- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- Cultivated across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East
- Sanskrit
- Yashtimadhu
- Other names
- Zoethoutwortel
Asia · Herb · № 18
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Herb · Asia
Licorice root
Glycyrrhiza glabra
A root with long use in several traditions; high-quality evidence does not support most health claims.
Safety notes
Glycyrrhizin can cause serious heart and blood-pressure effects, especially with large or prolonged use. Higher risk with heart or kidney disease, hypertension, high salt intake, pregnancy, and some medicines.
Cautions by tradition (5)
- Herbal medicine worldwide: Not with high blood pressure or with digoxin.
- Western herbalism: Not with high blood pressure.
- Herbs for viral infections: Not with high blood pressure, hormone-sensitive conditions, kidney disease, pregnancy or breastfeeding. Serious illnesses such as infections, cancer or hepatitis need a doctor: there is no evidence that this remedy cures them.
- Natural skin and hair care: Throw away after a week and make fresh.
- Chinese materia medica: Not with fluid accumulation, oedema, nausea or high blood pressure; not for long periods in high doses (potassium loss). Traditionally not with gan sui, yuan hua, euphorbia or sargassum.
Preparation
Used as a flavoring, infusion, gargle, or in prepared products. Glycyrrhizin levels vary widely.
Use in traditions
NCCIH describes historical use in Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Arab, Chinese, Tibetan, and Indian traditions.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, stimulates the adrenal cortex, lowers cholesterol, soothes the stomach lining, possibly anti-allergic, fever-reducing, expectorant.
Preparation and amount
Tincture for lung conditions, gastritis and after corticosteroids; dissolve liquorice sticks in chamomile tea for stomach ulcers; decoction against heartburn; cough syrup with honey (with thyme, hyssop or elecampane); diluted tincture as a wash for itching.
Caution: Not with high blood pressure or with digoxin.
Western herbalism
Attributed effects
Soothing, expectorant, emollient, stimulating; soothes the mucous membranes of throat, lungs, stomach and intestines, spasmodic cough, stimulates the adrenal glands (cortisol, blood sugar).
Preparation and amount
Tea: 1 tsp per cup, 10–15 min; decoction: 1 tsp per cup, 8 min; both 1–3 cups a day; syrup 1 tsp 3–5 times a day; tincture 1 dropperful 1–3 times a day.
Caution: Not with high blood pressure.
Ayurvedic materia medica
Attributed effects
Tonic, cooling, soothing, diuretic, promotes menstruation, mildly laxative, anti-inflammatory; for irritated bronchi and intestines, cough, hoarseness, sore throat, asthma, painful urination.
Preparation and amount
Root powder 2–4 g; extract 1–1.5 g; tea or decoction.
Herbs for viral infections
Attributed effects
Antiviral (including glycyrrhizic acid); especially for viral hepatitis; further lowers cholesterol, for stomach ulcers, skin and liver problems; can raise blood pressure and lower potassium.
Preparation and amount
Tincture 1 ml 3 times a day, or in food.
Caution: Not with high blood pressure, hormone-sensitive conditions, kidney disease, pregnancy or breastfeeding. Serious illnesses such as infections, cancer or hepatitis need a doctor: there is no evidence that this remedy cures them.
Natural skin and hair care
Attributed effects
Licorice contains substances that calm the skin; it is used in skin care for restless, blemished skin.
Preparation and amount
External: dried root or extract in a cleanser for oily skin (see the recipe).
Caution: Throw away after a week and make fresh.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- sweet, neutral
- Meridians
- all twelve meridians
Attributed effects
The Chinese species (gan cao, Glycyrrhiza uralensis) strengthens the qi of spleen and heart in shortness of breath, fatigue and an irregular pulse, cools heat and 'toxin' in sore throat and ulcers, moistens the lungs in cough, relaxes cramp and softens and harmonizes virtually every formula.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 2–9 g a day, usually in a decoction. As a qi tonic roasted with honey; use little honey, otherwise it becomes sticky.
Caution: Not with fluid accumulation, oedema, nausea or high blood pressure; not for long periods in high doses (potassium loss). Traditionally not with gan sui, yuan hua, euphorbia or sargassum.
Folklore and herbal magic
Symbolic meanings from folk use and modern herbal magic. These are handed-down associations, not effects.
Attracts love and luck, helps to stop smoking (chew the root), wards off negative energy, love, lust, protection, fidelity.
Herbal magic and rituals
Attributed effects
In herbal magic associated with love, fidelity and a sweet bond.
Preparation and amount
Licorice was found in Tutankhamun's tomb and is one of the most used herbs in Chinese medicine, where it 'harmonises' the other herbs in a formula. In the Netherlands it is the basis of drop, the salty or sweet black licorice.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)DecoctionTinctureSyrup, honey and oxymelPowder and kitchen
- Formulas
- Ba zhen tangBa zheng sanBai he gu jin tangBai hu tangBan xia xie xin tangBu zhong yi qi tangChai hu gui zhi gan jiang tangChai hu gui zhi tangChai hu shu gan sanChuan xiong cha tiao sanDa ding feng zhuDang gui si ni tangDao chi sanDing chuan tangDu huo ji sheng tangEr chen tangFang feng tong sheng sanFang ji huang qi tangGan mai da zao tangGe gen huang qin huang lian tangGe gen tangGe xia zhu yu tangGui zhi long gu mu li tangGui zhi shao yao zhi mu tangGui zhi tangHai zao yu hu tangHuo xiang zheng qi sanJia wei wu yao tangJia wei xiao yao sanJiao ai tangJing fang bai du sanJing jie lian qiao tangJiu wei qiang huo tangJuan bi tangLi zhong wanLiang ge sanLing gui zhu gan tangLing yang gou teng tangLiu jun zi tangLiu yi sanLong dan xie gan tangMa huang tangMa xing shi gan tangMai men dong tangMai men dong yin ziPing wei sanQing shu yi qi tangQing zao jiu fei tangSang ju yinShen ling bai zhu sanShi quan da bu tangShi wei bai du tangShu jing huo xue tangSi jun zi tangSi ni sanSi ni tangSuan zao ren tangTai shan pan shi sanTao he cheng qi tangTiao wei cheng qi tangWei ling tangWen dan tangWen jing tangWen pi tangWu lin sanWu yao shun qi sanXiang sheng po di wanXiao chai hu tangXiao feng sanXiao ji yin ziXiao jian zhong tangXiao qing long tangXiao yao sanXie bai sanXing su sanXuan fu dai zhe tangXue fu zhu yu tangYi gan sanYi yi ren tangYin qiao sanZhi gan cao tangZhu sha an shen wanZi xue dan
Tags
Sources
- www.nccih.nih.gov
- Michael & Lesley Tierra, Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine, vol. II: Materia Medica and Herbal Resource (1998)
- Penelope Ody, The Complete Medicinal Herbal (1993; 2017)
- L. D. Kapoor, CRC Handbook of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants (1990)
- Stacey Dugliss-Wesselman & Susan Gregg, Herbal Remedies Made Simple (2018)