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| Indications: A perennial herb of the pea family, licorice root's sweet, aromatic flavor is known to almost everyone in the form of black candies, but today licorice candy is usually sweetened with anise. A compound in licorice, glycyrrhizin, makes it 50 to 100 times sweeter than cane sugar. |
| Licorice is a time-honored herbal medicine throughout the world. It is used for gastric, peptic and duodenal ulcers and has a soothing effect on the digestive tract. An Irish study found licorice extract to relieve ulcer symptoms more effectively than the popular ulcer medication, Tagamet. Licorice has been included in Chinese herbal formulas for centuries, where it is considered a great detoxifier and harmonizing ingredient in complex formulas. In Japan, clinical trials using licorice for chronic hepatitis have been so successful that glycyrrhizin is now a standard medical treatment there. |
| Licorice is a soothing decongestant for acute respiratory problems, including coughs, bronchitis and sore throats. It has the ability to control blood sugar and has hormonal balancing effects. Its potent antiviral properties are useful for treating influenza and the herpes virus, in addition to canker sores and cold sores. |
| Licorice is also an important liver herb comparable to milk thistle. In fact, milk thistle and licorice work exceptionally well in tandem for treating liver ailments such as chronic active hepatitis. Several in vitro trials illustrate glycyrrhizin's ability to protect liver cells from damage from a variety of chemical agents. In addition, glycyrrhizin stimulates the immune system, activates macrophages and enhances natural killer T-cell activity. |
| Licorice has many of the same effects as cortisol in reducing inflammation. This makes it beneficial for conditions like arthritis, asthma, bowel disease, psoriasis and eczema by inhibiting the body's inflammatory response. Studies also show that licorice derivatives are as effective |
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