Symptoms of kidney stones can be uncomfortable. Because of the pain, patients can be fidgety and unsettled looking for the right position to make themselves comfortable when they feel uneasy. When they feel too much discomfort they begin to wonder about undergoing medical procedures to remove the stones and reduce the pain.
There are different methods to remove stones in your kidney. Most opt for allopathic medicine for quick stone removal. Meanwhile, botanical medicines are used by naturopathic doctors and herbalists to reduce or remove stones. However, there are only a few natural cures that you can see online that are provided with empirical evidence. As of writing, among all of the suggested natural cures for kidney stones in articles and blog posts you can see online, only Chanca Piedra has a convincing positive clinical trial result. Discover how it works in reducing kidney stones by reading the clinical trials below.
Phyllanthus niruri also known as Gale of the wind, seed-under-leaf, chanca piedra and locally called sampa-sampalukan in the Philippines was found to be helpful for people with kidney stones.
Curative Effects of Phyllanthus Niruri on Kidney Stone
1. Elimination of urinary stone
Phyllanthus niruri consumption helped in kidney stone elimination. An experimental clinical trial conducted at the clinical hospital of University of São Paulo, analyzed the effect of phyllanthus niruri on 56 patients with one or multiple small kidney stones that are measuring smaller than 10mm. The patients were between 18 and 60 years old. During the intervention stage, the patients were visited monthly and were given 60 sachets of 4.5 grams of phyllanthus nigiri dry extract herb. The plants were sourced and produced in Brazil and prepared using the shade drying method, and stored in a dry place with a 5-35°C temperature. To prevent fungi or bacteria contamination it was conserved with gamma irradiation. The extracts had a minimum 1.5% tannin content and 17% moisture content. For 12 weeks, patients were directed to drink two sachets of phyllanthus niruri dry extract-infused tea per day. They had to prepare it by infusing each 4.5g herb sachet with 250mL of boiling water. Included in the intervention program were the two rest weeks, where the herb was not used after each week of consumption. The patients themselves also served as controls, so there was a washout stage which was a phase where the participants did not consume phyllanthus nigiri for 12 weeks. Each patient was followed up for 26 weeks. Analysis outcome showed that 67.8% of the patients had decreased stone size. According to some patients they had spontaneous stone passage between the 21st and 70th day of phyllanthus niruri administration period. Four patients had their six stones eliminated, and five individuals had sandy fragments in their urine during phyllanthus nigiri administration. However, some patients experienced haematuria and abdominal pain which could be related to the small calculi eliminated during the intervention phase as patients observed the sand fragments in their urine. Since pain is a usual symptom among lithiasis patients, it can not be attributed to phyllanthus niruri consumption. Moreover, participants who had hyperoxaluria had their oxalate reduced, while hyperuricosuric patients had a decreased uric acid. Consuming phyllanthus niruri tea also increased urinary excretion of magnesium and potassium which could be the reason for the normalization of metabolic changes observed after using phyllanthus nigiri. Alkaline phosphatase reduction may have contributed to the decrease of calculi number, because alkaline phosphatase may be involved in the mechanism of calculi formation in hypercalciuria. Moreover, phyllanthus niruri intake did not cause remarkable adverse effects nor significant serum metabolic changes hence deemed to be safe. (1)
2. Reduced urinary calcium in hypercalciuric patients
Phyllanthus niruri intake decreases urinary calcium, especially among hypercalciuria patients. For three months, 69 calcium stone-forming patients were allocated to consume either 450 mg capsules, td phyllanthus niruri, or a placebo. A subset analysis was conducted for patients who had metabolic abnormalities such as hypercalciuria, hyperuricosuria, hyperoxaluria, hypocitraturia, and hypomagnesiuria. Findings indicated that before and after phyllanthus niruri intake, there were no remarkable differences in the urinary parameters values between the urine samples, except for a slight decrease in urinary magnesium which was within the normal range. However, the result of the subset analysis revealed that phyllanthus niruri induced a dramatic reduction in urinary calcium in hypercalciuric patients. In the short-term follow-up, no major differences were observed in calculi voiding or pain relief between the groups taking phyllanthus niruri or the placebo. (2)
Definition:
Hyperoxaluria – too much oxalate in your urine. This is the initial or first symptom of kidney stones. (3)
Hyperuricosuria – is the urinary excretion of uric acid of more than 800 mg per day in men and greater than 750 mg per day in women. (4)
What approach are you thinking to deal with your health concern? Are you planning to remove all your kidney stones? Through operation or have you considered mending it through Chanca Piedra. We’d love to know your insights.
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References:
- (1) Pucci, N. D., Marchini, G. S., Mazzucchi, E., Reis, S. T., Srougi, M., Evazian, D., & Nahas, W. C. (2018). Effect of phyllanthus niruri on metabolic parameters of patients with kidney stone: a perspective for disease prevention. International braz j urol: Official Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology, 44(4), 758–764. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1677-5538.IBJU.2017.0521
- (2) Nishiura, J. L., Campos, A. H., Boim, M. A., Heilberg, I. P., & Schor, N. (2004). Phyllanthus niruri normalizes elevated urinary calcium levels in calcium stone-forming (CSF) patients. Urological research, 32(5), 362–366. [Abstract] https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-004-0432-8
- (3) Hyperoxaluria. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved on 2/27/2024 from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21117-hyperoxaluria&ved=2ahUKEwi7lJ3I28qEAxUxS2wGHWCLD-MQFnoECDYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ptR303W-8JLmIAmMOqLwE
- (4) Shekarriz Bijan. Hyperuricosuria and Gouty Diathesis. Medscape. Retrieved on 2/27/2024 from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/444866-overview&ved
Further references:
- Campos AH, Schor N. Phyllanthus niruri inhibits calcium oxalate endocytosis by renal tubular cells: its role in urolithiasis. Nephron. 1999;81:393-7
- Freitas AM, Schor N, Boim MA. The effect of Phyllanthus niruri on urinary inhibitors of calcium oxalate crystallization and other factors associated with renal stone formation. BJU Int. 2002;89:829-34.
- Barros ME, Lima R, Mercuri LP, Matos JR, Schor N, Boim MA. Effect of extract of Phyllanthus niruri on crystal deposition in experimental urolithiasis. Urol Res. 2006;34:351-7.
- Ramsout R, Rodgers A, Webber D. Investigation of the effects of Phyllanthus niruri L. on in vitro calcium oxalate crystallization. Eur Urol Suppl. 2011;10:461-74.
✍️ March 12, 2024
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