Licorice
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Licorice root is an old remedy in Greek, Egyptian, Chinese and Hindu folk medicine for various illnesses including hepatitis, menopause, and ulcers. It is often used in mixtures with many Chinese and other herbal remedies.  A number of pharmaceutical effects of licorice are known or suspected (anti-inflammatory, antivirus, antiulcer, anticarcinogenesis, and others). Licorice and its derivatives may protect against carcinogen-induced DNA damage and may be suppressive agents as well. Unfortunately, the benefits of licorice are minor and licorice appears to have little value in modern times.

Glycyrrhizic acid is an inhibitor of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, inhibits protein kinase C, and downregulates the epidermal growth factor receptor. Licorice polyphenols induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Nutr Cancer. 2001;39(1):1-11. It is the component of licorice that can cause high blood pressure.  Therefore, deglycyrrhizinated licorice is sold by the health food industry for ulcers and acid reflux. 

DGL Licorice Might Help Ulcers: Maintenance therapy: A two year comparison between Caved-S and cimetidine treatment in the prevention of symptomatic gastric ulcer. Gut 1985;26:599–602; Kassir ZA. Endoscopic controlled trial of four drug regimens in the treatment of chronic duodenal ulceration. Ir Med J 1985;78:153–6; Glick L. Deglycyrrhinated licorice in peptic ulcer. Lancet 1982;ii:817 [letter]. However, in a 96 patient DB PC 4-week trial, DGL was of no benefit. Clinical trial of deglycyrrhizinised liquorice in gastric ulcer. Bardhan KD, Cumberland DC, Dixon RA, Holdsworth CD.Gut. 1978 Sep;19(9):779-82. 

Licorice Might Help Canker Sores: In an uncontrolled trial, licorice was effective as a treatment for aphthous ulcers (canker sores). Das SK, Das V, Gulati AK, Singh VP. Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice in aphthous ulcers. J Assoc Physicians India 1989;37:647.

DGL Licorice Promoted for GERD: A synthetic drug, carbenoxolone, reportedly similar to an ingredient of licorice was popular in Europe for ulcer therapy until the early 1980’s. Double-blind trials have shown it to be of some benefit and perhaps as good as cimetidine (Tagamet), but inferior to proton pump inhibitors, e.g. Prilosec, etc. (Reed PI, Davies WA. Controlled trial of a carbenoxolone/alginate antacid combination in reflux oesophagitis. Curr Med Res Opin 1978;5:637–44; Young GP, Nagy GS, Myren J, et al. Treatment of reflux oesophagitis with a carbenoxolone/antacid/alginate preparation. A double-blind controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol 1986;21:1098–104.). Ed: Licorice itself remains unexamined as a treatment for GERD and is unlikely to be of much benefit. iHerb.com sells 200 tabs of DGL for $13.50. It seems safe to try and is inexpensive.

Herbal Remedy with Peppermint, Caraway, Licorice, and Leman Balm Helped Dyspepsia: In a staggered DB PC study of 120 patients with functional dyspepsia of a herbal preparation STW 5-II containing extracts from bitter candy tuft, matricaria flower, peppermint leaves, caraway, licorice root and lemon balm, after 8 weeks 43.3% on active treatment and 3.3% on placebo reported complete relief of symptoms. (p < 0.001). Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, Vinson B, Hotz J. University Hospital Dresden, Germany. Digestion. 2004;69(1):45-52.

Licorice Root Chemical BHP Active Against Breast and Prostate Cancer in Vitro: Beta-hydroxy DHP, another chemical from licorice root, has been found to be active against breast and prostate cancer cell cultures in a study by Mohamed Rafi, Rutgers, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 12/25/03.  However, little animal and no human research is yet available.  Another study has found that concoctions containing licorice and other herbs has been found to partially inhibit prostate cell cancer grafts on immunodeficient mice. Anticancer Res. 2003 Sep-Oct;23(5A):3585-90. 

Licorice Root's Glycyrrhizin (GL) Reduces Liver Inflammation in Hepatitis: An aqueous extract of licorice root, is known to have various immune-modulating and biological response-modifier activities. GL is used in patients with hepatitis to reduce the activity of liver inflammation; antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DC) in the tissue play a major role in the regulation of the inflammatory mucosal milieu during tissue inflammation. Glycyrrhizin enhances interleukin-10 production by liver dendritic cells in mice with hepatitis. Abe M, Akbar F, Hasebe A, Horiike N, Onji M. Japan. J Gastroenterol. 2003;38(10):962-7;

Licorice Root Used by Hepatitis C Interferon Patients: Apparently without research, it is reports that some hepatitis C patients being treated with interferon to counter interferon side-effects using licorice root. 

Licorice Anti-Viral and Anti-Tumar Activities: Glycyrrhizic acid (GL) is also active against EBV replication in superinfected Raji cells in a dose-dependent fashion, possibly by interfering with an early step of EBV replication cycle. Antiviral Res. 2003 Jun;59(1):41-7; Isoliquiritigenin, another component flavonoid, has anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo, including against prostate cancer cells by enhancing the expression of GADD153 mRNA and protein associated with cell cycle arrest. Eur Urol. 2003 May;43(5):580-6.

Licorice Root Helped Mouse Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: Glycyrrhizin increases survival of mice with herpes simplex encephalitis. Sekizawa T, Yanagi K, Itoyama Y. Acta Virol. 2001 Feb;45(1):51-4

Licorice Root Causes Low Potassium and Hypertension: Long-term licorice ingestion is a well-known cause of secondary hypertension and hypokalemia. Because it side-effects are fairly frequent, it is considered an "unsafe" herb. In one case, licorice root tea cause renal potassium wasting so severe that the patient developed hypokalemic muscle weakness to the point of being paralyzed. Am J Med Sci. 2003 Mar;325(3):153-6. Inappropriate use of licorice can produce pseudoaldosteronism, by inactivating 11beta-hydroxysteroiod-dehydrogenase and by binding to mineralocorticoid receptors. Licorice possesses many other therapeutic properties as to potentiate the action of cortisol, to reduce testosterone synthesis, especially in women, to exert an estrogen-like activity and to reduce body fat mass. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2002 Sep;110(6):257-61

Licorice Glycyrrhizin Side-Effects Quantified: In a 2 week, random assignment of 24 healthy adults to daily doses of dried, aqueous extract of licorice root, containing 108, 217, 380 and 814 mg of glycyrrhizin found that one women developed headaches on the second high dose and two men developed hypertension, one with edema, on the highest dose. Life Sci. 1994;55(11):863-72