Leaf of Life

Also called

Bryophyllum

Older scientific names

Kalanchoe pinnata

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

• In Jamaica, leaf of life is one of the plants used most often for colds and flu. In surveys, 20% or more of people named it for these infections.[2]

• A book based on interviews with more than 100 people in Portland and Kingston, Jamaica, includes leaf of life among the 25 most popular medicinal plants in those communities.[3]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

• A 2024 review reported that, in lab and animal studies, it may help dissolve kidney stones and stop them forming, and may help type 2 diabetes. It also showed effects on the kidneys, liver, nerves, immune system, bacteria, parasites and cancer cells. The authors say its full medical potential and safety are still unclear.[1]

Research in people

• In a 3-week study without a comparison group, 49 women with an overactive bladder who got up at night to urinate took tablets made from leaf of life juice. Night-time trips to the toilet fell from about 3 to about 2, and sleep improved. No serious side effects were reported.[4]

  Technical detail: Bryophyllum 50% chewable tablets, 350 mg, 2 tablets in the evening and 2 at bedtime; nocturia 3.2 ± 1.4 to 2.3 ± 1.3; improvements in ICIQ-OAB, PSQI and Epworth scores.

• A 2023 review found lab and animal studies showing it may ease pain and inflammation and relax the womb's muscle, but no clinical trials for period pain. In a small case series, 5 women with painful periods took a leaf of life product used in Swiss obstetrics; all reported less pain, and 4 used fewer painkillers.[5]