Licorice

October 3, 2020

Overview

Licorice is an herb that grows in parts of Europe and Asia. The root is used as medicine. Licorice root contains glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizic acid can cause complications when eaten in large quantities. Many "licorice" products manufactured in the U.S. actually don't contain any licorice. Instead, they contain anise oil, which has the characteristic smell and taste of "black licorice."

Licorice is used for eczema, swelling (inflammation) of the liver (hepatitis), mouth sores, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Licorice is also used to flavor foods, beverages, and tobacco products.

Classification

Is a Form of:

Herb

Primary Functions:

Eczema

Also Known As:

Can Cao, Chinese Licorice, Deglycyrrhized Licorice

How Does It Work?

The chemicals contained in licorice are thought to decrease swelling, thin mucus secretions, decrease cough, and increase the chemicals in our body that heal ulcers.

Uses

Eczema (atopic dermatitis). There is some evidence that applying licorice to the skin can improve symptoms of eczema. Applying a gel containing licorice three times daily for 2 weeks seems to reduce redness, swelling, and itching.
Side effects in people after breathing tube removal. Sucking on a licorice lozenge or gargling with a licorice fluid shortly before placement of a breathing tube seems to help prevent cough and sore throat from occurring when the tube is removed.

Recommended Dosing

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

APPLIED TO THE SKIN:

For eczema (atopic dermatitis): Gel products containing 1% or 2% licorice root extract have been applied three times daily for 2 weeks.
For side effects in people after breathing tube removal: A lozenge containing 97 mg of licorice has been sucked for 30 minutes before anesthesia. Gargling with 30 mL of a fluid containing 0.5 grams of licorice for at least one minute beginning 5 minutes before placement of a breathing tube, has been used.

Licorice Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of licorice?

Licorice root may have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Early research suggests that, as a result, it may ease upper respiratory infections, treat ulcers, and aid digestion, among other benefits.
It may:

Aid diabetes.
Reduce menopause symptoms.
Boost weight loss.
Help treat hepatitis C.

What are the side effects of licorice?

Common side effects of licorice include:

Absence of a menstrual period.
Congestive heart failure.
Decreased sexual interest (libido)
Erectile dysfunction.
Excess fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
Fluid and sodium retention.
High blood pressure (hypertension)

Why is licorice bad for you?

Yes, particularly if you're over 40 and have a history of heart disease or high blood pressure, or both. Eating more than 57g (2 ounces) of black liquorice a day for at least 2 weeks could lead to potentially serious health problems, such as an increase in blood pressure and an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).

How much licorice is safe?

In 1994, Walker and Edwards demonstrated that a daily oral intake of 1–10 mg of glycyrrhizin, which corresponds to 1–5 g licorice, has been estimated to be a safe dose for most healthy adults [Walker and Edwards, 1994]. Two studies on healthy volunteers were published.

Does liquorice make you poop?

Liquorice has several varied uses in herbal medicine, such as acting as a mild laxative by increasing prostaglandins. Some people report that black liquorice confectionery causes their stools to become green, although this is probably due to the blue food colouring used by many manufacturers.

Is licorice bad for your heart?

Black licorice contains the sweetening compound glycyrrhizin, which can decrease potassium levels in the body, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. That temporary potassium deficiency can cause abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, and even congestive heart failure.

Who should not eat licorice?

FDA says no one, young or old, should eat big quantities of black licorice at a time and advises anyone who has an irregular heart rhythm or muscle weakness to stop eating the candy immediately. Pregnant women should also avoid eating black licorice, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises.

Does licorice help you sleep?

But research conducted on mice in 2012 published in the journal Bioorganic Medicine and Chemistry found that the active ingredient in liquorice called gabrol, a flavonoid, could help bind to GABA receptors in the brain which stimulate relaxing alpha waves and led to the mice in the study getting deeper and longer sleep.

Is Panda Licorice real licorice?

Panda Made from All Natural Ingredients Soft Licorice. The real taste of Licorice, Fat free, No preservatives, No artificial colors, No artificial flavors. Made with real licorice root extract.

Is licorice a healthy snack?

Afternoon Snack: The Surprising Health Benefit of Black Licorice! If so, you're going to love this news: German researchers have found that the so-called "amorfrutins" in licorice root may reduce blood sugar and have anti-inflammatory properties, which could be great for diabetics.

Is licorice bad for kidneys?

Consumption of licorice (liquorice) can lead to dangerously high blood pressure and dangerously low potassium levels (hypokalemia). But cortisol is not part of the aldosterone/potassium feedback loop, so the ability of cortisol to act on the kidneys is a bad thing that could lead to abnormally low potassium.

Why is black licorice so nasty?

When we bite into a piece of licorice, we taste glycyrrhizin, a natural sweetener in licorice root, which can taste, to some, like saccharin, the artificial sweetener found in Sweet 'n' Low. With licorice, this sickly sweet lingers, causing some to wrinkle their noses in displeasure.

Do black Twizzlers have real licorice?

"It's just artificial flavoring. Thus, it contains no glycyrrhizin.” Twizzlers Black Licorice Twists, for example, gets its flavor from licorice extract, which is derived from licorice root as well as added natural and artificial flavors, according to Jeff Beckman, a spokesperson for Hershey which produces Twizzlers.

How much is too much licorice?

Is licorice an antiviral?

Licorice contains more than 20 triterpenoids and nearly 300 flavonoids. Among them, only two triterpenes, GL and GA have been reported to have antiviral effects. They can weaken virus activities by inhibiting virus gene expression and replication, reducing adhesion force and stress, and reducing HMGB1 binding to DNA.

Is licorice good for losing weight?

Vital Information: New research shows that eating licorice may reduce body fat without any side effects. Two proposed theories are that the strong taste of licorice suppresses the appetite, and that eating licorice makes people feel full, so they eat fewer calories.

Does black licorice have any health benefits?

Soothes your stomach

Licorice root is used to soothe gastrointestinal problems. In cases of food poisoning, stomach ulcers, and heartburn, licorice root extract can speed the repair of stomach lining and restore balance. This is due to the anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties of glycyrrhizic acid.

Does licorice lower BP?

Yes. Consumption of licorice (liquorice) can lead to dangerously high blood pressure and dangerously low potassium levels (hypokalemia). Licorice contains glycyrrhizinic acid, which sets off a well-understood chain reaction of biochemical events in the body resulting in high blood pressure.

Can you overdose on licorice?

As it turns out, you really can overdose on candy—or, more precisely, black licorice. If you're 40 or older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.

Can Licorice cause heart palpitations?

The ingredient is made from licorice root, consumption of which can prompt the kidneys to release too much potassium, disrupting cardiac function and sometimes causing palpitations. Shortly before Halloween 2011, the Food and Drug Administration cautioned consumers to avoid overconsumption of black licorice.

Is Twizzlers licorice bad for you?

The problem, experts say, is that the classic candy contains glycyrrhizin, a sweetening compound derived from licorice root, which can cause potassium levels in the body to fall. Any Twizzlers Black Licorice products that contain licorice extract lists this ingredient on the package,” Beckman said.

Is licorice good for acid reflux?

DGL for acid reflux. One such option is deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL). People believe that using this a few times per day will alleviate acid reflux symptoms. Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to close completely.

Clinical Studies

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