Licorice

October 3, 2020

This article provides general nutrition information only and is not medical advice.

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 (physical strain) 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 concerns 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, joint comfort, and antimicrobial effects. Early research suggests that, as a result, it may ease upper respiratory immune challenges, support ulcers, and aid digestion, among other benefits.
It may:

Aid diabetes.
Reduce life stage support.
Boost weight loss.
Help support 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)
Male vitality.
Excess fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
Fluid and sodium retention.
High cardiovascular health (hypertension)

Why is licorice bad for you?

Yes, particularly if you're over 40 and have a history of heart condition or high cardiovascular health, 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 cardiovascular health 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 cardiovascular health, 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 joint comfort properties, which could be great for diabetics.

Is licorice bad for kidneys?

Consumption of licorice (liquorice) can lead to dangerously high cardiovascular health 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 plant compounds?

Licorice contains more than 20 triterpenoids and nearly 300 flavonoids. Among them, only two triterpenes, GL and GA have been reported to have plant compounds 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 joint comfort and immune-boosting properties of glycyrrhizic acid.

Does licorice lower BP?

Yes. Consumption of licorice (liquorice) can lead to dangerously high cardiovascular health 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 cardiovascular health.

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 concerns. Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to close completely.

Clinical Studies

^ a b The effect of an endogenous antioxidant glabridin on oxidized LDL.
^Combined extractives of red yeast rice, bitter gourd, chlorella, soy protein, and licorice improve total lipid balance, low-density lipoprotein lipid balance, and triglyceride in subjects with metabolic syndrome.
^Effects of two natural medicine formulations on irritable bowel syndrome concerns: a pilot study.
^ a b Effect of the combination of ginseng, oriental bezoar and glycyrrhiza on autonomic nervous activity as evaluated by power spectral analysis of HRV and cardiac depolarization-repolarization process.
^ a b c Effect of the combination of ginseng, oriental bezoar and glycyrrhiza on autonomic nervous activity and immune system under mental arithmetic stress.
^ a b c d e f Clinical safety of licorice flavonoid oil (LFO) and pharmacokinetics of glabridin in healthy humans.
^ a b Nutritional support of polycystic ovary syndrome with spironolactone plus licorice.
^ a b Farag MA, Wessjohann LA. Volatiles Profiling in Medicinal Licorice Roots Using Steam Distillation and Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) Coupled to Chemometrics. J Food Sci. (2012)
^ a b c d e f g h Isbrucker RA, Burdock GA. Risk and safety assessment on the consumption of Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza sp.), its extract and powder as a food ingredient, with emphasis on the pharmacology and toxicology of glycyrrhizin. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. (2006)
^ a b c Scientific Opinion on the safety of “Glavonoid®”, an extract derived from the roots or rootstock of Glycyrrhiza glabra L., as a Novel Food ingredient.
^ a b Ploeger B, et al. The pharmacokinetics of glycyrrhizic acid evaluated by physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling. Drug Metab Rev. (2001)
^Das D, Agarwal SK, Chandola HM. Protective effect of Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra) against side effects of radiation/chemoroutine in head and neck malignancies. Ayu. (2011)
^Shen L, et al. Characterization using LC/MS of the absorption compounds and metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of a single or mixed decoction of Shaoyao and Gancao. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (2012)
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^Hu C, et al. Estrogenic activities of extracts of Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) root in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. (2009)
^ a b Sabbioni C, et al. Simultaneous HPLC analysis, with isocratic elution, of glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid in liquorice roots and confectionery products. Phytochem Anal. (2006)
^ a b Wang YC, Yang YS. Simultaneous quantification of flavonoids and triterpenoids in licorice using HPLC. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. (2007)
^Gantait A, et al. Quantification of glycyrrhizin in Glycyrrhiza glabra extract by validated HPTLC densitometry. J AOAC Int. (2010)
^Duval N, et al. Cell coupling and Cx43 expression in embryonic mouse neural progenitor cells. J Cell Sci. (2002)
^ a b Tian M, Yan H, Row KH. Extraction of glycyrrhizic acid and glabridin from licorice. Int J Mol Sci. (2008)
^Hayashi H, et al. Field survey of Glycyrrhiza plants in Central Asia (3). Chemical characterization of G. glabra collected in Uzbekistan. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (2003)
^ a b Vaya J, Belinky PA, Aviram M. Antioxidant constituents from licorice roots: isolation, structure elucidation and antioxidative capacity toward LDL oxidation. Free Radic Biol Med. (1997)
^ a b c d e f Cho S, et al. Hypnotic effects and GABAergic mechanism of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) ethanol extract and its major flavonoid constituent glabrol. Bioorg Med Chem. (2012)
^Hong YH, et al. Phytoestrogenic compounds in alfalfa sprout (Medicago sativa) beyond coumestrol. J Agric Food Chem. (2011)
^ a b c Kusano A, et al. Inhibition of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate phosphodiesterase by flavonoids from licorice roots and 4-arylcoumarins. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1991)
^ a b Hatano T, et al. Phenolic constituents of licorice. II. Structures of licopyranocoumarin, licoarylcoumarin and glisoflavone, and inhibitory effects of licorice phenolics on xanthine oxidase. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1989)
^Shibano M, et al. Determination of flavonoids in licorice using acid hydrolysis and reversed-phase HPLC and evaluation of the chemical quality of cultivated licorice. Planta Med. (2010)
^ a b c d Seon MR, et al. Hexane/ethanol extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and its active compound isoangustone A induce G1 cycle arrest in DU145 human prostate and 4T1 murine mammary cancer cells. J Nutr Biochem. (2012)
^Kim SS, et al. Licochalcone E activates Nrf2/antioxidant response element signaling pathway in both neuronal and microglial cells: wellbeing relevance to neurodegenerative condition. J Nutr Biochem. (2012)
^Kolbe L, et al. Joint comfort efficacy of Licochalcone A: correlation of clinical potency and in vitro effects. Arch Dermatol Res. (2006)
^Yo YT, et al. Licorice and licochalcone-A induce autophagy in LNCaP prostate cancer cells by suppression of Bcl-2 expression and the mTOR pathway. J Agric Food Chem. (2009)
^Franceschelli S, et al. Licocalchone-C extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra inhibits lipopolysaccharide-interferon-γ physical strain by improving antioxidant conditions and regulating inducible nitric oxide synthase expression. Molecules. (2011)
^Zhang HC, et al. Up-regulation of licochalcone A biosynthesis and secretion by Tween 80 in hairy root cultures of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. Mol Biotechnol. (2011)
^Shimizu N, et al. A novel neutral polysaccharide having activity on the reticuloendothelial system from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1990)
^Tomoda M, et al. Characterization of two polysaccharides having activity on the reticuloendothelial system from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1990)
^Shimizu N, et al. The core structure and immunological activities of glycyrrhizan UA, the main polysaccharide from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1992)
^Zhao JF, et al. Heterogeneity and characterisation of mitogenic and anti-complementary pectic polysaccharides from the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch et D.C. Carbohydr Res. (1991)
^Takada K, Tomoda M, Shimizu N. Core structure of glycyrrhizan GA, the main polysaccharide from the stolon of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera; anti-complementary and alkaline phosphatase-inducing activities of the polysaccharide and its degradation products. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1992)
^Shimizu N, et al. Characterization of a polysaccharide having activity on the reticuloendothelial system from the stolon of Glycyrrhiza glabra var. glandulifera. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). (1991)
^Yang G, Yu Y. Immunopotentiating effect of traditional Chinese drugs--ginsenoside and glycyrrhiza polysaccharide. Proc Chin Acad Med Sci Peking Union Med Coll. (1990)
^Ao M, et al. Factors influencing glabridin stability. Nat Prod Commun. (2010)
^ a b c Albermann ME, et al. Determination of glycyrrhetic acid after consumption of liquorice and application to a fatality. Forensic Sci Int. (2010)
^Interaction of licorice on glycyrrhizin pharmacokinetics.
^Licorice abuse: time to send a warning message.
^Recent progress in the consideration of flavoring ingredients under the food additives amendment III.
^ a b c Bell ZW, Canale RE, Bloomer RJ. A dual investigation of the effect of dietary supplementation with licorice flavonoid oil on anthropometric and biochemical markers of health and adiposity. Lipids Health Dis. (2011)
^ a b c d Choi HJ, et al. Hexane/ethanol extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis licorice suppresses doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in H9c2 rat cardiac myoblasts. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). (2008)
^ a b c d Ito C, et al. Absorption of dietary licorice isoflavan glabridin to blood circulation in rats. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). (2007)
^ a b c d e f Yu XY, et al. Role of P-glycoprotein in limiting the brain penetration of glabridin, an active isoflavan from the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra. Pharm Res. (2007)
^Yamamura Y, et al. Administration-route dependency of absorption of glycyrrhizin in rats: intraperitoneal administration dramatically enhanced bioavailability. Biol Pharm Bull. (1995)
^Wang Z, et al. Gastrointestinal absorption characteristics of glycyrrhizin from glycyrrhiza extract. Biol Pharm Bull. (1995)
^Gunnarsdóttir S, Jóhannesson T. Glycyrrhetic acid in human blood after ingestion of glycyrrhizic acid in lico