Licorice-It's Not Just Candy

Licorice is now most often used as a flavoring for an array of today's commercial food products. You have probably heard of licorice flavored tea or of licorice flavored cough drops. But did you know that it is still purchased by some individuals not for it's flavor but strictly for the health benefits that it imparts.

The medical and scientific communities today know considerably more about Licorice's benefits and detriments than when it was first introduced as a health aide thousands of years ago and yet Licorice's attributes, and many side effects, still remain very misunderstood by the vast majority of people who consume it.

The Licorice plant or Glycyrrhiza glabra is a low growth bush, perennial in nature that grows wild in select areas of Europe and Asia. Most commercially grown licorice is exported from Greece, Turkey and Asia. A flavorful ingredient known as Glycyrrhiza found within the roots and underground stems of the plant is what accounts for its taste and sweetness. Glycrrhiza is about fifty times sweeter than sugar, its name comes from Ancient Greece, and it appropriately translates to mean "Sweet Root".

Ingredients within the Licorice plant's roots are used to make a popular black candy that we know, or refer to as, licorice. Licorice root is also commonly used as a sweetening or flavoring agent in a variety of today's commercial food products. It is often added to herb teas, cough soothing lozenges, cough syrups, or found used as a flavoring within a wide assortment of candy. It is used as a filler within drug capsules and even as a flavoring to offset a drugs unpleasant taste. In the United Kingdom licorice is used as an emulsifier to create the foam in drink products and alcoholic beverages. Yet among the people who consume it, many are completely unaware of licorice's health benefits, and detriments.

Licorice root or Glycrrhiza is primarily used as a treatment for inflammation of the stomach or for ailments of the upper respiratory tract. It is used as an aide for constipation, gastritis, stomach ulcers, canker sores or mouth ulcers, and also for relief of menstrual cramping. As well it is frequently used to relieve symptoms of bronchitis or the common cold, and can be found in many over the counter cough syrups, and lozenges.

Studies are currently being conducted to see if Glycrrhiza could prove beneficial in the treatment of HIV and Genital Herpes. So far the results are showing positive results.

It is always best when looking into alternative health therapies to consult with your local doctor to insure that participating in that treatment will be of benefit to you. Always research and be aware of the medications, herbs and alternative therapies that you are considering undertaking. Most herbal and alternative treatments are not federally regulated, and as such, can prove harmful or even fatal if used incorrectly.

Licorice is not without its negative health affects and most people are unaware of the ill effects that can occur from consuming this sweet treat on a regular basis.

Eating as little as fifty grams of black licorice candy per day for a two week period can raise a person's blood pressure dramatically. It can also cause potassium depletion, electrolyte disturbance, sodium or fluid retention, or effect PH levels within the blood. People should be very aware of the amount of licorice that they consume and the length of time that they consume it.

Glycyrrhizic acid is the compound within Licorice that is responsible for most of Licorice's negative attributes. Which is why a means has been devised to remove this ingredient from the root itself. This safer product is labeled as DGL or deglycyrrhizinated licorice.

As another means of avoiding the harmful effects of Glycrrhizic acid, the anise plant which has similar flavoring to licorice, is now often used in food products in combination with licorice, or to completely replace the use of licorice.

It turns out that red licorice isn't really a licorice product at all. Red licorice really is candy.

Red licorice does not contain the harmful effects that black licorice may contain because red licorice is made more from artificial flavorings of cherry, strawberry, or raspberry, rather than from the natural flavoring found within the licorice plant. Red licorice does not contain any part of the licorice plant, and therefor is not really a licorice at all, but simply a candy named red licorice.

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