Black licorice has been used since the time of the Egyptian pharaohs and was even found in the tomb of King Tut. Black licorice is a popular flavoring agent but also has a long history of use in Eastern and Western medical traditions, according to the National Institutes of Health. Scientists have known since the 1950s that black licorice has anti-ulcer properties, but consuming too much licorice can have potentially serious side effects.
Ulcers and Causes
Peptic ulcers are raw, open sores that develop on the lining of your esophagus, stomach or the upper area of your small intestine, called the duodenum. The most common symptom is a burning or gnawing pain that can come and go. Less common symptoms include vomiting of blood, stools that are dark and tarry, and weight loss. It was once thought that stress caused ulcers, but it's now known ulcers are actually caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori or from certain prescription drugs and over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen, according to MayoClinic.com.
Black Licorice
Black licorice products are extracted from the long, brown roots of a small shrub with dark green leaves and violet-colored flowers. The root, which contains a compound 50 times sweeter than sugar, is powdered and made into candy, teas, tablets and capsules. Licorice is most frequently used in folk medicine to treat colds, due to its ability to soothe and coat the throat, and as an expectorant, to help your respiratory tract get rid of phlegm and mucous. Whole licorice root contains the active ingredient of glycyrrhiza -- although there are preparations made without this ingredient, called deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL. Some products labeled as "licorice" or "licorice flavor" do not contain any licorice, but instead contain anise oil, which has the same smell and taste.
Licorice and Ulcers
Several studies have found that black licorice can help treat gastric ulcers, including a project in Jordan that was published in a 2005 issue of the journal "AAPS PharmSciTech." The Jordan team showed that licorice was as effective as the prescription ulcer drug famotidine, while a combination therapy of the two was more effective than either alone in treating ulcers in rats. Research at the University of Münster in Germany, published in 2009 in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," proved that black licorice extracts prevented Helicobacter pylori from adhering to the lining of the stomach in humans.
Cautions
Although black licorice appears to be helpful and not harmful to ulcers, the same cannot be said for black licorice regarding overall health. Licorice that contains glycyrrhiza can cause potassium levels in the body to fall and lead to abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, swelling, lethargy and congestive heart failure, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration. This has led some health experts, like noted doctor of natural medicine Michael T. Murray, to recommend the deglycyrrhizinated form of licorce. Dr. Murray notes that DGL has been shown to be more effective than drugs like Tagamet, Zantac and antacids in treating gastric and duodenal ulcers -- without the side effects of regular licorice. Even so, check with your health provider before using licorice as a treatment for ulcers or any other medical condition.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Peptic Ulcer
- University of Maryland Health Center: Licorice
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology: Aqueous Extracts and Polysaccharides from Liquorice Roots Inhibit Adhesion of Helicobacter Pylori to Human Gastric Mucosa
- AAPO PharmSciTech: Licorice: a Possible Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Ulcer Drug
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Black Licorice: Trick or Treat?
- DoctorMurray.com: Ulcers (Duodenal or Gastric)
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