Also known asGlycyrrhiza glabra, Glycyrrhiza uralensis (and several other species, some dangerous) True Licorice, Sweet Licorice, Chinese Licorice.IntroductionLicorice root is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs worldwide and is the single most used herb in Chinese medicine today. It was used by the Egyptians as a flavoring for a drink called Mai-sus, and large quantities were found in the tomb of King Tut for his trip into the afterlife. Pliny the Elder recommended it to clear the voice and alleviate thirst and hunger. Dioscides, when traveling with Alexander the Great, recommended that his troops carry and use licorice to help with stamina for long marches, as well as for thirst in areas of drought. In the Middle Ages it was taken to alleviate the negative effects of highly spicy or overcooked food. It was also used for flavoring tobacco, and as a foaming agent in fire extinguishers and beer. In a recent survey of Western medical herbalists, licorice ranked as the 10th most important herb used in clinical practice. An astonishing number of Chinese herbal formulas (over 5,000) use licorice to sweeten teas and to “harmonize” contrasting herbs. Its first documented use dates back to the time of the great Chinese herbal master Zhang Zhong Zhing, about 190 AD, but it was certainly used for many centuries prior to this. In 1914 the Chicago Licorice Company began to sell Black Vines, the first in a very long line of licorice based modern candies.ConstituentsGlycyrrhizin, complex immune-stimulant sugars.Parts UsedThe root in dried formTypical PreparationsTeas, tinctures, and in encapsulations. The whole sticks and slices may be chewed straight and are pleasant tasting.SummaryThe distinctive flavor and sweetness of licorice comes fromthe glycyrrhizin that composes up to 25% of the root’s makeup. The rootitself is hard and fibrous, and is thus typically used for food only as aliquid flavor infusion. In fact, many licorice flavored candies includeno real licorice, and are instead flavored with similarly flavored spices suchas anise and fennel.Medicinally, Chinese licorice is a renowned component oftraditional Chinese medicine, and is recognized as one of its fifty fundamentalherbs. It shares many of the constituents common with Glycyrrhizaglabra, but uniquely, it also contains the flavonoid quercitin, which has beenstudied for a variety of medical uses.Chineselicorice is not as well studied as its European counterpart, but both areindicated for many of the same functions. Licorice root may be used toassist with upper respiratory catarrhs and is recognized by traditional Chinesepractitioners as an adaptogen, helping the body to cope with dailystress. It may also be used to relieve minor abdominal discomfort, and isused in the herbal preparation STW-5 to alleviate dyspepsia.PrecautionsDon’t use licorice if you have high blood pressure, and don’t use licorice if you eat a meat and potatoes diet. Your body needs potassium from fruit and vegetables to compensate for the excretion of potassium stimulated by licorice. If you use steroids or an asthma inhaler, licorice will increase both the effectiveness of the drug and the severity of its side effects. Its long term use is not recommended, and it is not recommended for use by pregnant women. May cause stomach upset if taken in large quantities.For educational purposes only This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.