Phyllanthus Niruri Tea: Does It Boost Antioxidants?

observational-study PMID: 24461523

Quick Summary: A small study found that drinking Phyllanthus niruri tea (also known as chanca piedra) might temporarily increase antioxidant levels in the blood of healthy men. This could mean a slight boost to your body's defenses, but more research is needed.

What The Research Found

This study looked at how Phyllanthus niruri tea affects your body's natural defenses against damage. Researchers found that drinking the tea seemed to slightly increase the levels of certain antioxidants in the blood, like gallic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). These antioxidants help protect your cells from damage.

Study Details

Who was studied: 5 healthy, non-smoking men aged 20-31.

How long: The study looked at the effects of the tea for just a few hours after drinking it.

What they took: The men drank either a tea made from Phyllanthus niruri (5 grams of the herb in 750 mL of water) or just plain water.

What This Means For You

Potential Benefit: If you're a healthy person, drinking Phyllanthus niruri tea might give your body a small, temporary boost of antioxidants. Antioxidants are good for overall health.

Important Note: This study was very small, so we can't say for sure how much of an impact the tea has. More research is needed to confirm these findings.

Study Limitations

Small Sample Size: Only 5 men were in the study, so the results might not apply to everyone.

Limited Scope: The study only looked at the effects for a few hours. We don't know if the benefits last longer.

Specific Group: The study only included healthy men. It's unclear if the tea would have the same effect on women, older adults, or people with health problems.

More Research Needed: This study is a starting point. We need more research to understand the full effects of Phyllanthus niruri tea.

Key Findings

The study found that consumption of Phyllanthus niruri tea increased plasma levels of gallic acid at 1, 2, and 4 hours post-ingestion (p < 0.05) and elevated ascorbic acid levels at 1 hour (p < 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in erythrocytic catalase or superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, nor in intracellular reactive oxygen species (DCFH fluorescence) in immune cells. The authors concluded that the tea may modestly enhance antioxidant capacity in healthy males through increased plasma antioxidants.

Study Design

This was an observational crossover study conducted in 2014. Five non-smoking, healthy males aged 20–31 participated, each receiving two interventions in random order: 5 g/750 mL P. niruri tea or 750 mL water (control). Blood samples were collected at baseline and 1, 2, and 4 hours post-ingestion. The crossover design allowed within-subject comparisons, but the small sample size and lack of female participants limit generalizability.

Dosage & Administration

Subjects consumed a single dose of 5 g of P. niruri dried herb steeped in 750 mL of hot water (tea group) or 750 mL water (control). The infusion was prepared without additional ingredients, and timing of blood draws focused on acute effects (≤4 hours post-consumption).

Results & Efficacy

Gallic acid: Plasma levels rose significantly at 1 h (p = 0.003), 2 h (p = 0.001), and 4 h (p = 0.001) after tea ingestion compared to baseline.
Ascorbic acid: Increased at 1 h post-tea (p = 0.003) but normalized by 2 h.
Enzymatic antioxidants (catalase, SOD): No significant changes observed.
Intracellular ROS (DCFH fluorescence): No differences detected in granulocytes, monocytes, or lymphocytes.
The antioxidant effects were modest and transient, limited to non-enzymatic plasma markers.

Limitations

Small sample size (n=5): Reduces statistical power and reliability of results.
Homogeneous population: All participants were young, healthy males; findings may not apply to females, older adults, or clinical populations.
Short-term assessment: Measured only acute effects (4 hours), not chronic antioxidant activity.
Lack of placebo control: Water was used as a control, but placebo effects were not accounted for.
No blinding: Potential for bias due to unblinded researchers/participants.
Limited biomarkers: Focused on select antioxidants without assessing broader oxidative stress pathways.

Clinical Relevance

For healthy individuals, P. niruri tea may transiently elevate plasma antioxidants like gallic acid, which could support dietary antioxidant intake. However, the lack of enzymatic changes (catalase, SOD) and minimal long-term data suggest no substantial therapeutic benefit based on this trial. Users should interpret results cautiously due to the small sample size and short observation window. Further research is needed to determine if these effects translate to meaningful health outcomes or populations with elevated oxidative stress.

Source: PubMed