Licorice
Parts Usually Used
Root, dried
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Licorice is a perennial erect branching plant 3-7 feet tall; the woody rootstock is wrinkled and brown on the outside, yellow on the inside, and tastes sweet. The stem, which is round on the lower part and angular higher up, bears alternate, odd-pinnate leaves with 3-7 pairs of ovate, dark green leaflets. Axillary racemes of yellowish or purplish 3-foot-long spikes of flowers appear from June to August, depending on location.
Full sun to partial shade. The roots are dug when sweetest, in autumn of the 4th year, preferably from plants that have not borne fruit, a process that exhausts the sweetness of the sap. Another variety of licorice is Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota). It can be used like G. glabra. Wild licorice can raise blood pressure like G. glabra.
Where Found
Found wild in southern and central Europe and parts of Asia, and cultivated elsewhere. Grows abundantly in Northern China, Mongolia, especially from the region of Kokonor.
Medicinal Properties
Demulcent, anti-viral, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, emetic, emolient, pectoral, alterative, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, sedative, tonic, stimulant
Biochemical Information
Asparagine, biotin, choline, fat, glycyrrhizin , gum, inositol, lecithin, glycosides, volatile oil, coumarins, estrogenic substances, sterols, saponins, manganese, PABA, pantothenic acid, pentacyclic terpenes, phosphorus, protein, sugar, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and E, and yellow dye. Substances in this herb seem to produce physiological reactions of desoxycorticosterone, with associated retention of sodium and water and the excretion of potassium.
Legends, Myths and Stories
Licorice was used as a treatment for coughs as long ago as the third century BC. When the 3,000 year old tomb of King Tutankhamen of Egypt was opened, archeologists found quantities of licorice stored with fabulous jewelry and magnificent art works. Did the boy king have a special liking for licorice? Like the Chinese, the Hindus considered licorice a general tonic, beautifying agent, and elixir of life.
Ancient Chinese divided their drugs into 3 classes, according to their reputed properties. Licorice was of the first class because “They preserve the life of man, and therefore resemble Heaven. They are not poisonous. No matter how much you take, and how often you use them, they are not harmful. ” Hippocrates mentioned licorice in 400 BC; Pliny wrote 1900 years ago about the juice of licorice helping to clear the voice.
It is mentioned in practically all botanical records of mankind. In World War I, the French provided their troops with a beverage made with licorice root. The Chinese claim to have used the herb root for more than 5,000 years. Chinese healers prescribed licorice for flare-ups of arthritis, but back then they didn’t know that licorice contained saponins, anti-inflammatory compounds similar to natural steroid hormones.
Licorice stimulates the production of 2 steroids, cortisone and aldosterone. A list of 365 medicinal herbs were compiled in China about 2,000 years ago, called the Shennong Herbal. Licorice was listed as a “superior” drug, meaning it can be used over a long period of time without toxic effects. It actually has antiviral, antiallergic and, as stated, anti-inflammatory properties.
Licorice root, considered of great importance in Chinese medicine, is sold in long, dry, wrinkled pieces. It is used in a large number of prescriptions as a corrective and harmonizing ingredient. The extract is used in the composition of cough lozenges, syrups, and pastilles. In the United States, the National Cancer Institute is investigating triterpenoids, compounds found in licorice root, for the capability to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells and prevent tooth decay.
The Japanese are investigating glycyrrhetic acid as a possible cancer treatment. Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) was known to the Blackfeet tribe as “Pa ki to ki” and was a remedy for sore throat and stomach trouble. They steeped the gray leaves. Licorice is used in great quantities in modern tobacco mixtures.
Uses
Historical herbal traditions utilized licorice (*Glycyrrhiza glabra*) for a wide variety of respiratory, digestive, and systemic complaints. Herbalists traditionally administered it for coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, hoarseness, and bronchial congestion, believing it helped thin mucus. The root was also historically employed to address digestive issues such as indigestion, gastritis, stomach ulcers, colitis, diverticulosis, and nausea, and it was thought to act as a colon cleanser.
Folk practitioners also recommended it for general debility, thirst, fevers, stress, muscle or skeletal spasms, and bladder or kidney complaints, as well as to support adrenal function and manage blood cholesterol. It was noted for its pronounced natural sweetness, which led to its frequent inclusion in medicinal formulas to mask unpleasant flavors. European traditions sometimes utilized licorice derivatives as nutritional support for peptic ulcerations, believing it supported the mucous lining of the digestive tract.
Externally, practitioners prepared ointments containing the plant to apply to burns, sores, boils, eczema, psoriasis, and skin redness.
Warning
Do not use licorice root if you have high blood pressure, liver disease, or low levels of potassium. The increased production of aldosterone can raise blood pressure; believed to cause retention of fluids; in large quantities, licorice can sap potassium and calcium from the body, which is extremely dangerous. Not to be taken by people with a rapid heartbeat or those taking digoxin-based drugs.
Avoid in cases of osteoporosis, hypertension, and swelling around the heart. Licorice is contraindicated in cases where there is a tendency towards fluid retention, edema with high blood pressure. It should be used moderately for women, who tend to retain water more than men. Application should not continue for more than 4-6 weeks. Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) should not use licorice during PMS, due to its ability to cause water retention or bloating.
Licorice-flavored candy does not offer the same benefits as preparations from the root, but can cause an increase in blood pressure. Some of the effects of licorice root supplementation include: Absence of a menstrual period Congestive heart failure Decreased sexual interest (libido) Erectile dysfunction Excess fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) Fluid and sodium retention Headache High blood pressure (hypertension) Hypertensive encephalopathy Hypokalemic myopathy Lethargy Low potassium levels (hypokalemia) Mineralocorticoid effects Muscle wasting Myoglobinuria Occasionally brain damage in otherwise healthy people Paralysis (quadriplegia) Swelling (edema) Tiredness Weakness No one should start on Licorice root supplementation without consulting a doctor.
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