Chanca piedra is a small herb that grows in the Amazon rainforest and some areas that are considered tropical. The benefits of consuming this herb affect many parts of the body. It is able to help encourage kidney, gallbladder, bladder, and liver health. It also holds antioxidant properties and may be deadly against certain harmful organisms. With the many benefits that the plant provides people have used the chanca piedra plant for its medicinal properties.
Many people take the chanca piedra plant as a supplement. The entire plant is used to create supplements so the body can absorb the many benefits that the plant holds. A person can expect to help their liver function when taking this supplement. It helps the liver by promoting detoxification to expel any excess wastes. While the supplements help other areas of the body, most people are more familiar with the supplement's benefits to the liver.
Gallbladder and Kidneys
The first practical use of the chanca piedra plant that was discovered was the discouragement of kidney and gallbladder stones. People in the Amazon discovered this property and used the plant in many different ways to help combat kidney and gallbladder stones, general discomfort of the stomach, as a mild laxative, and much more.
The Spanish name of the plant, chanca piedra translates to the stone breaker. Once the plant was found to help people suffering from kidney stones or gallstones it was named as such. There are medical trials that need to be done to determine if the plant truly has the properties necessary to be used as a treatment for these health problems.
Initial studies of the plant have found that it may help to encourage the body to make bile in the liver. This bile is helpful in the process of digestion, absorption of nutrients, and even waste elimination. Since this bile is vital for the body to stay healthy it could be concluded that the chanca piedra plant helps the body deter health problems like kidney stones by aiding the production of bile.
Antioxidants
An antioxidant stops molecules in the body from oxidizing. When oxidation occurs, there is a chemical reaction within the body. This reaction will create free radicals, which can damage the cells. Continual damage of the body's cells can create bigger health problems. Antioxidants are not abundant in our bodies and must be ingested to fight off these free radicals and the damage they are creating.
Chanca piedra has been found to have antioxidant properties. By taking this supplement the body will take in antioxidants to combat oxidation. This has been shown to help the body maintain a healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
Harmful Organisms
There have been many studies about the benefits of the chanca piedra plant. As more uses become known there is more interest in what this plant is capable of. There has been a study to determine if this plant is harmful to certain organisms. In the study, twenty-eight plants and algae species were selected to be tested.
Throughout their research, they found that the chanca piedra did interact with the other plant or algae species. Species that were harmful were found to respond negatively to the chanca piedra plant. The chanca piedra plant was more selective in its response to organisms that are beneficial. The plant did not interact with beneficial organisms the same as harmful organisms.
With this data, scientists have grown curious about the properties of the plant that cause it to be harmful to only certain organisms. Since the plant was only toxic to harmful organisms there was more research needed to determine the practical application of this data. There have been other studies that have confirmed these findings. (source)
Liver
In traditional Chinese medicine, the chanca piedra plant is known for its benefits to the liver. There has been a study in India that has examined the benefits that the plant provides to the liver. In this study, animals were used to see how chanca piedra helped to deter a toxic amount of acetaminophen, or Tylenol.
When using the chanca piedra there was an increase in a certain protein that helped protect the liver from toxicity. This protein helps the liver combat stress from oxidation. It also helps the body with the antioxidant properties. With the many benefits that the plant brings, it is able to better help the liver function properly even when presented with toxic levels of acetaminophen.
Studies
There have been a variety of studies with the chanca piedra plant. It really started to gain popularity in the 1960s. This is the time that encouraged many studies to be conducted. The benefits of the plant have been utilized by many people throughout the years. The true medical purpose of the plant has yet to be determined. There are many more tests and long-term studies that need to be conducted to learn about this supplement.
Many people use the supplement to aid in a variety of diseases like diabetes, problems with the urinary tract, general stomach issues, blood pressure, and much more. While some people have had great experiences using the supplement there is not enough conclusive data in the scientific community to verify that the supplement has these medicinal properties.
Way to Take
Many people take the supplement in an easy to swallow tablet or capsule form. It is simple to add it into the daily vitamin intake that many people already use. For those that prefer not to take tablets or capsules, there are teas that a person can drink that has been made from the chanca piedra plant. We recommend ingestion of chanca piedra as a tea over the other forms.
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