Herbal Preparation & Dosage for Raw Chanca Piedra

Chanca piedra, also known as "breakstone," is a small, annual herb that has been scientifically proven to reduce toxicity in the liver, reduce fever, reduce glycemic activity, and it has both antiviral and antibacterial properties. Indigenous to the Amazon rain forest, chanca piedra has been shown to promote kidney, bladder, liver and gall bladder health.

Uses

• Chanca piedra has long been used in South America to break up and expel both kidney and gall stones. It is also believed to stimulate bile function in order to promote healthy liver and gall bladder function. Chanca piedra is used to treat a wide spectrum of conditions, including malaria, colds and flu, irritable bowel syndrome, acne, ulcers and edema. Since chanca piedra is a diuretic, it has been used in the treatment of diabetes for gout, and for bladder infections. The anti-spasmodic and muscle relaxant properties in chanca piedra are specific to urinary tract issues.

  In a book entitled "Cat's Claw: Healing Vine of Peru," author Kenneth Jones documents long-lasting pain relief observed from an extract made from the roots, stems, and leaves of chanca piedra. Chanca piedra extract was found to be three times more powerful than morphine for inflammatory pain, such as the pain observed after surgery.

  Chanca piedra was studied during the 1980's and 90's for its effectiveness in treating hepatitis B, with mixed results. However, the herb is considered the most effective, natural and non-toxic treatment for hepatitis B. In 1996, Bristol-Myers Squibbs Pharmaceutical Research Institute isolated a property in chanca piedra which suggested the herb's anti-viral properties as a treatment for HIV.

Chanca piedra tea

• To make chanca piedra tea, bring a quart of purified water to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 to 2 tbsp. organic chanca piedra to the water, and allow the decoction to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain into a mug, adding raw honey if desired. Drink the tea three or four times a day.

Chanca piedra tincture

• Another way to take chanca piedra is in the form of tincture or extract. This is very easy to make. Simply order some organic, hopefully wild grown chanca piedra from a reputable herb supplier. When it arrives, you either have the option of making it right then, or waiting until the next new moon. Traditional herbal folklore states that tinctures are more potent when made during the new moon, and harvested after the next full moon.

  When you are ready to make the tincture, fill a clean glass jar with a good seal, such as a canning jar, halfway with herbs. Use any 100-proof vodka, slowly fill the jar until there is a 2-inch "float"of vodka above the level of the wet herbs. Watch the herbs expand in the jar. As the herbs expand, add a little more vodka to keep the float level at two inches. Once the herbs have finished expanding, seal the jar tightly, and give the jar a vigorous shake for a minute or so. If more vodka is needed, add more. Then every time you think of it, shake the jar over a three-day period.

  At the end of three days, put the contents of the jar in a blender such as a Vitamix, and whirl the herbs and vodka mix for a minute or two. Then put the macerated herbs back into the tincture jar. Add more vodka if needed to get the 2-inch vodka float above the herbs. Reseal the jar, label it "chanca piedra tincture," and place it in a convenient spot in a cool, dry place, where you are sure to see it on a daily basis. Give the jar a good shake once or twice a day. In two weeks, your chanca piedra tincture will be ready for use.

  The recommended dosage for chanca piedra tincture is two eye droppers full of tincture three to four times a day, until symptoms subside.