Background
Licorice is a wild plant that is mainly found in south parts of Europe, North Africa and some parts of Asia including Iran. Licorice is a perennial herb which has been consumed in cooking and traditional medicine for a long time. Licorice is considered a natural sweetener and flavoring. Various industries use this plant because of its special features. Confectionery, candy and chocolate, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and beverages, tobacco are among these industries.
Licorice like many other herbs must be used in a recommended dose and we shouldn’t exceed that amount. It could have some side effects.
Generally, licorice is considered as a safe food ingredient by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Not only Consuming licorice for a short period isn’t dangerous, but also is widely assumed helpful and healthy.
In this article we want to answer this question:
How Much Licorice Is Safe?
As we know, licorice is used in different industries such as tobacco, food and beverages, medicines and many more. It has been very popular in cooking and confectionery products. It is also used in different forms of medicines.
Currently there is no standard dosage recommendation about using licorice. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Scientific Committee of Food (SCF) both recommend limiting glycyrrhizin intake to no more than 100 mg per day.
On the other hand, licorice products don’t always indicate the amount of glycyrrhizin; so, it is difficult to measure licorice amount.
In 2017, the FDA warned that adults over 40 years old who eat 2 ounces of natural black licorice per day for at least two weeks could end up in the hospital with cardiac arrhythmia and other serious symptoms.
Licorice is available in candy form and it has fans around the world. Some people use these candies habitually and daily. They should really care about the licorice dose that they use.
It is sensible to keep consumption of licorice candy to a minimum. If you eat large amounts and start to feel your heart beating wildly or your muscles going weak, stop using it and call your G.P immediately. The amounts of licorice in products are different. Generally, consuming large amounts or using it over a long period, can cause health problems.
For peptic ulcers and gastritis, from 760mg to 15g licorice root is reasonable.
Taking licorice (without glycyrrhizin) up to 4.5 gram every day for 4 month is safe.
For the following conditions these doses are recommended:
- For treating cough, 0.5 to 1 gram of licorice powder, 3 times a day
- For upset stomach, 1 mg 3 times a day
- For using roots, 1 to 4 grams 3 times a day
- For making tea, 1 to 4 grams licorice root
- For peptic ulcers, 760 mg to 15 g of licorice root
Do not Overuse Licorice
Licorice is generally considered as a safe food ingredient as long as it is used at standard level. Individuals who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, liver and kidney problems, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people who had a stroke or heart attack, should consult with their doctor about using licorice and it is better to limit licorice usage. Excessive use of licorice can decrease potassium levels, changes heart beat rhythms and result in weakness and fatigue in our muscles, high blood pressure and other problems.
Written and Edited by: Meysam Shokripour (Sepidan Osareh Jonoob Company)
References : iranlicorice.com
