Licorice is known for its ability to heal ulcerations along the digestive tract. For example, applying licorice to oral ulcers over the course of a week resulted in smaller ulcers than no treatment at all.[1] Further clinical evidence from review studies suggested that licorice may be an effective treatment for reducing the pain, size, and healing time of oral canker sores.[2][3]
Licorice appears to be effective for reducing the symptoms of functional dyspepsia (indigestion) and ulcerative colitis.[4][5] Several compounds in licorice are thought to relax the intestinal muscles, which may provide relief from intestinal cramping.[6][7][8][9]
Licorice components (liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin) reduced the size of fat cells in fatty liver in mice through a variety of mechanisms, which hints at therapeutic possibilities, but human studies will be needed before this can be confirmed.[10][11][12][13][14][15] When combined with standard treatments, licorice might improve the liver function of children with acute hepatitis, but the evidence for this approach is rated as low or very low certainty.[4]
There is limited evidence for licorice to reduce body fat, though glycyrretinic acid (topical application of 2.5% cream for one month) shows the most promise for fat reduction without weight change.[16][17] Individuals without overweight/obesity who took 3.5 grams of licorice per day orally for two months reported body fat reductions which were not attributable to the loss of retained water.[18] However, another study where the participants used licorice for four weeks (100 grams of licorice; 150 mg of glycyrrhetic acid) actually saw an increase in body mass index that was attributed to water weight, so the results are still conflicting.[19]
References
- ^Martin MD, Sherman J, van der Ven P, Burgess JA controlled trial of a dissolving oral patch concerning glycyrrhiza (licorice) herbal extract for the treatment of aphthous ulcersGen Dent.(2008 Mar-Apr)
- ^Dorsareh F, Vahid-Dastjerdi G, Bouyahya A, Zarshenas MM, Rezaie M, Yang WM, Amiri-Ardekani ETopical Licorice for Aphthous: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials.Iran J Med Sci.(2023-Sep)
- ^Liu H, Tan L, Fu G, Chen L, Tan HEfficacy of Topical Intervention for Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Network Meta-Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas).(2022 Jun 7)
- ^Liang SB, Hou WB, Zheng RX, Liang CH, Yan LJ, Wang HN, Cao HJ, Han M, Robinson N, Liu JPCompound glycyrrhizin injection for improving liver function in children with acute icteric hepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Integr Med Res.(2022 Mar)
- ^Lu PD, Yuan MC, Quan XP, Chen JF, Zhao YHPreclinical studies of licorice in ulcerative colitis: A systematic review with meta-analysis and network pharmacology.J Ethnopharmacol.(2022 Oct 5)
- ^Takeda Y, Ward SM, Sanders KM, Koh SDEffects of the gap junction blocker glycyrrhetinic acid on gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells.Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol.(2005 Apr)
- ^Davidson JS, Baumgarten IMGlycyrrhetinic acid derivatives: a novel class of inhibitors of gap-junctional intercellular communication. Structure-activity relationships.J Pharmacol Exp Ther.(1988 Sep)
- ^Davidson JS, Baumgarten IM, Harley EHReversible inhibition of intercellular junctional communication by glycyrrhetinic acid.Biochem Biophys Res Commun.(1986 Jan 14)
- ^Sato Y, He JX, Nagai H, Tani T, Akao TIsoliquiritigenin, one of the antispasmodic principles of Glycyrrhiza ularensis roots, acts in the lower part of intestine.Biol Pharm Bull.(2007 Jan)
- ^Kim YW, Kim YM, Yang YM, Kay HY, Kim WD, Lee JW, Hwang SJ, Kim SGInhibition of LXRα-dependent steatosis and oxidative injury by liquiritigenin, a licorice flavonoid, as mediated with Nrf2 activation.Antioxid Redox Signal.(2011 Mar 1)
- ^Yahagi N, Shimano H, Hasty AH, Matsuzaka T, Ide T, Yoshikawa T, Amemiya-Kudo M, Tomita S, Okazaki H, Tamura Y, Iizuka Y, Ohashi K, Osuga J, Harada K, Gotoda T, Nagai R, Ishibashi S, Yamada NAbsence of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) ameliorates fatty livers but not obesity or insulin resistance in Lep(ob)/Lep(ob) mice.J Biol Chem.(2002 May 31)
- ^Kim YM, Kim TH, Kim YW, Yang YM, Ryu DH, Hwang SJ, Lee JR, Kim SC, Kim SGInhibition of liver X receptor-α-dependent hepatic steatosis by isoliquiritigenin, a licorice antioxidant flavonoid, as mediated by JNK1 inhibition.Free Radic Biol Med.(2010 Dec 1)
- ^Rhee SD, Kim CH, Park JS, Jung WH, Park SB, Kim HY, Bae GH, Kim TJ, Kim KYCarbenoxolone prevents the development of fatty liver in C57BL/6-Lep ob/ob mice via the inhibition of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c activity and apoptosis.Eur J Pharmacol.(2012 Sep 15)
- ^P Alberts, L Engblom, N Edling, M Forsgren, G Klingström, C Larsson, Y Rönquist-Nii, B Ohman, L AbrahmsénSelective inhibition of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 decreases blood glucose concentrations in hyperglycaemic miceDiabetologia.(2002 Nov)
- ^Ji Seon Park, Sang Dal Rhee, Nam Sook Kang, Won Hoon Jung, Hee Youn Kim, Jun Hyoung Kim, Seung Kyu Kang, Hyae Gyeong Cheon, Jin Hee Ahn, Ki Young KimAnti-diabetic and anti-adipogenic effects of a novel selective 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor, 2-(3-benzoyl)-4-hydroxy-1,1-dioxo-2H-1,2-benzothiazine-2-yl-1-phenylethanone (KR-66344)Biochem Pharmacol.(2011 Apr 15)
- ^Bell ZW, Canale RE, Bloomer RJA dual investigation of the effect of dietary supplementation with licorice flavonoid oil on anthropometric and biochemical markers of health and adiposityLipids Health Dis.(2011 Feb 10)
- ^Armanini D, Nacamulli D, Francini-Pesenti F, Battagin G, Ragazzi E, Fiore CGlycyrrhetinic acid, the active principle of licorice, can reduce the thickness of subcutaneous thigh fat through topical application.Steroids.(2005 Jul)
- ^Armanini D, De Palo CB, Mattarello MJ, Spinella P, Zaccaria M, Ermolao A, Palermo M, Fiore C, Sartorato P, Francini-Pesenti F, Karbowiak IEffect of licorice on the reduction of body fat mass in healthy subjects.J Endocrinol Invest.(2003 Jul)
- ^Sigurjonsdottir HA, Manhem K, Axelson M, Wallerstedt SSubjects with essential hypertension are more sensitive to the inhibition of 11 beta-HSD by liquoriceJ Hum Hypertens.(2003 Feb)