In this conversation, Jill Harris, a kidney stone prevention nurse, discusses the popular natural remedy chanca piedra and its effectiveness in treating kidney stones. She emphasizes that while chanca piedra is often marketed as a ‘stone breaker’, it does not actually break up kidney stones. Instead, she advocates for dietary changes as the most effective way to prevent kidney stones. Jill shares insights on the importance of hydration, dietary choices, and lifestyle changes that can lead to significant health improvements for those prone to kidney stones.
Takeaways
- Chanca piedra does not break up kidney stones.
- Dietary changes are crucial for kidney stone prevention.
- Hydration plays a key role in passing stones.
- Natural remedies can interact with medications.
- There is limited scientific evidence supporting chanca piedra.
- Uric acid stones can be treated with alkali substances.
- Calcium oxalate stones cannot be broken up.
- Lifestyle changes can lead to significant health improvements.
- Consistency in dietary habits is essential for prevention.
- Personal experiences with remedies vary widely.
00:00 Understanding Chanca Piedra and Kidney Stones
09:38 The Importance of Dietary Changes for Kidney Stone Prevention
Jeff Sarris (00:00)
If you’ve had kidney stones, you’ve definitely heard about this, but what is the truth about chanca piedra?
Jill Harris (00:07)
everybody’s favorite subject, not mine, chanca piedra
Jeff Sarris (00:13)
Yeah, it’s a big one because everyone, want that fixed. want to figure out how, excuse me, how do we say dissolve or lessen kidney stones?
Jill Harris (00:22)
Well,
chanca piedra literally means stone breaker. So it’s not going to break up kidney stones. And there’s always people that say it broke mine up. It’s impossible to break up a kidney stone unless it’s uric acid. Let’s just say this. If you put your stone in a cup of chanca piedra, it ain’t going to get smaller. These things are really, sometimes the lasers don’t even break these stones up. So
Here’s what it can do. Here’s what it can do. There is, and all the things that I’m saying, which is not going to be a lot, but the things I say it can do, there’s little evidence. And so what we talk about here is science-based stuff. Okay? So there is slight evidence that says that this, when you drink it, it can relax your ureters a bit to help you pass stones. Okay. So.
People will say, she just doesn’t want to talk about chancopeagery because she’s selling a diet. I’m talking that or just because, you know, it’s not a pharmaceutical Jill, it’s a natural thing. can’t we again, folks, I’m talking about the most natural thing in the world. Change your diet. That will prevent kidney stones. And there’s a ton of research on that. Okay. So chancopeagery.
If you guys want to take it, God bless. Take whatever you want. You’re grown adults. You don’t have to ask permission to do it. Is it going to break up a stone? No, absolutely not. Uric acid stones can be broken up by choosing an alkali of some sort, whether it’s lemon juice, whether it’s potassium citrate, whether it’s calcium citrate, whether it’s something like that. Yes, uric acid stones can be broken up.
Calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate stones cannot be broken up. There’s that. There are some safety issues with chancapiedra. It can interact with some medications, so please talk to your doctor about that. You know, just because something’s quote unquote natural doesn’t mean it won’t interact with some of the blood thinner or some of the medications you’re taking. So that’s really important to note as well. Blood pressure issues, that could bother your chancapiedra with blood pressure.
pills and stuff that could be a problem. The bigger issue we have here folks again you’re all grown you can take whatever you’d like to take. The question is always is this going to be beneficial for me? You’re drinking a lot of this tea so there’s extra fluids so that certainly can help you pass a stone. Was it the tea itself? Was it just it being fluids? Again
mild evidence saying it can relax your ureter a little bit, then so does Flowmax, you know, so I guess what I’m trying to say is there’s nothing special about this, honestly. But if you want to take it, please feel free. I don’t care if you take it. That’s perfectly fine. It will, however, not break up stones. And for those of you who tell me that it broke up your stones, I’ll just say, okay.
That’s okay if you think that. But what we do here is science-backed evidence in kidney stone prevention. And the evidence is so little for this. It’s very mild that no one’s ever going to promote chanca piedra as far as in the medical field to prevent kidney stones. That being said, you can certainly take it if you’d like. Right? I mean, that’s how I feel about it.
Jeff Sarris (04:09)
Yeah, absolutely.
Jill Harris (04:13)
you
know I get this asked a lot and then I get a lot of pushback because people will say it worked for me awesome there’s also for every person that said it worked for I think that’s great there’s 5,000 that it didn’t so but do whatever you is right for you I often I am I am known for saying you do you but it is not going to break up a stone and I think what confuses people is that
is called a stone breaker. The T they’ll say stone breaker. And a lot of people that are pushing pills, potions, and this such, will make their product, they’ll call their product something very enticing for a kidney stone former, like stone stopper, stone breaker. So as soon as you see these words, of course you’re gonna buy that. Again, feel free, feel free to use it.
I do not promote it. If you’re having a kidney stone attack, that’s the last thing I’m going to tell you to do. When you could just simply drink more fluids, ask your doctor for Flomax. Try the tea. Try a chunk of Piatra. That’s fine too. You do you, but there’s plenty of other ways that you can try to expel a kidney stone. Drinking water, number one. Moving around, number two. Chunk of Piatra? Use it if you want to. Not a heck of a lot of evidence in it doing much.
There’s that. I win no friends when I do these videos. That’s why I do many of them.
Jeff Sarris (05:39)
Yeah, absolutely.
well, that is the thing we all want sort of that, that quick fix. it’s so hard. It’s like not anyone’s fault for seeking a quick fix. It’s like.
Jill Harris (05:53)
No. my God,
no.
Jeff Sarris (05:55)
We’re
in pain and that’s something we want it fixed and if there’s a way to fix it, we’re going to try it. But you’re here to make sure that people are getting the answers, like the actual valid scientific answers, because you don’t want anyone going down a path where they think they’re doing everything right when in actuality it’s at best not doing anything, but at worst maybe hurting.
Jill Harris (06:18)
Yes, and the other thing is, yes, especially with some interactions with medications, I think the other, and also, you know, your wallet. But, you know, it’s not crazy expensive or anything, so. But, you know, I’m always gonna be an advocate. One of the reasons I left working at University of Chicago and being a nurse on the floor is I was like, oh my God, I really wanna get people before they get into bed. And so I’ve dedicated my career to kidney stone prevention because
I’m really able to help people stay out of the bed, not have a lithochipsy or ureteroscopy, all the terrible stent, sepsis, UTIs, all the things that come with kidney stones. Did I mention the intense pain that many of you suffer? All of those things. And so by following the most natural thing in the world, which is changing your diet,
Eating all foods except spinach, almond, maybe some chia, really high oxalate foods in moderation. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are naturally low in added sugar, obviously, and salt. Eating normal amounts of meat protein. Getting, if you eat meat, getting enough calcium to make sure you don’t have osteoporosis and also so that calcium combined with oxalate leaves through the stool so you don’t have too much oxalate.
not overeating oxalate, getting enough fluids every day. These are the things that not only prevent kidney stones, which is awesome, but I can’t tell you how rewarding it has been for me over these last few decades to be able to watch people lose 150 pounds, 50 pounds, the weight they’ve been trying to get rid of their whole life, but now they have a negative motivator.
it being a kidney stone and they’re really willing to listen now to dietary changes. How rewarding it’s been to watch people lower their blood pressure, lower their A1C, get off their cholesterol meds, exercise for the first time in their life because they weigh less enough and they have the confidence now to get their ass out there in the world. I mean the things that I’ve watched people do in their life, the changes they have made,
because they had a disgusting kidney stone and now their eyes are open up and they’re willing to get rid of fad diets and bullshit pills and potions and really work hard because that’s what it takes folks to change your lifestyle. Work hard, consistency, consistently to lower stone risk but also get your health back in general. That’s what the goals of the kidney stone diet will do when you’re consistent with them.
You go to my website, have hundreds of testimonials about what eating has done for people because of that stupid stone they had. They’ve literally changed their whole life. I’m not being my normal, Italian dramatic self. Go read it. I don’t pay people to write those testimonials. There’s tons of them throughout the website. And you too, I’m talking to you. You too can change your life. And God, nothing makes us happier.
than watching you do it. So join us at kidneystonediet.com. Tell us in the comments here how much you’ve changed your lifestyle, all the good things, the health benefits that you have gotten from eating better. And then also you can talk on me about the Chancapiedra. I welcome those two, they make me giggle. But at the end of the day, everybody must do what makes them happy and what they feel comfortable with. The end.
Jeff Sarris (10:07)
And that is a perfect wrap up. So we will see you all next week.
Jill Harris (10:11)
Bye
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