To manage your diabetes properly, you must be extremely careful about which foods you eat and medications and dietary supplements you take. Diabetes is a serious medical condition causing high levels of glucose, a sugar, to circulate in your bloodstream. With diabetes, glucose cannot get into your cells to be used for energy. Treatment of type 2 diabetes, formerly called non-insulin dependent diabetes, relies on oral diabetic medications, such as metformin, to lower blood glucose levels. Licorice is a popular herbal supplement used by herbalists and naturopathic physicians for a variety of medical conditions, including diabetes. However, licorice can cause side effects which affect your diabetes medications, so take it only under direct supervision of your physician.
Treating Diabetes With Metformin
Metformin is an oral medication used to control blood sugar levels by decreasing the amount of glucose manufactured by your liver and obtained from the foods in your diet. Although it may be used in combination with insulin for type 2 diabetics, it is never used to treat type 1 diabetes. Metformin is used along with diet and exercise to reduce your blood glucose levels. It is also used in combination with other diabetes medications, such as rosiglitazone. On its own, the side effects associated with metformin include bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and changes to your nails.
Use of Licorice for Diabetes
Licorice is an ancient herb that has been used for thousands of years as an herbal medicine and as a sweet flavoring for foods. Licorice is most commonly used to treat coughs, colds, asthma, peptic ulcers, and is used topically for canker sores and eczema. Licorice contains glycyrrhiza, or glycyrrhizic acid, the substance responsible for many of its properties, but also the source of its side effects. A 2010 laboratory study published in "Lipids in Health and Disease" found glycyrrhizic acid reduced blood glucose levels by improving insulin sensitivity. The side effects of licorice containing glycyrrhizin include high blood, pressure, fatigue, headache and an increased risk of heart attack.
Licorice and Metformin Interaction
Licorice containing glycyrrhizin may interact with metformin and other diabetes medications, including insulin, glipizide, rosiglitazone, troglitazone, pioglitazone and glyburide. The glucose-lowering effects of licorice combined with metformin can act to lower your blood sugar levels too much, resulting in a condition called hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include dizziness, lightheadedness, tremors, irritability, headache, weakness, pale skin and sweating. Take licorice supplements with metformin only as directed by your doctor.
Other Effects of Licorice and Metformin
Along with raising your blood glucose levels, diabetes also affects your heart and other organs. Over time, consistently high blood sugar levels can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to an increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Using metformin and licorice containing glycyrrhizin can decrease your potassium levels and increase your retention of sodium, which can negatively impact your heart and raise your blood pressure. If you are diabetic and being treated for high blood with diuretics, licorice and metformin can increase their action, causing hypokalemia, or low potassium levels.
References
- PubMed Health: Type 2 Diabetes
- PubMed Health: Metformin
- Drugs.com: Licorice
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Licorice
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Licorice
- Lipids in Health and Disease: Glycyrrhizic Acid Improved Lipoprotein Lipase Expression, Insulin Sensitivity, Serum Lipid and Lipid Deposition in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats
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