Home > Anti-aging Research > Licorice

Licorice

Specific Recommendations from my affiliates:

• Licorice supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb

News & Research:

• Licorice manufacturers encouraged to state daily limit of consumption - Science Daily, 3/2/15 - "The boy also complained of a bad headache and had high blood pressure ... he had been eating at least 20 licorice sweets each day for the past four months. This resulted in the consumption of 2.88 mg/kg of glycyrrhizic acid (one of the active ingredients of licorice), well above the World Health Organization's recommended maximum of 2 mg/kg"
  • Glycyrrhizic acid in liquorice--evaluation of health hazard - Food Chem Toxicol. 1993 Apr;31(4):303-12 - "Glycyrrhizic acid is hydrolysed in the intestine to the pharmacologically active compound glycyrrhetic acid, which inhibits the enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (in the direction of cortisol to cortisone) as well as some other enzymes involved in the metabolism of corticosteroids. Inhibition of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase leads to increased cortisol levels in the kidneys and in other mineralocorticoid-selective tissues"
• Licorice extract protects the skin from UV-induced stress - Science Daily, 2/18/15 - "the antioxidant active Licochalcone A, which is the main component of the root extract of the plant Glycyrrhiza inflata (Chinese Licorice), is able to protect the skin from subsequent UV irradiation damage from within by strengthening the skin's own defense systems. Thus plant extracts with the described profile are able to provide a protective shield from sun exposure supporting and going beyond the action of sunscreens regarding sun protection"
• Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance - Science Daily, 4/17/12
• Eating Licorice In Pregnancy May Affect A Child's IQ And Behavior - Science Daily. 10/6/09 - "Expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of licorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child's intelligence and behavior ... They were also more likely to have poor attention spans and show disruptive behavior such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) ... It is thought that a component in licorice called glycyrrhizin may impair the placenta, allowing stress hormones to cross from the mother to the baby"
• Effects of Herbal Supplements on the Kidney - Medscape, 11/14/05 - "Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), especially when used at high doses and for prolonged periods, has a well-known pseudoaldosterone-like effect on the reabsorption of sodium and potassium"
• Licorice Licks Herpes Virus Infection - Science Daily, 3/14/05
• Licorice Root May Keep Mental Skills Sharp - WebMD, 3/29/04
• Licorice-Based Drug May Fight SARS - WebMD, 2/12/03
• Antimicrobial Properties Of Licorice Extract - Intelihealth, 5/13/02
• Ask Dr. J - Dr. Janson, 4/02 - "Chewing a licorice extract, called deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) can soothe the symptoms of heartburn by coating the mucosa"
• Expectant Moms, Pass on the Licorice - WebMD, 6/13/01
• Could Licorice Help You Get Lean? - WebMD, 7/14/00
• Herbs for Kids: What's Safe, What's Not - WebMD, 6/26/00
• And the Good Herb Taketh Away - Nutrition Science News, 10/99
• What preventive measures can I suggest during flu season? - Nutrition Science News, 3/99
• Immune Enhancers - Nutrition Science News, 2/99
• Licorice May Prevent Cholesterol Build-Up - Doctor's Guide, 4/16/97

Abstracts:

• Effects of licorice root supplementation on liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis, metabolic and oxidative stress parameters in women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized double-blind clinical trial - Phytother Res 2022 Jul 3 - "This study aimed to evaluate the effects of licorice root supplementation on liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis, metabolic and oxidative stress parameters in women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 60 women with NAFLD were selected and randomly assigned into 2 groups to take 1,000 mg/day powder of licorice root extract or placebo for 12 weeks. In addition, all the patients were advised to follow a weight loss diet and healthy lifestyle ... Through the 12-weeks period of supplementation, women who received powder of licorice root experienced a statistically significant improvement in alanine aminotransferase (p < .001), insulin (p = .002), insulin resistance (p = .003), malondialdehyde (p < .001) serum levels, and ultrasonographic findings of liver steatosis (p < .001), compared to the placebo group. In conclusion, licorice root supplementation in addition to gradual weight loss and lifestyle modification is superior to lifestyle modification alone for the treatment of NAFLD" - See licorice supplements at Amazon.com.
• Licorice flavonoid oil supplementation promotes a reduction of visceral fat in exercised rats - J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2020 Oct 1 - "Exercise or licorice flavonoid oil supplementation resulted in the reduction of the visceral fat mass and adipocyte size, respectively. In addition, exercise combined with licorice flavonoid oil supplementation more effectively decreased both of these measures. Exercise alone increased the β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (β-HAD) and citrate synthase (CS) activities from the soleus and plantaris muscles, and licorice flavonoid oil supplementation alone increased the hepatic carnitine palmitoyl transferase-2 (CPT-2) activity. Furthermore, the combination of exercise and licorice flavonoid oil supplementation enhanced the both muscular β-HAD and CS activities, and hepatic CPT-2 activity"
• Involvement of BID Translocation in Glycyrrhetinic Acid and 11-Deoxy Glycyrrhetinic Acid-Induced Attenuation of Gastric Cancer Growth - Nutr Cancer. 2014 Feb 18 - "Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), the main chemical constituents of licorice, has shown remarkable anticancer activity. However, the side effects limit its widespread use. 11-DOGA is produced through reduction of GA 11-carbonyl to 11-hydroxyl to reduce its side effects, although its anticancer activities are largely unknown. Here, we report that the functional mechanisms of GA and 11-DOGA in gastric cancers, as well as the comparison between these two drugs' pharmacological potential. Firstly, we found that GA and 11-DOGA significantly inhibits the viabilities of gastric cancer cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Both GA and 11-DOGA induce gastric cancer cells apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in G2 phase by upregulation of p21 and downregulation of cdc2 and cyclin B1. Further studies show that GA and 11-DOGA-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells is associated with BID translocation from nucleus to mitochondria. Moreover, GA and 11-DOGA could effectively inhibit tumor formation of gastric cancer cells in nude mice" - Note:  One of those side effects is that licorice increases cortisol which is not good for most people.  See licorice supplements at Amazon.com.
• Grapefruit juice and liquorice increase cortisol availability in patients with Addison's disease - Eur J Endocrinol. 2011 Sep 6 - "Compared to the ordinary treatment, the median AUC for serum cortisol increased with liquorice (53783 vs. 50882, p<0.05) and GFJ (60661 vs. 50882, p<0.05). Cortisol levels in serum were also elevated 2.6h after tablet ingestion (liquorice 223 vs. 186 nmol/L, p<0.05; GFJ 337 vs. 186 nmol/L, p<0.01). Liquorice increased the median urinary cortisol/cortisone-ratio (0.43 vs 0.21, p<0.00001), whereas GFJ increased the (aTHF+THF)/THE-ratio (0.55 vs 0.43, p<0.05)" - Note:  From my readings, most have too much cortisol already.  I've read where licorice increases it.  Licorice and grapefruit juice sounds like an unlikely combination but people might want to be aware of it.
• The old lady who liked liquorice: hypertension due to chronic intoxication in a memory-impaired patient - Neth J Med. 2005 Apr;63(4):149-50
• Licorice consumption and serum testosterone in healthy man - Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2003 Sep;111(6):341-3 - "The mean testosterone values decreased by 26 % after one week of treatment"