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Bulk Licorice Root (dried, cut and sifted, 3 ounces)

Botanical Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

Family: Leguminoseae

---Synonyms--- sweetwood

Folk History and Use

The use of licorice had been known since ancient times. It was introduced to the Greeks by the Scythians. It was also used by the Chinese and the Hindus. Hippocrates, Pliny, Culpepper and numerous other herbalists have made use of it.

Great quantities of licorice were found with the fabulous treasures of King Tut and other Egyptian rulers. The Egyptians believed that the licorice could be used to prepare a sweet drink, "maisus", in the next world.

Hippocrates and others living in hot climates praised licorice for its ability to provide sweetness and still alleviate thirst, a unique property among sweet substances.

TheBrahmans of India, the Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Babylonians and Chinese all knew of the value of licorice. In ancient Greece and Rome, licorice was employed as a tonic and also as a remedy for colds, coughs and sore throats. The ancient Hindus believed it increased sexual vigor when prepared as a beverage with milk and sugar. The Chinese maintained that eating the root would give them strength and endurance and also prepared a special tea of it for use as a medicine.

Indeed, licorice holds prominent place in Chinese herbology. It is the most often used herb in Chinese herbal combinations and is thought to harmonize the action of all other herbs.

In North American folk medicine, licorice is used as a cough suppressant, expectorant, laxative and to treat various cancers. Early pharmacists used it as a flavoring and sweeting agent in many syrups and lozenges. Today, licorice extracts are popular sweeteners in confections for diabetics and those suffering from hypoglycemia

In India, licorice has been used as a sweetener, aphrodisiac, emmenagogue and galactogogue.

Licorice extracts have been used in China in the clinical treatment of numerous illnesses including gastric and duodenal ulcers, bronchial asthma, infectious hepatitis, malaria, diabetes insipidus and contact dermatitis.

Presently, licorice extracts are used extensively as ingredients in cough drops and syrups, tonics, laxatives, antismoking lozenges and other preparations. They are also used as flavoring agents to mask bitter, nauseous or other undesirable tastes in certain medicines.

Medical Properties

Definite Action

Expectorant (glycyrhizin)

Antispasmodic (flavonoids)

Anti-Inflammatory (glycyrrhizin)

Laxative (glycyrrhizin)

Hypertensive (glycyrrhizin)

Antiulcer (flavonoids)

Estrogenic (glycyrrhizin)

Mineralocorticoid properties (glycyrrhizin)

Emmenagogue (glycyrrhizin)

Antibacterial (flavonoids)

Antifungal (flavonoids)

Immune stimulant (?)

The most famous active principle in licorice root is a saponin-like glycoside called glycyrrhizin which is 50 times as sweet as sugar. Its use as anon-calorie sweetener is limited, however, because of the string taste it imparts to food. It is most often employed to mask the taste of bitter medicines like cascara.

The large quantity of saponin-like substances in licorice possess a surfactant property that may facilitate the absorption of poorly absorbed drugs. This explains, in part, its traditional use as a harmonizing herb in Chinese herbology.

Gkycyrrhizin and its aglycones, including glycyrrhetinic acid, exhibit mineralocortoid-type properties. These properties include increasing extracellular fluid and plasma volume, sodium retention and loss of potassium, which leads to hypertension. Licorice has been used in desert regions to prevent extreme thirst on low water intake.

Many other properties of licorice can be attributed to its flavonoids and coumarin derivatives. These substances produce the antispasmodic, anti-ulcer and antimicrobial effects of the herb.

Typical Daily Usage

Fresh Root: 2-4 tablespoons

Dried Root: 3-6 gm

Extract: 4.5 gm dried root, 22 ml alcohol, 23 ml water.

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*Note: The descriptions of the products that we sell suggest traditional uses and are not intended to take the place of your Medical Doctor's advice and perscriptions. Many uses of these products are not accepted by the FDA, and not all uses have been scientifically validated. This is intended for educational purposes, and not as a means to diagnose, prescribe or treat disease.

* Note: images might vary slightly from actual product, see product title and description. Some items are available in multiple sizes (see below), the photos might only depict one of the available sizes.

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