Licorice Toxicity

Sweet, strong-tasting licorice root may well be able to bestow health benefits, such as fighting viruses. At the same time, this herb demands your respect since its misuse can have dangerous or fatal consequences; however, the herb can cause serious adverse side effects when taken with pharmaceutical drugs. Before ingesting licorice root, check with your physician.

Licorice

Long revered in traditional Native American and Chinese medical systems, licorice root goes by the name "yastimadhu" in Sanskrit, which translates as "stick of sweetness." Licorice, or Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a perennial plant whose root is used to make candy and to flavor otherwise unpleasant-tasting herbal brews. In Ayurveda, the indigenous East Indian healing system, licorice root is used in combination with fresh ginger root to alleviate chest congestion. Alone, licorice root tea is employed to treat constipation, hot flashes and fatigue, according to physician Deepak Chopra, M.D., author of the 2000 book "The Chopra Center Herbal Handbook."

Medicinal Uses

Chopra enumerates licorice's medicinal qualities, including its ability to combat viruses, inflammation, fever and pain. It contains constituents that are similar to the adrenal hormone cortisol, which the body produces when stressed. Physicians prescribe hydrocortisone, a synthetic form of cortisol, to relieve pain and inflammation. Licorice is also an anti-inflammatory but does not cause the same negative side effects as cortisone, such as a reduced number of blood cells and ulcers. The herb also contains compounds that stimulate your immune system and perform similar functions as the hormone estrogen.

Scientific Research

In a study published in the journal "Minerva Medica" in 2008, a 47-year-old female had surgery to remove an adrenal gland. She took steroid drugs for two weeks and stopped. She developed high blood pressure and serious adrenal insufficiency and was admitted to the hospital. After much investigation, her doctors found out that she had been ingesting large amounts of licorice for two years before surgery. They concluded that her licorice intake had induced a life-threatening condition called hypokalemia, or dangerously low potassium levels.

Interactions with Medications

Licorice root can cause your blood pressure to rise. Other side effects, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, include irregular heart rhythm, carpal tunnel syndrome and water retention due to an increase in sodium levels. The herb can interact with a slew of pharmaceutical medications. These include aspirin, birth control pills, hypertensives, diuretics and insulin. Due to its steroidal qualities, the herb can amplify the effects of steroid drugs. Since a licorice component called glycyrrhizic acid appears to be the cause many of these interactions, deglycyrrhized licorice supplements are now available.