When you hear "licorice," you might reminisce about anise-flavored, gooey black strings, or little candy-coated, bite-sized chewy chunks of the stuff. But when the name is applied to healing, it's in reference to the root of the licorice plant, not anise seeds. Medicinal uses of licorice are well-documented. As with any herb, caution is warranted if you're using it to treat any health condition. Ask your doctor before using licorice as a treatment.
What Is Licorice?
The licorice plant, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, yields a root that has been used for centuries by healing practitioners all over the world and primarily in Asia. It is grown commercially in Asia and Europe. The main active ingredient in licorice root is glycyrrhizic acid, which is sweeter than sugar and similar but stronger in aroma than anise or fennel, which are sometimes used in place of true licorice. In fact, much licorice-flavored candy only tastes like licorice, and is actually flavored with anise, an entirely different plant. Glycyrrhiza glabra has been used mostly in medicinal preparations and not as much in cooking, though it can be found in some Asian sauces and a few northern European candies.
Licorice Forms
Since licorice isn't usually found in tasty candy form, you'll want to consult a professional herbalist or health care practitioner who prescribes herbal medications to find the treatment modality most suitable for your condition. Licorice root can be bought whole or sliced, powdered and in capsules or tablets, and in liquid as a tincture or extract.
Medicinal Uses of Licorice
Licorice-based preparations are routinely used for easing cough, upper respiratory congestion and gastrointestinal upset. AltMD also describes licorice root as being anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and immune activating. Its tea form is well-known for aiding digestive discomfort. As with any remedy, licorice can be overused and have toxic effects, so consult your doctor before using it.
Licorice Precautions
When used medicinally, licorice can raise blood pressure as a result of creating an imbalance in sodium and potassium. Pregnant and nursing women and people with hypertension, diabetes, heart or liver disease should not use licorice root medications. Treatments with licorice should be temporary and of low dosages. Also, glycyrrhizin -- licorice's major ingredient -- can cause your body to be less responsive to some other medications.
Insomnia
Emily Kane, N.D., a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, describes the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective on insomnia as related to imbalances, commonly in this case between the heart and kidneys. There's a long list of related TCM treatments for insomnia, two of which use licorice combined with other substances, depending on your specific symptoms besides sleeplessness. As with any medicinal treatment, you should consult your doctor for guidance on formulas and dosages.
Irritability
Aside from a study on licorice's use for babies with colic -- an infant digestive ailment that is sometimes linked to an irritable temperament -- the only other studies that look at licorice and "irritability" are in regard to other gastroinestinal disorders, such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. In fact, licorice is often and has long been prescribed for digestive problems of all types. While some mention is made of licorice in reducing irritability, among other symptoms, when linked to specific conditions -- hypoglycemia and premenstrual syndrome -- there are no indications that licorice can be effectively used to ease irritability in general, for example, as treatment for anxiety. To the contrary, one condition exists in which irritability is a symptom and the culprit is too much licorice ingestion. Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess, or AME, is a potentially fatal endocrine disease that can be passed congenitally to infants or, in adults, can be the result of ingesting large quantities of real licorice -- not the anise-flavored variety. Irritability and mood swings are hallmark traits of AME that get better once licorice is no longer ingested.
ADHD
A connection between licorice and ADHD may start in utero. A study of Finnish children demonstrated that mothers who consumed more than 500 mg of licorice's active ingredient, glycyrrhizin, were more likely to have children with cognitive deficits and behavior problems, including ADHD. The study, published in 2009, measured the children's behavior at age 8. The impact is thought to be by way of glycyrrhizin's impairment of the placenta, which then allows stress hormones to pass through.
References
- Chemical and Engineering News: What's That Stuff? Licorice
- Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.)
- AllNatural.net Encyclopedia of Herbs: Licorice
- Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.)
- The C.A.M. Report: Potential for licorice-drug interactions
- Healthy.net: Insomnia
