Medicinal use of licorice dates back to ancient Roman, Greek and Chinese cultures, and its use continues today. However, there is limited scientific proof of the therapeutic effectiveness of licorice. There are also safety concerns when taking licorice along with various prescription medications. Talk to your doctor before you start using licorice medicinally.
Identification and Dosing
Licorice is also called licorice root, liquorice, sweet root, glycyrrhiza, Russian licorice, Spanish licorice and gan zao, among other names. Available licorice preparations include dried or powdered root, pills and liquid extracts. Licorice without the chemical glycyrrhizin is called deglycyrrhizinated licorice or DGL. Reported licorice doses to treat stomach problems are 2 to 15 g daily.
Uses
Licorice is used to treat conditions such as sore throat, bacterial infections in the lungs and viral infections such as hepatitis. It is also used for stomach problems such as ulcers, inflammation of the stomach lining and heartburn. Other uses include treatments for arthritis, liver problems, food poisoning and chronic fatigue syndrome. Licorice is used in combination with other herbs to treat prostate cancer and eczema.
Effectiveness
According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, or NMCD, licorice is rated as possibly effective for treating heartburn when combined with other herbs. There is insufficient scientific information to determine the effectiveness of licorice for any other health condition.
Considerations
Licorice is considered to be possibly safe when consumed in amounts used medicinally for up to four weeks. Daily doses of licorice above 30 g for several weeks can cause serious side effects in healthy adults, such as elevated blood pressure, low blood potassium levels, paralysis and possible brain damage, says the NMCD. Lower doses of licorice can cause similar problems in the presence of heart disease, kidney problems or high blood pressure. Licorice should be avoided in pregnancy.
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