Licorice
Glycyrrhiza glabraOne of the world’s biggest licorice buyers is the tobacco industry, which uses it to flavour cigarettes.
What is Licorice?
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a plant of the Fabaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean, Asia and Siberia. Part used: root.
What is Licorice used for?
Traditional use: In the southeast, licorice sherbet is drunk during Ramadan as a cooling, stomach-friendly drink. Scientific evidence: limited. It contains glycyrrhizin, 50 times sweeter than sugar.
Is Licorice safe?
Safety label: caution. Regular, heavy use raises blood pressure, lowers potassium and can cause heart rhythm problems. People with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease and pregnant women should avoid it.
Traditional use
In the southeast, licorice sherbet is drunk during Ramadan as a cooling, stomach-friendly drink. The root is chewed for coughs and heartburn.
One of the most used plants in Chinese medicine, added to formulas to “harmonise” the other herbs.
In nature
Mix-up risk
Recognised by its sweet taste and yellow inside. Both its effects and its risks come from glycyrrhizin.
Preparation
The root is soaked or boiled in water.
What science says
It contains glycyrrhizin, 50 times sweeter than sugar. The EMA recognises it for coughs and mild stomach complaints as traditional uses. A glycyrrhizin-free form (DGL) has been studied for stomach ulcers.
How strong is the evidence?
Claims often repeated online about Licorice, and what science says today.
| Claim | Evidence | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Loosens phlegm in coughs | Traditional only | Recognised by the EMA as traditional. |
| Protects the stomach | Limited evidence | Small studies with the glycyrrhizin-free form (DGL). |
| Relieves fatigue | No evidence | No evidence; risky because it raises blood pressure. |
| Balances hormones | No evidence | No reliable evidence. |
Common mistakes
- Drinking lots of licorice sherbet every day in summer: cases of high blood pressure and low potassium have been reported.
- Drinking it with high blood pressure or in pregnancy.
- Not realising licorice sweets carry the same risk.
Frequently asked
Does licorice sherbet raise blood pressure?
Yes, when drunk regularly and in quantity. People with high blood pressure should avoid it.
How much licorice is safe a day?
In Europe, glycyrrhizin intake under 100 mg a day is advised. Sherbet content varies and is hard to measure; not drinking it regularly is safest.
Can I drink licorice root in pregnancy?
Not recommended; effects on preterm birth and the baby’s development have been reported.
Safety
Regular, heavy use raises blood pressure, lowers potassium and can cause heart rhythm problems. People with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease and pregnant women should avoid it.
Drug interactions
| Medicine or substance | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Blood pressure medicines | Raises blood pressure and weakens the drug. |
| Diuretics | Increases potassium loss. |
| Digoxin | Low potassium raises the risk of digoxin toxicity. |
| Corticosteroids | May increase effects and side effects. |
This list is not complete. If you take regular medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor before trying Licorice.
Conservation
Similar plants
Sources
- EMA monographLiquiritiae radix: European Medicines Agency herbal assessment
- NCCIHUS National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: use and safety summary
- BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
- Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Glycyrrhiza glabra
- Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.
Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe