| Latin Name | Glycyrrhiza glabra |
| Other Names | Liquorice |
| Part Used | Root |
| Herb Forms | Tincture, capsule, standardized extract in tablets, bulk herb, powder, candy. |
| Affects | Endocrine system, Digestive system, Immune system |
| Cautions | Avoid prolonged use and high dosages (over 4 grams/day). Contraindicated in diabetes, hypertension, liver disorders, and kidney insufficiency and during pregnancy and lactation. Note that deglycyrrhizinised licorice (DGL) does not have these cautions. |
| Botanical Info | A small shrubby perennial herb from the Pea family with sweet yellow roots. |
| Description | Licorice root has been used for thousands of years for upper respiratory, digestive, and urinary tract infections or irritation. It has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, immune-activating, demulcent, and expectorant properties and is used for ulcers, bronchitis, gastritis, irritable bowel and bowel inflammation, and adrenal insufficiency. Licorice tea is also given for digestive weakness, especially when accompanied by fatigue and shortness of breath. In Chinese medicine licorice, Glycyrriza uralensis, is said to replenish vital energy, moisten the lungs, strengthen the digestion, and modulate the effect of other herbs. Licorice tea is often recommended to heal gastric ulcers.
Licorice has proven antiviral powers and is useful in formulas for viral infections like HIV or hepatitis.
Licorice has a taste of SWEET and a temperature of NEUTRAL. |
| Ailment | Treatment Support | Application |
| Acidity, high stomach acid | soothing demulcent | tea, capsules, or tablets |
| Adrenals, weak | tonifies weak adrenals | capsules or tablets (safe kind is called DGL) |
| Bladder, irritated | soothing demulcent | tea, tincture, capsule, tablet |
| Diverticulitis | anti-inflammatory | tea, capsule, tablet |
| Duodenum, inflammation of | intestinal anti-inflammatory | tea, tincture, tablet |
| Heartburn | soothing to the stomach | tea, tincture, capsule, tablet |
| Lupus, mild | anti-inflammatory | tea, tincture, tablet, capsule |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | anti-inflammatory | DGL special extract in capsules or tablets |
| Laryngitis | anti-inflammatory | tea, tincture, chewed root |
| Mouth sores | anti-inflammatory, heat clearing | tea, tincture |
| Throat, sore--acute | soothing demulcent | tea, whole root chewed |
| Viral infection | antiviral | capsule, decoction, tincture |
| Cough, acute | expectorant, antiviral, antiinflammatory | tea, pills, capsules, tincture |
| Hoarseness | demulcent, antiinflammatory | tea, lozenge, tincture |
| Blumenthal, Mark et al. 1998. The Complete Commission E Monographs. Austin: American Botanical Council. |
| Leung, A. and S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients. New York: J. Wiley & Sons. |
| McGuffin, M. et al. 1997. Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press. |
| Weiss, R. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers. |
| Wren, R.C. 1988. Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs. Essex: C.W. Daniel Co. Ltd. |
| Bradley, P.R., ed. 1992. British Herbal Compendium. Dorset: British Herbal Medicine Association. |
| Fox, W. 1932. Family Botanic Guide. Sheffield: William Fox and Sons, Ltd. |
| Sherman, J. 1979. The Complete Botanical Prescriber. Corvallis: Corvallis Naturopathic Clinic. |