Quebra Pedra helps to dissolve kidney and gall bladder stones also widely used for cystitis prevention.

Quebra Pedra has been used by generations of South Americans to treat renal calculi - Kidney and Gall stones,the herb Quebra Pedra is free from side effects and interactions, and can be safely used alongside other therapies.

Kidney and Gall stones are estimated to effect around 5% of the UK population, with recurrences common among patients (50-80%). It is widely believed that a diet high in animal fats is part of the explanation for this, but dietary changes alone, although certainly helpful, are not the whole answer.

The conventional approach to removal of stones usually involves shattering the stone using ESWL (Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy) - but this often leaves residual fragments which often require the treatment to be repeated.

The new research, published in the medical journal 'European Urology Supplements' earlier this year, assessed the benefit of taking an extract of Quebra Pedra following ESWL treatment. After six months the stone free rate in those treated with just ESWL was 80% - but for the patients taking Quebra Pedra during their recovery, the stone free rate was 97%. Concerning lower caliceal stones the stone free rate of those using the herb was 94.1% versus 64.28% among those who just had ESWL.

The conclusion of the researchers was simple - the use of the Quebra Pedra extract results in an increased stone free rate and in a lower percentage of re-treatment. They concluded that its efficacy 'together with the absolute lacking of side effects make this therapy suitable to improve overall outcomes of ureteral stones shock wave lithotripsy.'

Recent research has also confirmed the liver protective potential of the herb, and its antispasmodic activity has also been documented. In Brazil, where much of the research has taken place - the Quebra Pedra infusions are used for the removal and prevention of stones as an alternative to the use of ESWL - and it is also widely used for Urinary tract infections.

Common Uses: Quebra Pedra is a rainforest herb used in tribal medicine to treat obstructions of all kinds; its properties helps eliminate mucous throughout the human body. This annual is known by several common names: stone-breaker, chanca piedra and quebra pedra; other languages also assign names to this plant.
Quebra Pedra has been used in herbal medicine to treat kidney stones and hard mineral salts that develop in the urinary tract. Some clinical studies support the use of this plant for treating both stones in the urinary tract as well as some viruses. More research is needed.

Quebra Pedra has been used in the Amazon rainforests for a variety of presumably unrelated ailments. It has been used historically as a diuretic. Some studies reported from different sources in the late 1980s claim its ability to inactivate the hepatitis B virus. "In one study with 88 patients who had been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, those who took Quebra Pedra in powder form showed a substantial increase in appearance of the antibody to the hepatitis virus." (Dr. Donna Schwontkowski)
This Amazon superfood may be a healthy preventative herb. Many herbalists drink a cup of Quebra Pedra tea daily to prevent disease. Research on Quebra Pedra continues and, hopefully, additional information will become available that will shed light on its value for humankind.