What effect does licorice have?
Thanks to its sweetness, the licorice root is used to prepare stimulants such as licorice. The medicinal use of licorice already appeared in ancient Egypt, where especially pharaohs liked to drink the sweet beverage.
The most important ingredients of licorice root are saponins (especially glycyrrhizin) and secondary plant compounds such as flavonoids (like liquiritin).
Therefore, the use of licorice is medically recognized for the following diseases:
- stomach and duodenal ulcers
- Inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis)
- cough and bronchial catarrh
A small study also indicates that skin eczema can be effectively treated by a gel containing licorice extract. However, further research is needed.
Experiential medicine also uses the juice of licorice root for heartburn and acid-related stomach problems.
How is licorice used?
There are several ways to use licorice.
Licorice as a home remedy
The dried, peeled or unpeeled and cut roots of licorice with their stolons are used medicinally. You can prepare a tea from it, for example, for gastrointestinal ulcers or colds:
Alternatively, you can also prepare the licorice roots with cold water, boil it briefly and then let it steep as well. Drink a cup of warm licorice root tea several times a day. The daily dose is 5 to 15 grams of licorice root.
Licorice products containing more than 200 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per 100 grams must be labeled as “strong licorice” and may only be sold in pharmacies. Please adhere to the recommended intake indicated on the package.
Home remedies based on medicinal plants have their limitations. If your symptoms persist for a long period of time, do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor.
In pharmacies you can get licorice syrup and licorice juice, respectively, which are made from the roots. They are taken diluted with hot water. Extracts from licorice root are also used in the production of capsules, tablets and other finished preparations. These usually contain other medicinal plants.
You can find out how to dose and use the preparations correctly in the respective package insert or from your doctor or pharmacist.
With prolonged use and in higher dosages, an imbalance in the mineral balance can occur: Water and sodium are retained in the body, while much potassium is lost. As a further consequence, water retention in the tissues (edema), high blood pressure and muscle protein in the urine may occur.
What you should consider when using licorice
- Never take licorice or licorice if you have liver or kidney disease, high blood pressure or potassium deficiency. In these cases, the risk of side effects of licorice root is increased.
- Women should also avoid licorice and licorice during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
How to obtain licorice and its products
You can obtain the root of licorice, finished preparations made from it, and licorice in pharmacies and many drugstores. For proper use, please read the respective package inserts and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
What is licorice?
The perennial, woody perennial grows one to two meters high and has an extensive root system. The plant owes its Latin (Glycyrrhiza) and German generic name (licorice) to the very sweet taste of the roots. Responsible for the sweetness is the ingredient glycyrrhizin (Greek: glyks = sweet, rhiza = root), which is about 50 times sweeter than cane sugar (sucrose).
