All About Licorice

Licorice, officially known as Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a European plant belonging to the pulse family, Leguminosae. The root of the licorice plant when pounded or pressed manufactures a sweet substance for which it was widely known. Since ancient time, the licorice root has been used for medicinal purposes. It was used as a laxative and as a cure for coughs. It was also brewed for candy and for flavoring, like in some tobacco.

Licorice in Nature

Licorice is a perennial plant with blue pea-shaped blossoms. It is primarily cultivated in the Middle East, although a subspecies of it, the wild licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota, is native to North America. Currently, there are 14 known varieties of the licorice plant. Most types of licorice are found in several Asiatic regions, Southeast Europe, and Persia.

A truly beautiful plant, licorice has long graceful stems and pinnate leaves that spread slightly. Their tiny leaflets, resembling False Acacia, take on an almost feathery appearance from a distance. The leaves hang down on either side of the midrib when night falls. Small flowers grow from the axils of the leaves. Licorice flowers can be blue, purplish, pale blue, violet or yellowish-white. When fully mature, small pods form that look something like peapods.

Health Benefits of Licorice

Licorice has enjoyed an extensive history in the annals of herbal medicine and folk healing. Legends of the use of licorice are long and varied. In Ancient China, licorice was considered to be one of the most important herbs in traditional medicine. Used primarily as a demulcent for its soothing and coating effects in the digestive and urinary tracts, Chinese folk healers also used licorice to cure an array of conditions and diseases including tuberculosis and diabetes.

In modern times, the licorice plant has been primarily used in connection with the treatment for coughs, sore throats and, of course, as flavoring. The word "licorice" is actually derived from the Greek word for "sweet root."

According to recent studies, licorice contains compounds known as flavonoids and glycyrrhizin. Some studies suggest that glycyrrhizin has anti-inflammatory properties, and may provide actions that can inhibit or hinder the breakdown of cortisol, one of the body's important substances.

Although it has yet to be proven to work in humans, licorice may also have anti-viral properties. The flavonoids found in this herb are powerful antioxidants that work to protect several organs of the body, most importantly the liver. Chalcones, which are closely related to flavonoids may also help treat digestive tract cells. Preliminary studies on the results of licorice have shown that the flavonoids can kill the ulcer-causing bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria are responsible for most stomach inflammations as well.

A licorice extract called liquiritin has been used as a treatment for a pigmentation disorder of the skin known as melasma. A study conducted by medical researchers indicated that a 70 percent improvement rate has been observed on melasma patients after a twice daily topical application of liquiritin cream over a four-week period.

How to Buy Licorice

When buying licorice for health benefits, remember that there are two types available on the market. "Standard" licorice glycyrrhizin and is used to treat respiratory infections, herpes and chronic fatigue syndrome. The other type, called "de-glycyrrhizinated" licorice, is used to relieve ulcers and other conditions in the digestive tract.

Licorice is sold in capsules or in tablets. For canker sores, de-gycyrrhizinated licorice in powdered form is suggested.

Writer Joelle Applebe writes for a variety of web magazines, on health products and family health issues.
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