Herb Review: Licorice

(Glycyrrhiza glabra)

By Clint Allsup

Published on: 19 JAN 2022

Licorice is a surprisingly dangerous herb that has caused severe organ damage and death in some that have taken too much of it. These deaths have occurred in people who have taken a licorice supplement, alone or while combining it with other herbs and medications, as well as in people who simply ate too much candy that contains actual licorice. Most candy sold in stores in the United States actually contains no real licorice (or glycyrrhizin, the active ingredient) due to the danger it poses.  I can say with confidence that licorice root is one of the most dangerous herbs I have ever taken, and after doing a brief trial with it, I will never take it again. My personal experience with this herb is that it caused my blood pressure to reach critical levels (while taking 1/2 the dose recommended from the supplement I took) and also caused kidney issues that I had to remedy with other herbs and supplements over time. It was a terrible ordeal and could have very easily become unmanageable had I not taken a smaller dose than recommended and discontinued as soon as possible. I am not alone in my negative experience with this herb and sadly, as stated earlier, some people have died from licorice, even when ingested as candy. 

 

Bernard Hsu, a medical professor and YouTuber, did a case study on a person who accidentally killed himself by eating a large quantity of licorice candy. While the amount in this case was unusually large (2 lbs), you must remember that a bottle of herbal supplement would contain several hundred times more of the active than a bag of candy. Similarly one pill of a licorice supplement would contain considerably more than an absurdly large serving of licorice candy.

 

Real licorice is not in most of the candy you can buy in the US, because of how dangerous it can be. Instead they use something that tastes like licorice but is not actually licorice (anise) due to the risk. There are also regulations on how much of the active ingredient in licorice (glycyrrhizin) can be in candy that is sold on store shelves.

It is likely that there are many out there who have eaten the authentic candy or taken the supplement for years without incurring serious damage to their bodies. While there are many factors at play here this does not mean that licorice should be suggested to others. The fact that some people get away with taking it but it is still harmful to others is true for many dangerous compounds (like prescription pain killers or tobacco) or many dangerous acts (like driving while intoxicated). Simply because some have gotten away with it for years does not mean it is a something that should be done by or suggested to others.

In the chronic illness/herbal/holistic/healing community, licorice is used by some as a synergist to increase the effectiveness of other herbs it is taken with. It is advised to not use licorice alone as the side effects of this herb are well documented. If you were to use licorice, you should use it with other herbs and never alone. However, I disagree with some members of this community as I feel that licorice is an herb that should not be used at all. I see no reason for the use of this herb due to its risks and there are a host of other herbs that do what it does much better, without incurring the same risks. I have no issue with eating the candy as long as it is not done in excess, particularly if you are taking other herbs/foods/medications that may tax your body or raise your blood pressure. The supplement form should never be used.

 

Amount of Time I Have Personally Used This Herb:

I have twice used a standalone licorice herbal product. It has been in trace amounts in other things I have used, but the level was so low it made no noticeable difference. I do not recommend this herb in any form or combined with other herbs in any form. If you have to take a product that has licorice or glycyrrhizin in it I would recommend making sure that the amount is so small (far down in the ingredient label, if listed) that the effect will be as close to negligible as possible.

Verdict:

Do not use this herb or products that contain this herb. You could take this herb and run the risk, but why would you when there are other herbs that work better without the absurdly high amount of risk?

Licorice breaks two fundamental rules of herbal healing. First, the potential risk far outweighs the potential benefit. Second, other herbs do what it does in a much safer and more efficient way. 

At best licorice root is a waste of time. At worst it can cause severe organ damage and death. The likelihood is that this herb will raise your blood pressure and compound negative effects of other herbs while acting as a synergist (with side effects). There are other herbs that act as a synergist and do it much better, without dangerous side effects. Use those.

Chinese Skullcap is a good example or a good synergist and Cordyceps will increase the efficacy of most other beneficial herbs via a different mechanism.

I do not use licorice or products that contain it and I would advise others to not do so either.

Under no circumstance should you take this herb with any prescription medication.

 

Primary Indication:

*To raise blood pressure (table salt does a better job and is safer).

*To act as a synergist to amplify the effects of other herbs (Chinese Skullcap does this for those with chronic illness, cordyceps works synergistically with many beneficial herbs also).

*To combat lethargy (elethero works much better for this and will also slightly raise blood    pressure).

Side Effects: 

Can increase blood pressure, cause damage to liver/heart/kidneys and can be stimulating to the point that it will exacerbate issues with anxiety or insomnia. It can also deplete potassium which will limit your bodies ability to regulate your heart beat, control electrolyte levels and  regulate blood pressure. Licorice seemingly amplifies the effects of many herbs, OTC and prescription drugs, both in intended effect(s) and side effect(s). If combined with other herbs or drugs that raise blood pressure or tax the heart/kidneys/liver this could result in serious organ damage or death. The side effects of this herb are so many and so potentially severe that it is not worth using.  

Effectiveness:

Very effective in both effect and side effect. So much so that it is essentially unusable.

Dose:

N/A

Other Indications:

Sometimes used to adjust adrenal function and balance cortisol levels. Ashwagandha does the same in a more effective and safe manner, if this is something that you need to do.

Contraindications:

More than I have listed here in this article. Do not take this herb.

Precautions:

More than I have listed here in this article. Do not take this herb.

Interactions:

Too numerous to list. It is likely that licorice will interact with most other herbs and medications.

Typical Cost:

Not worth a trip to the hospital. Or the morgue.

 

 

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