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Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra),for treating: arthritis, asthma, athlete’s foot, body odor, bursitis, canker sores, chronic fatigue syndrome, colds and flu, cough, dandruff, depression, emphysema, fungal infections, gingivitis, heartburn, HIV infection, liver problems, Lyme disease, menopause, prostate enlargement, psoriasis, shingles, sore throat, tendonitis, tuberculosis, ulcers, viral infections and the prevention of tooth decay.
No plant has more antidepressant compounds than licorice, but it does not have St. John’s wort’s folk history of use as an antidepressant. At least eight licorice compounds are monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, which are compounds capable of potent antidepressant action.
In addition to containing the bacteria-killing, non-sugar sweetener glycyrrhizin, licorice also contains indole, a powerful decay-preventive compound.
Licorice is a sweetener that won’t cause cavities or gingivitis. Try it in teas instead of sugar or honey. In addition, licorice is high in magnesium and the compound glycyrrhizin, which some studies suggest help control gum inflammation and plaque formation.
For menstrual cramps, licorice contains natural estrogenic compounds. Like the isoflavones in soy, glycyrrhizin, the active ingredient in licorice appears to reduce estrogen levels in women when they’re too high and increase the levels when they’re too low.
Could licorice candy help women with menopausal discomforts? Possibly, but read the label. Most American licorice contains extracts of licorice plus anise, which contains a chemical (anethole) that is less estrogenic than glycyrrhizin. Many health food stores carry candies made from pure licorice.
Licorice has 25 reportedly fungicidal compounds, more than any other herb. (Garlic has only 10, but they are quite potent.) Licorice’s clear antifungal action lends credence to the Chinese practice of using it to treat ringworm.
Licorice has been revered as a sore throat treatment for centuries in both Europe and China. Licorice tea soothes the throat and is often recommended for sore throat, cough and asthma. Licorice and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts – up to about three cups a day. However, long-term use or ingestion of excessive amounts can produce headache, lethargy, sodium and water retention, excessive loss of potassium and high blood pressure. Licorice [has] anti-inflammatory effects. It may also help treat gastrointestinal problems.
Commission E, [the body of scientists that advises the German counterpart of the Food and Drug Administration],approves licorice for treating sore throat and its effectiveness has been scientifically documented, according to pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D. Dr. Leung recommends starting with three cups of water and five to seven teaspoons of root pieces. Put the herb in the water and bring it to a boil, then simmer until about half of the water has boiled away. Licorice not only soothes a sore throat, it also has an expectorant effect that can help treat colds and other respiratory conditions.
German physicians have always been more open to herbal medicine than doctors in the United States, and have researched herbal alternatives extensively. Commission E approves licorice as an ulcer treatment. This recommendation is based on the medical traditions of Asia, the Middle East and Europe, plus literally dozens of scientific studies.
Licorice contains several anti-ulcer compounds, including glycyrrhizic acid. Licorice and its extracts are safe for normal use in moderate amounts, up to about three cups of tea a day.
If you decide to use licorice steadily to manage asthma, opt for deglycyrrhizinated licorice extracts (DGLE), which cause fewer problems. There are many over-the-counter preparations of DGLE, especially overseas. You can find them in America. Use licorice (modestly), especially during severe episodes of stress, by using a piece of dried root to stir herb teas.
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) successfully treats both heartburn and ulcers of the stomach and esophagus. Many studies show that licorice is an antispasmodic and that it reduces production of stomach acid, thereby decreasing heartburn.
Licorice contains nine expectorant compounds plus ten antioxidant compounds. [For] emphysema, add an occasional teaspoon of sweet, powdered licorice root to herbal teas.
Naturopaths consider external applications of licorice to be equal or superior to hydrocortisone cream for treating psoriasis. They note that the compound glycyrrhetenic acid (GA), which is found in licorice, works rather like hydrocortisone in treating psoriasis, eczema and allergic dermatitis. Other scientists have shown that hydrocortisone works considerably better when used in combination with GA. If you’d like to give this herb a try, buy a licorice extract and apply it directly to the affected areas using a cotton ball or clean cloth.
Licorice can be every bit as effective a treatment for bursitis and tendonitis as the commonly prescribed drug hydrocortisone, according to Dr. Mowrey. Plus, the herb has none of the usual side effects, such as weight gain, indigestion, insomnia and lowered resistance to infection that are associated with cortisone and hydrocortisone.
Licorice contains one compound that prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT. You could prepare a baldness-prevention shampoo by adding licorice to you favorite shampoo when you shower.
Licorice contains 20 chemicals with antibacterial action. Oregano and rosemary have 19; ginger, 17; nutmeg, 15; cinnamon and cumin, 11; bay, 10; black pepper has 14 and garlic 13.
Looking at the quantity of bactericidal compounds in various herbs—as opposed to the number of compounds—we find that licorice contains up to 33 percent bactericidal compounds (on a dry-weight basis); thyme, up to 21.3 percent; oregano, up to 8.8 percent; rosemary, up to 4.8 percent; coriander, up to 2.2 percent; and fennel, up to 1.5 percent. The Chinese use licorice to treat Tuberculosis.
In one study that looked at the power of licorice to heal canker sores, a mouthwash containing this herb provided relief for 75 percent of the people who used it. Those who got relief noted substantial improvement within one day and complete healing by the third day. This study was cited by Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, in his insightful book Nutritional Influences on Illness.
In addition to tannin, licorice has two other things going for it: the compounds glycyrrhetinic-acid and glycyrrhizin, both of which help speed the healing of sores. You might sweeten teas with licorice.
[For colds and flu], licorice contains antiviral compounds that induce the release of interferons, the body’s own antiviral constituents. Licorice also has a pleasantly sweet taste.
Among its many other medicinal uses, licorice is active against many types of viral infections. One of its eight active antiviral compounds, glycyrrhizin, inhibits a number o processes involved in virus replication, among them penetration of the body’s cells and replication of viral genetic material.
You could try a tea made by adding a few teaspoons of chopped dried rood per cup of boiling water; steep for about ten minutes.
Among its many beneficial properties, licorice soothes mucous membranes and has a long history of use for coughs and asthma. You might try using licorice tea (made with one teaspoon of dried root per cup of boiling water) or add some licorice root to other herbal cough formulas.
Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a compound that can minimize the scalp’s secretion of oils, according to the Lawrence Review of Natural Products. Keeping oil production down should help control dandruff.
The active compound in licorice root, glycyrrhizin, inhibits liver cell injury caused by many chemicals and is used in treatment of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.
Licorice teas is active against many viruses. The active constituent in licorice (glycyrrhizin) can inhibit a number of processes involved in viral replication, such as a virus’s ability to penetrate host cells and change their genetic material. In studies, there are indications that glycyrrhizin inhibits the growth of HIV in the test tube. A few clinical trials have also produced intriguingly positive results.
…People with hemophilia who had gotten the HIV infection from blood transfusions were given glycyrrhizin for more than a month. During that time, the amount of virus in their blood decreased considerably, suggesting that the herbal compound might inhibit HIV replication. Glycyrrhizin seems to reduce the side effects from AZT.
Leading naturopath Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. president of Bastyr University in Seattle and co-author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, reports seeing people with shingles whose pain and inflammation cleared up within three days following application of a licorice ointment on painful areas. Licorice contains several antiviral and immune-boosting compounds and seems to be a rational choice. Drink a weak tea and apply a strong tea directly to the rash.
NOTE: Licorice candy in the United States is typically flavored with anise oil, not licorice root, and red licorice isn’t licorice at all. True licorice candies come from Europe.
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