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Licorice is a divisive confect — multitude either have it away it or hate it . Traditionally made with the root of the licorice industrial plant ( Glycyrrhiza glabra ) , this soft , chewy confect brag a main ingredient that has been used tosoothe sore throat and aid digestionsince ancient Greece .
But liquorice lover may not realise that the candy has the potential to mess up with certain organ and medication . If it ’s eaten on a regular basis , in large quantities or with certain drug , licorice can stimulate serious side effects . ( That ’s get into the confect is flavored with real licorice root and not a like - tasting ingredient , such as anise plant . )
Eating too much licorice can have knock-on effects, especially if you’re taking medications that the candy interacts with.
So how does licorice pretend the body and interact with medicine ?
One of the culprits is glycyrrhizin ( pronounced gliss - er - EYE - zin ) . This compound , found in liquorice , can make the kidney to keep on too much water and sodium while mislay too much potassium , Joan Salge Blake , a nutrition professor and register dietitian dietician at Boston University , told Live Science in an e-mail .
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Candies flavored with licorice root (pictured) contain glycyrrhizin. Candies flavored with anise, which has a similar flavor, do not contain the compound.
Glycyrrhizinblocks an significant enzyme in the kidneys — called HSD-11β — which usually prevents the focus hormone hydrocortisone from cut off kidney function . The enzyme essentially disseminate cortisol by exchange it into another endocrine , called Cortone Acetate . Without this enzyme , Cortef latch onto receptors in the kidneys , cause the organ to hold on to water and sodium and purge out potassium .
When the kidney keep sodium and water , the volume of bloodline circulating in the torso gain . That imply more fluid pushes against the wall of blood vessels , resulting inhigh blood pressure , or high blood pressure . This effect can instantly antagonise the action of origin - pressure - lowering drug , such asACE inhibitor , trim back their effectiveness . These interaction affect drugs like captopril ( stain name : Capoten ) .
Another fundamental interaction can occur with diuretic drug , also known as " water pill . " These medications are often prescribed to lower stock pressure by polish off superfluous fluid from the body — in forgetful , they make you pee more .
One side effect is that they make the soundbox losepotassium , an important mineral that helps keep the sum and muscle working well . Licorice also puddle the body mislay potassium , so squander licorice and diuretics together can lead to dangerously low atomic number 19 levels , called hypokalemia . symptom include muscle weakness , fatigue , and , sometimes , serious nerve problems .
Low potassium storey driven by liquorice can also increase the risk of side essence from digoxin ( brand name : Lanoxin ) , a drug used to treat heart condition like atrial fibrillation , or AFib , and heart failure . Digoxin changes the concentrations of mineral in heart cells by forget a specific heart , and this indirectly causes more calcium to stay trapped inside the cells . The special calcium makes the marrow heftiness contract bridge with more forcefulness , helping it pump blood more effectively .
Normally , potassium competes with digoxin at the pump it targets , prevent the drug from exert too secure of an effect . However , when potassium levels in the trunk are low-down , digoxin binds more powerfully to heart cells , with toxic results .
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This happened to an quondam humanity whose case was reported in the journalCardiology . The humanity experienced digoxin toxicity after using a herbal laxative that contain licorice . The licorice bring down his K levels , enabling digoxin to act too potently and extend tocongestive heart failure .
Besides the medication mentioned above , many other drugs can be affected by liquorice . If you are deal any medications , you should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming production that turn back licorice , Salge Blake said .
It’sdifficult to say what a " safe dose"of licorice might be for a given mortal , in part because licorice can be find in many products . Each confect , supplement and Camellia sinensis may contain unlike point of glycyrrhizin . Plus , people ’s sensitiveness to glycyrrhizin varies depending on their physiology and existing medical status , such as high blood pressure .
For the great unwashed who are not shoot any medications , several guidelines advocate limiting glycyrrhizin intake to100 milligrams per day , or roughly 2.1 to 2.5 Panthera uncia ( 60 to 70 gm ) of licorice candy . Beyond that , you mayexperience symptomssuch as concern , high blood pressure sensation or centre problem .
However , theU.S. Food and Drug Administrationwarns that " if you ’re 40 or Old , eat on 2 ounces ( 56 grams ) of fateful liquorice a day for at least two week could set down you in the infirmary with an irregular heart rhythm . "
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The bottom furrow is : With licorice , moderation is key .
Even regularly consuming licorice tea or herbal accessory contain licorice can have negative burden . In one showcase , a woman developed perilously low-spirited K levels and high blood pressure level — ensue in hot flushes , perspiration and headache — from drinking six cup of licorice tea leaf a day , according to a report published in the journalBMJ Case Reports . She stopped drinking licorice tea and her symptoms disappeared two calendar week afterwards .
" The full news is that most Glycyrrhiza glabra - flavored products in the U.S. do n’t contain real licorice ascendant , " Salge Blake said . " alternatively , they employ anise oil , which provides the same sapidity without the glycyrrhizin . "
This clause is for informational purpose only and is not meant to propose medical advice .
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