Black licorice from the licorice plant has a number of medicinal uses. Some alternative medicine practitioners recommend it as a treatment for altitude sickness, a potentially lethal complication of high-altitude travel. Only a few practitioners mention that glycyrrhiza, the active ingredient in licorice root, is used for altitude sickness. No clinical studies are available on licorice for this purpose. Black licorice candy in the United States contains little to no actual licorice plant and would have no effect on altitude sickness.
Source
Licorice from the licorice plant root and rhizome contains glycyrrhiza. At one time, all black licorice candy contained glycyrrhiza. Today, because glycyrrhiza can have significant side effects, most black licorice candy is flavored with anise, which has a similar taste and smell to licorice. Even if black licorice contains, actual licorice, the amount is usually small. If black licorice contains any actual licorice, licorice root or glycyrrhiza will be listed on in the ingredients.
Altitude Sickness
As you go above 8,000 feet, you can start to feel the effects of having less oxygen in the air and therefore in your lungs. If you go up too fast, you can develop altitude sickness, with severe headache, nausea and weakness. Nausea, vomiting, mental confusion, lack of coordination and fluid buildup in the lungs can occur in severe cases. Around 75 percent of people will have acute mountain sickness at altitudes over 10,000 feet, according to Rick Curtis, director of the Princeton University Outdoor Action program. Medications that reduce brain edema and that allow you to breathe faster and deeper to compensate for the decrease in oxygen are used to treat altitude sickness.
Potential Effects of Licorice
Licorice is used to treat asthma, a disorder characterized by spasms that block air flow into the lungs. In large amounts licorice can cause fluid retention, a rise in blood pressure and headache. The actions of licorice root have not been tested against altitude sickness.
Warnings
In large amounts such as 20 g per day, licorice can cause fluid retention, heart problems and headache, worsening the symptoms of altitude sickness. If you already have heart disease, hypertension or kidney disease, as little as 5 g per day could cause symptoms, the University of Maryland Medical Center warns. Black licorice has no proven benefit against altitude sickness. Never take black licorice to prevent or treat altitude sickness without your physician's approval, since high doses could exacerbate your symptoms.
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