Extract of Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra, or licorice, is a low-growing herbaceous perennial native to southern Europe and Asia. The plant produces a long primary root, which is the basis for medicinal extracts, powders and other preparations. Licorice has been employed in both Eastern and Western systems of medicine for treating a variety of disorders. Its use in traditional Chinese medicine dates back at least 3,000 years, according to nutritionist Phyllis Balch. Licorice has not been proven to prevent or cure any health condition. Consult your doctor before using it.

Constituents

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine attributes licorice's properties to its content of glycyrrhizin, or glycyrrhizic acid. "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines" lists a variety of compounds in licorice with potential pharmacologic activity, including glycyrrhizin, glabridin, flavonoids, coumarin derivatives, steroids and volatile oils. Licorice extracts are usually standardized to their content of glycyrrhizin.

Anti-inflammatory

A study published in the December 1998 issue of "Pigment Cell Research" demonstrated that glabridin, a saponin found in licorice root and licorice extracts, exerts anti-inflammatory effects through suppression of superoxide anion production and inhibition of cyclooxygenase, or COX, enzymes. COX enzymes convert fatty acids to inflammatory molecules, such as prostaglandins, within your cells. COX enzymes are the therapeutic targets of ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Licorice has not been shown to cure inflammatory conditions, however.

Anti-ulcer

Licorice triggers the release of secretin, an intestinal hormone that reduces acid secretion from your stomach. This property has been cited in support of licorice's purported ulcer-healing benefits. In 2005, scientists at Al-Isra University in Amman, Jordan, demonstrated that licorice extracts helped prevent stomach ulcers in rats exposed to a nonsteroidal medication, but licorice has not been shown to cure stomach ulcers in humans.

Adrenal Support

Glycyrrhizin interferes with the breakdown of cortisol in your tissues, thereby increasing cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol is an adrenal hormone that is released in response to physiologic stress. This cortisol-boosting activity is the basis for using licorice as an "adrenal tonic" during times of increased physical or emotional distress. However, taking licorice root or extracts for more than a few weeks can lead to sodium and fluid retention, a decrease in serum potassium levels and high blood pressure. Using deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL, mitigates these undesirable side effects, but such products may not have the same medicinal properties as native preparations.

Considerations and Precautions

Licorice extracts have been used for centuries to "purify the blood" and to treat ulcers, coughs and colds, skin rashes, hypoglycemia, viral infections, arthritis and a number of other disorders. There is insufficient scientific evidence to support the use of licorice for any medical condition. The consumption of native root preparations and extracts can lead to "pseudoaldosteronism," a condition associated with fluid retention, low potassium and high blood pressure. Consult your doctor before taking licorice products.