Some people have never heard of chanca piedra, but others have started using it for a variety of reasons. It is available on Amazon, and it can also be found at many health food stores and certain grocery stores. It is a naturally-occurring herb, and the whole plant is used by some cultures to make traditional medicine. The full uses of it are still being studied, but here are four of the most common issues that it alleviates.

Liver Problems

Many people use chanca piedra for liver problems like hepatitis B. It was first called quebra-pedra in Brazil, where the natives brewed tea with it or added it to juice. The liver’s purpose is to purge harmful toxins from the body, and it is generally understood that chanca piedra helps boost these qualities. For people who are concerned about impurities that are entering their bodies through the air they breathe, the beverages they drink, and the food they consume, using it daily stimulates bile production in the liver, which then speeds up the elimination of harmful substances.

Elimination of Kidney Stones and Gallstones

Kidney stones and gallstones can be extremely painful, and they are a persistent problem for a not insignificant segment of the population. Many have found relief, though, through increasing their intake of water and using chanca piedra daily. Kidney and gallstones do not form as easily in the systems of people who use this supplement, and this remains one of its most popular uses in Western culture.

High Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar

Some specialists recommend chanca piedra for high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension. Hypertension sometimes occurs for genetic reasons, and also people who lead stressful lives or eat an unhealthy diet can have problems with it. Chanca piedra is an alternative for people who would prefer not to be prescribed pills for the problem, as is sometimes the case. High blood sugar, as in individuals who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, can also be balanced by chanca piedra usage. Times of distress may lead to spikes in blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and having chanca piedra handy for the individuals afflicted by them can be helpful.

Pain and Fever Reducer

Chanca piedra has also been demonstrated to be effective against joint soreness and as a way to reduce fever. In cases of illness such as a sore throat, flu, and colic, chanca piedra has proven its usefulness as well.

Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine also prescribe the use of chanca piedra for discharge from the urethra or vagina, swollen tonsils, swine flu, certain sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis, and malaria. It has even been used in the case of caterpillar stings, typhoid, and anemia. Indeed, it is a multifaceted substance, the possibilities of which are still being discovered. Regular use has no demonstrable drawbacks, and it can be consumed in several different ways. It seems likely that as Western awareness of this herb increases, we will be hearing more about it in the years to come.