Stone Breaker (Chanca Piedra): The Plant, the Name and What Is in Our Capsules

The short answer: Stone breaker is the English name for chanca piedra, Phyllanthus niruri, a small herb that grows across the Amazon and other tropical regions. Our Stone Breaker capsules provide a 1.2 g botanical complex per 2-capsule serving, built around chanca piedra with parsley, celery seed, Bororganic Glycine and BioPerine®. Here is the plant, the name and the label, line by line.

What is Phyllanthus niruri?

It is a slender annual herb, usually 30 to 60 cm tall, with feathery leaves and tiny green-white flowers. Its seeds form in small round capsules hanging under the leaves, which explains another common name, "seed-under-leaf". It grows in warm, humid places: field edges, gardens and riverbanks from Peru and Brazil to India.

Where do its names come from?

• Chanca piedra (Spanish, Peru): "stone breaker"
• Quebra-pedra (Portuguese, Brazil): also "stone breaker"
• Bhumi amla (India): "ground amla", for its fruit-like seed capsules

The same name in two languages shows how widely the plant is known across South America.

How is it traditionally prepared?

In Peru and Brazil, the whole plant (leaves, stems and roots) is dried and steeped as an infusion. The taste is bitter and grassy. Capsules offer the same plant without brewing or the bitter taste.

What is in our Stone Breaker capsules?

Serving size: 2 vegetable capsules; 1.2 g Stone Breaker Complex; 30 servings per 60 ct bottle. Vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, lab verified, made in the USA, with zero sugar, artificial flavor, soy, corn, dairy and yeast.

How do you use it?

Take 2 vegetable capsules daily, or as directed by your healthcare professional, and do not exceed the recommended dose. Pregnant or nursing mothers, children under 18 and anyone with a known medical condition should consult a physician before use.

What should you check when buying chanca piedra?

• The botanical name Phyllanthus niruri
• Which plant parts are used (whole plant vs leaf only)
• The amount per serving and full other-ingredients list
• Third-party testing

Comparing formats? Read chanca piedra capsules vs tea vs powder.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.