{"id":5819,"date":"2021-11-26T21:18:49","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T21:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=5819"},"modified":"2025-06-16T08:21:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T07:21:56","slug":"liquorice","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/liquorice\/","title":{"rendered":"Liquorice"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":8711,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"f9479225-8f2b-4a60-b2c3-cc070a43eabf","beyondwords_preview_token":"d6fd1835-f9c9-44fd-bd44-5b50ce93680b","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[53,42,54,747,745,938,47],"conditions":[685,693,696,702],"sustainability":[1575],"sense":[27,28],"western_action":[1010,1809,992,998,1005,1016],"chinese_action":[1168,1047,1038,1167],"ayurvedic_action":[1068,1056,1091,1100,1097],"energetics_action":[1557,1561,1382,1533,1614,1615,1559,1520,1544,1554,1523,1488,1630,1558,1619,1560,1507,1552,1551,1556,1617,1562,1618,1522,1529,1511,1536,1494,1550],"region":[1897,1898,1893],"class_list":["post-5819","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cold","tag-digestion","tag-flu","tag-licorish","tag-liqourice","tag-liquorice","tag-sweet","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-endocrine-system","conditions-nervous-system","conditions-stages-of-life","sustainability-amber-sustainability-status","sense-sweet","sense-mucilaginous","western_action-expectorant","western_action-amphoteric","western_action-anti-inflammatory","western_action-antitussive","western_action-demulcent","western_action-laxative","chinese_action-clear-heat-dry-damp","chinese_action-tonify-blood","chinese_action-tonify-the-qi","chinese_action-treat-cough-stop-wheezing","ayurvedic_action-chaksushya","ayurvedic_action-jeevaniya","ayurvedic_action-rasayani","ayurvedic_action-shukrala","ayurvedic_action-shonita-sthapana","energetics_action-blood","energetics_action-bones","energetics_action-cool","energetics_action-cooling","energetics_action-digestive","energetics_action-excretory","energetics_action-fat","energetics_action-heart","energetics_action-heavy","energetics_action-kapha-constitution-dosha","energetics_action-lung","energetics_action-moist","energetics_action-moist-post-digestive-effect-vipaka","energetics_action-muscle","energetics_action-nervous-channel-srotas","energetics_action-nervous","energetics_action-neutral-temperature-chinese","energetics_action-pitta-constitution-dosha","energetics_action-pitta","energetics_action-plasma","energetics_action-reproductive-channel-srotas","energetics_action-reproductive","energetics_action-respiratory","energetics_action-spleen","energetics_action-stomach","energetics_action-sweet-taste-chinese","energetics_action-sweet-post-digestive-effect-vipaka","energetics_action-sweet","energetics_action-vata-constitution-dosha","region-ayurvedic-herbs","region-traditional-chinese-herbs","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20211126","herb_author":1235,"banner_text":"Liquorice is widely used by Western and traditional Chinese herbalists ","latin_name":"Glycyrrhiza glabra<\/em>","pseudonym_name":"Gan cao","family_name":"Fabaceae","herb_summary":"Liquorice has an affinity for the respiratory, reproductive and endocrine systems","key_benefits":"Cough and sore throat\r\nUpset stomach and hyperacidity\r\nTo improve liver function\r\nTo sweeten and harmonise other herbal blends","how_does_it_feel":"Liquorice comes in several forms. Perhaps the easiest to try are the liquorice sticks found in natural health stores. Chew one of these and the sweetness comes through straightaway, with slight hints of bitterness following behind and a finish that leads to more salivation. To accentuate these nuanced tastes one needs to try a more concentrated extract, when the sour salivary after-reaction is more pronounced.\r\n\r\nClearly, it is the sweetness of liquorice which dominates its properties, ensuring that it is the most widely used ingredient in herbal mixtures around the world. As well as making the tastes of other herbs more acceptable (especially for children), those who have experienced this mix agree that liquorice harmonises the combined effects of other ingredients in the blend.","hdif_image_1":9911,"hdif_image_2":13250,"hdif_image_3":13251,"hdif_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AMEXLWoBF3M","sense":[18,27],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"Liquorice is most often used in home remedies to make other herbs more palatable, especially when given to children. All medicine traditions agreed that its harmonising role was much more extensive than this and it is possibly the most widely used ingredient of folk remedies in the world.\r\n\r\nThe most common specific uses of liquorice are for immediate relief of coughs, sore throats and for upset stomach and digestion. Other uses cited here may involve a more strategic approach as symptom changes are often slower to show.","into_the_heart_of":"\"\"Liquorice is emollient, demulcent and nutritive. It naturally produces mucilage which soothes inflamed mucous membranes throughout the body, with a particular affinity for the respiratory tract, digestion and urinary system. It encourages a healthy inflammation response and, through coating hot and irritated membranes, allows time for damaged cells to regenerate and repair effectively.\r\n\r\nIt strengthens and supports the nervous system and adrenal glands through the production of constituents that mimic those found in the adrenal cortex. It will modify the body\u2019s own stress response to prevent the onset of adrenal exhaustion and impart a tonifying effect through the body.\r\n\r\nIt is also an effective hepatoprotective, supporting the regeneration and repair of damaged liver cells, particularly in chronic conditions such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.","tradtional_uses":"\"\"It is remarkable that many of the recorded uses from different world regions over the ages are consistent, and often supported by scientific research. Reference to treatment of conditions including laryngitis, pharyngitis, cough, peptic ulcer and hepatitis are common to European, Indian and Chinese traditions.\r\n\r\nLiquorice sticks are very widely used around the world as toothbrushes, a reputation backed by modern evidence for a benefit against tooth decay and gum problems.\r\n\r\nIn European history liquorice, often as extracts, is used to sweeten and harmonise the impact of herbal mixtures, and on its own as a cough and throat remedy, for stomach problems, and consistently as a convalescent tonic\r\n\r\nLiquorice is probably the most commonly used herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and is included in the majority of formulae: it is said to tonify the Spleen<\/em>\u00a0(roughly translated as the wider digestive and assimilative functions in the body), clears\u00a0Heat<\/em>\u00a0and detoxifies\u00a0Fire Poison<\/em>\u00a0(sore throat, boils), moistens the\u00a0Lungs<\/em>, stops coughing and soothes spasm. Some of the indications reported in early Chinese texts are common to European usage, such as cough, pharyngitis, gastric pain, ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract and sores. However, the Chinese also used liquorice as a detoxifying agent for poisoning by drugs or food, a use also found in Ayurveda.\r\n\r\nOther Ayurvedic uses of liquorice include viral respiratory infections, asthma, bronchitis, throat infection, eye irritation, ulcers (peptic, oral), acute and chronic liver disease, constipation, painful urination, catarrh of the genitourinary tract, wound infection, arthritis and as a rejuvenative tonic. Liquorice is most commonly used in TCM and Ayurveda to strengthen and harmonise herbal formulae.","what_practioners_say":"

\"licorice<\/strong>Respiratory system<\/h3>\r\nLiquorice appears to loosen mucus so use with dry coughs with scanty or stuck phlegm, sore throat, laryngitis and tonsillitis. It is specific for aggravated, dry coughing.\u00a0<\/em>It is also useful in infections with yellow\/green sputum and at a higher dose it is a more stimulating expectorant to clear mucus.\r\n

Digestion<\/h3>\r\nIt is specific for gastritis, ulcers and all intestinal inflammations and spasms with pain. It is very useful in hyperacidity and is often used for arresting bleeding in the intestines and lungs. Its demulcent nature moistens and relaxes the bowel and is helpful in drying constipation. At low dose it is anti-emetic (if nausea is caused by heat) and in high doses it can be more stimulating.\r\n

Liver<\/h3>\r\nThere is a significant hepatoprotective action, reducing inflammation in hepatitis and chronic liver disease.\r\n

Steroidal responses<\/h3>\r\nContaining steroidal saponins liquorice appears to be an adrenal and reproductive tonic, and there are records of its being used in Addison\u2019s disease as an adrenal supplement. This activity may account for the use of liquorice in exhausted and hyperactive conditions such as ME and chronic fatigue syndrome.\r\n

Urine<\/h3>\r\nLiquorice soothes painful, burning symptoms of cystitis.\r\n

Skin<\/h3>\r\nIt is a useful soothing external application for the itching of dry skin. Its inflammatory-reducing effects are commonly employed to treat red, hot, inflamed skin disorders.","research":"There is a large body of research on liquorice including a number of clinical trials. The main areas of clinical investigation on liquorice include supporting healthy liver function (1,2), weight reduction (3), treating sore throats (4), effects on steroid metabolism in women (5), antiviral activity and chronic viral hepatitis treatment. Research also points towards benefit in managing arthritis (6).\r\n\r\nIn previous decades there was much research interest in the role of a preparation of liquorice (Caved-S) in the treatment of peptic (gastric or duodenal) ulcers, with encouraging results. In medical practice this treatment has been eclipsed by standard H2-blockers like omeprazole or cimetidine. A more recent study has demonstrated that adding it to other treatments helps control the main infective cause of peptic ulcers, Helicobacter pylori<\/em> (7).","did_you_know":"The liquorice constituent glycyrrhizin is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.","additional_information_right":{"illustration":108602},"additional_information_left":{"botany":"Liquorice is native to Eurasia, northern Africa and Western Asia, but is now commonly cultivated due to its use in the production of liquorice-based sweets. It belongs to the pea and bean family, so will grow best in soils with a high nitrogen content. Its natural habitat is dry, open scrubland and damp habitats close to water sources. It is a perennial herb with underground rhizomes, characteristic of the Fabaceae family. <\/span>\r\n\r\nThe stems are downy and upright, growing to about 1.5m in height. The stolons and long rootlets emerge from a thick rhizome of dark, reddish- or greyish-brown colour externally, while yellowish inside. The leaves are a dark green and arranged in pairs (pinnate) along the stem. The flowers spring from the axils of the leaves and are a light blue or pale violet, very similar in appearance to those of the sweet pea.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAlternate botanical names:<\/b>\r\n