Treat yourself with Licorice

Botanical Name: Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and / or Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. and / or Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch

Part used: licorice root

Therapeutic properties: secretolytic and expectorant; emollient, anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic; antiseptic and healing

Therapeutic use:

• gastroduodenal ulcer, gastritis; catarrhal affections of the upper airways

Examples of medical specialties containing Licorice extracts: Chimodil ®

NOTES: when licorice is taken for curative purposes it is essential to use defined and standardized pharmaceutical forms in active ingredients (in glycine), the only ones that allow us to know how many pharmacologically active molecules are being administered to the patient. Traditional herbal preparations such as infusions, juices and decoctions, do not allow to establish exactly the quantities of active ingredients administered to the patient, which increases the risk of therapeutic failure.

Licorice: traditional herbalist indications

Relieve symptoms due to poor digestion (dyspepsia): burning, hyperacidity, acid regurgitation

Indicative dosage in adults and the elderly:

1. If the licorice is taken in the form of capsules containing powdered licorice root or standardized dry extracts in glycite
• take 2-6 grams of dried root (or a dose equivalent to 70-150 mg of glyciteine) 3 times a day before main meals.
2. If the licorice is used in the form of a drug (licorice, root or not decorticated stoloni) dried and minced cut herbal tea:
• after meals (2-4 times a day), take 150 ml of the infusion prepared by letting it soak for 15 minutes, with the heat off, 1.5-2 grams of the drug in 150 ml of boiled water
• after meals (2-4 times a day), take 150 ml of decoction prepared by boiling 1.5-2 grams of the drug in 150 ml of water at room temperature for a few minutes

NOTES: Do not exceed the dose of 500 mg a day of glycyrrhizin. Licorice root extracts are NOT indicated for children and adolescents under the age of 18. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks during the period of use of the product or tend to worsen, consult your doctor. Do not take for more than four weeks. As a precautionary measure, do not take during pregnancy and lactation. Cases of hypokalaemia, hypertension, arrhythmias and hypertensive encephalopathy have been reported after taking licorice root extracts. If these side effects occur seriously, or if other side effects occur, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take during treatment with other products containing licorice; the risk of overdose takes the form of the appearance of hypokalaemia, hypertension and alterations in heart rhythm. Caution in the presence of hypertension, kidney failure, liver or cardiovascular disease, hypokalemia. Licorice root could reduce the hypotensive effectiveness of drugs used to treat high blood pressure. Its use is not recommended also in association with thiazide diuretics, cardiac glycosides (digitalis), corticosteroids, stimulant laxatives, antiarrhythmics (quinidine, hydroquinidine, ajmalina) and other drugs that can create hydroelectrolyte imbalances. Read the package insert and follow the instructions for the correct use of the product.

Promote the expectoration of excess mucus in the presence of a fat cough associated with a cold

Indicative dosage in adults and the elderly:

1. If liquorice is taken in the form of capsules containing powdered licorice root,
• take 2-5 grams of the drug (equivalent to 200 mg of glyciteine) twice a day.
2. If the licorice is used in the form of a drug (licorice, root) dried and chopped cut herbal tea:
   • take 150 ml of the infusion prepared twice a day, letting it soak for 15 minutes, with the heat off, 1.5-2 grams of the drug in 150 ml of boiled water
• take 150 ml of decoction prepared twice a day, bringing 1.5-2 grams of the drug into a 150 ml of water at room temperature for a few minutes
3. If liquorice is taken in the form of a soft extract (water extraction solvent) with a drug / extract (DER) ratio of 3: 1
   • take 1.2-1.5 grams, 3-4 times a day orally (these are the classic tablets or "marbles" of licorice).

NOTES: Do not exceed the dose of 500 mg a day of glycyrrhizin. Licorice root extracts are NOT indicated for children and adolescents under the age of 18. If symptoms persist for more than a week during the period of use of the product or tend to worsen, consult your doctor. As a precautionary measure, do not take during pregnancy and lactation. Cases of hypokalaemia, hypertension, arrhythmias and hypertensive encephalopathy have been reported after taking licorice root extracts. If these side effects occur seriously, or if other side effects occur, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not take during treatment with other products containing licorice; the risk of overdose takes the form of the appearance of hypokalaemia, hypertension and alterations in heart rhythm. Caution in the presence of hypertension, kidney failure, liver or cardiovascular disease, hypokalemia. Licorice root could reduce the hypotensive effectiveness of drugs used to treat high blood pressure. Its use is not recommended also in association with thiazide diuretics, cardiac glycosides (digitalis), corticosteroids, stimulant laxatives, antiarrhythmics (quinidine, hydroquinidine, ajmalina) and other drugs that can create hydroelectrolyte imbalances. Read the package insert and follow the instructions for the correct use of the product.

Examples of herbal preparations containing Licorice

Herbal tea for gastritis and gastroduodenitis

Prepare the herbal tea bringing to boiling and letting 20 grams of the preparation boil for 1 minute in a liter of water. Turn off the heat and leave for thirty minutes. Strain and drink in three doses (after main meals).

Herbal tea for stomach acid (Schauenberg, Paris)

Prepare the herbal tea by brewing a teaspoon of the mixture for about 10 minutes for a cup of boiling water. Drink before the two main meals