Licorice
A sweet, mucoprotective root used to soothe inflamed tissues, support adrenal function, modulate immunity, protect the liver, and ease dry respiratory and digestive conditions. Versatile in formulas and long valued for its demulcent, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and endocrine-balancing effects.
The genus name comes from the Greek glukos meaning sweet and rhiza meaning root. The species epithet glabra means smooth.
Licorice supports the endocrine system, particularly adrenal hypofunction due to prolonged stress, and helps counteract the drying effects of adrenergic hormones on mucous membranes. It offers significant anti-inflammatory effects with fewer side effects than corticosteroid medications. By promoting sodium reabsorption and increasing potassium excretion through the kidneys, it can raise blood pressure and reduce urine output, making it helpful for some individuals with hypotension. Topically and internally, it benefits inflammatory skin conditions such as hives, contact dermatitis, allergic eczema, psoriasis, rashes, carbuncles, sores, and the later stages of poison oak. In the respiratory tract, it eases lower respiratory spasms, reduces throat and chest irritation, and is useful for dry coughs, sore throat, laryngitis, pharyngitis, wheezing, whooping cough, and bronchitis. In the digestive system, licorice soothes and protects the gastric and duodenal mucosa, promotes ulcer healing, and can be helpful for IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, some cases of diverticulosis, and patterns of fatigue with poor digestion, loose stool, and weakness. It supports liver function and has been used to reduce the toxicity of various substances. Licorice is also used in chronic active viral hepatitis and to help prevent post-transfusion hepatitis. Its antiviral and immunomodulating properties make it useful for herpes, shingles, colds, influenza, and other viral infections, and it shows antifungal activity against Candida albicans in tincture preparations. It can assist with canker sores and has documented cancer-suppressive and hormone-modulating effects, including relevance for certain hormone-related cancers and PCOS.
Licorice has been extensively used in both Eastern and Western medicine for thousands of years. Theophrastus recommended it to relieve thirst and coughs, and Pliny the Elder used it as an antitussive. Brewers added licorice to porter and stout beers to enhance thickness and color. Indigenous peoples of North America prepared licorice tea to ease fevers, sore throats, chest pain, coughs, digestive upset, and diarrhea. Eclectic physicians frequently added licorice to formulas to mask unpleasant flavors, and licorice powder was used to solidify pills and prevent them from sticking together.
Licorice is a herbaceous perennial that can become woody at the base, reaching about 30–50 cm in height. Plants are glabrous to finely pubescent. The pinnate leaves, 5–14 cm long, bear 9–17 widely ovate, gland-dotted leaflets with rounded bases and tips; linear stipules are deciduous. The inflorescences are open, axillary, spike-like racemes up to 20 cm long, each bearing many small bluish to purple pea-like flowers 9–12 mm in length. The tubular calyx has five unequal lobes, with the upper two mostly joined. The androecium consists largely of fused filaments, sometimes with a single free filament. The fruit is a narrow, oblong, glandular, indehiscent legume 12–30 mm long that persists on the plant and contains several dark green seeds.
Licorice should be avoided in individuals with edema, hypertension, hypokalemia, or renal failure, and in those taking blood pressure–lowering medications, digitalis-based drugs, or diuretics. Prolonged high-dose use (for example, more than 3 grams per day for over six weeks or more than 100 mg/day of glycyrrhizin) can cause hypertension, edema, and hypokalemia.
Tincture
Fresh roots 1:2 (60–95% alcohol) or dried roots 1:5 (50–60% alcohol).
Dose: 15–60 drops up to four times daily.
Tea
Decoction of the root.
Dose: 8–12 ounces, 1–4 times daily; for ulcers, taken on an empty stomach about one hour before meals or two hours after.
Honey, Syrup, Capsules, Topical
Used according to preference and formulation for throat soothing, cough support, digestive care, or skin applications.
Christina Sinadinos, David Hoffman, Bryan Bowen, all relevant CHSHS lectures.