Licorice, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, gets its name from the Greek words meaning "sweet root." Licorice is a legume similar to beans and peas, and its root is fibrous, yellow and twisted. It is a perennial native to Europe and Asia. Licorice has been used for culinary purposes and has a long history of use in Chinese and other herbal medicine traditions to treat a variety of ailments, including diabetes.
Consult your doctor about using licorice to treat or prevent diabetes, and note that pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take licorice.
Adrenal Effects
By stimulating the adrenal glands, licorice root prompts your body to mobilize glucose into the bloodstream to counteract episodes of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, that can occur in diabetes. In this way, licorice acts as a natural first-aid for low blood sugar and prevents your blood sugar from dropping further until you are able to eat food, says R.N. Ellsworth, author of the book "Natural Treatments for Diabetes." Licorice root also balances other components of the endocrine system and can help bring the pancreas into proper function.
Sweetness
Licorice root has a sweet flavor that is 50 times sweeter than sugar, which makes it a useful non-sugar sweetener for diabetics. However, licorice can raise blood pressure, so if you have high blood pressure it is best to avoid long-term use of licorice and only use licorice with the consent and supervision of your health care provider. To use licorice to keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day, take a couple of capsules of purified licorice root between meals, advises Frankie Avalon Wolfe, author of the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Herbal Remedies."
Combination Therapy
Use licorice root along with burdock and sarsaparilla to strengthen your liver, says Robert O. Young, Ph.D., author of the book "The PH Miracle for Diabetes: The Revolutionary Diet Plan for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes." A study published in the August 2005 issue of the journal "Natural Products Communications" found that derivatives of a compound in licorice root called liquiritigenin reduced signs of liver stress in tissue culture studies, possibly allowing for more efficient liver function and blood sugar and cholesterol control in some diabetics.
Fat Loss
Decreased fat accumulation may be a side effect of licorice use that could benefit some diabetics, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Reducing body fat can improve body mass index, a measurement that takes into consideration the ratio of your height and weight, and also can decrease cholesterol levels. However, risk factors associated with long-term use of licorice should be monitored. Always consult your doctor before using licorice to treat a medical condition.
References
- "Natural Treatments for Diabetes"; R. N. Ellsworth; 2000
- "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Herbal Remedies"; Frankie Avalon Wolfe; 1999
- "Natural Product Communications"; Liquiritigenin Derivatives and Their Hepatotoprotective Activity; R. Gaur, et. al.; August 2010
- "The PH Miracle for Diabetes"; Robert O. Young and Shelly Redford Young; 2004
- "Creating Heaven Through Your Plate: A Holistic Eating & Self-Healing Guide"; Shelley Summers; 2000
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Licorice
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