a Schedule H drug in India and is available over-the-counter as a dietary supplement. In Ayurveda, it is classified as tikta (bitter) and kashaya (astringent) in rasa, with a cooling potency (sheeta virya), making it suitable for pitta aggravation associated with burning urination.
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