Licorice Root

Glycyrrhiza glabra

An ancient sweet root that soothes throats, accelerates gastric ulcer healing, and gently supports adrenal recovery — but only short-term. Long-term or high-dose use raises blood pressure and depletes potassium.

At a glance

Intensely sweet (50× sweeter than sugar) with anise and warm earth notes and a faintly bitter finish. The decoction is amber-gold, mouth-coating, and slightly viscous.

  • Sore-throat gargle and lozenge
  • Productive-cough and bronchitis blend
  • Gastric and duodenal ulcer healing (DGL)
  • Short-term adrenal recovery tonic
  • Topical anti-inflammatory for atopic dermatitis

Modern research

Tradition

Licorice has 4,000 years of documented use across Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, and Ayurvedic traditions. TCM calls it gan cao ('sweet root') — the great harmonizer added to nearly every classical formula to moderate harsh herbs and guide them to their target meridians. Ayurveda knows it as yashtimadhu ('honey stick'), a tridoshic rasayana for voice and lungs. Quantities were found in Tutankhamun's tomb, and the English town of Pontefract built its identity on licorice cultivation.

Modern evidence

DGL accelerates gastric ulcer healing comparably to cimetidine in classic trials. Multiple studies show licorice gargles and lozenges reduce sore-throat severity. IV glycyrrhizin is used in Japan as adjunct therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Topical glycyrrhetinic-acid gel rivals mild corticosteroids for atopic dermatitis. Adrenal-support claims rest on the well-characterized inhibition of 11-β-HSD2 — the same mechanism that makes long-term use dangerous.

How to brew

Roots need a decoction, not a tea. Place 1–2 teaspoons of chopped root in a small pot with 250 mL water and simmer covered for 10–15 minutes. The brew should be intensely sweet with a bitter undertone. One to three cups per day — and never for more than four weeks at a stretch. For ongoing gastric needs, use DGL chewables instead.

Garden note

Glycyrrhiza glabra is a hardy perennial legume with deep taproots and feathery foliage. It wants full sun, deep sandy soil, and patience — roots are not harvested until the third or fourth year. Once established it spreads via runners and can become weedy.