Chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) is a South American herb that has been traditionally used to help pass gallbladder and kidney stones. In fact, the English translation for chanca piedra is 'stone crusher.' Best of all, recent scientific evidence validates its historical use. Not all gallstones and kidney stones are created equal, and there are many factors involved in their formation including: genetics (hereditary), age, gender, and diet. Chanca Piedra has been found to be of value in stones formed from calcium oxalate. Generally speaking, about 25% of all gallstones have calcium oxalate as a base and approximately 80% of kidney stones are derived form calcium oxalate.