All About Licorice

By: Joelle Applebe

Licorice is more than just a sweet snack. True licorice or "Glycyrrhiza glabra" is a European plant belonging to the pulse family Leguminosae. The sweet substance that has made licorice famous is produced when the roots of the licorice plant are pressed or pounded. But there's much more to the licorice root, and it has been celebrated for its medicinal purposes since ancient times. Licorice root has been used as a laxative, and taken to treat coughs. When brewed, licorice produces the sweet flavor we love for candy, tobacco and other products.

Licorice in Nature

Licorice is a lovely perennial plant with pea-shaped, blue blossoms. While true licorice is primarily cultivated in the Middle East, a subspecies known as Glycyrrhiza lepidota or "wild licorice" is native to North America. There are currently fourteen known varieties of the licorice plant. Most types are found in Persia, Southeast Europe and several Asiatic regions.

The licorice plant has long graceful stems and lightly spreading, pinnate leaves. From a distance, they display an almost feathery appearance because of their tiny leaflets which resemble those of the False Acacia. At night, the leaves hang down on each side of the midrib. The flowers are little, growing from the axils of the leaves. Licorice flowers are purplish in color and occasionally pale-blue, violet, or yellowish-white. At the peak of maturity, small pods are formed which somewhat resemble a partly grown peapod.

Licorice for Health

Licorice has enjoyed an extensive history in the annals of herbal medicine and folk healing. Legends of the use of licorice are long and varied. In Ancient China, licorice was considered to be one of the most important herbs in traditional medicine. Used primarily as a demulcent for its soothing and coating effects in the digestive and urinary tracts, Chinese folk healers also used licorice to cure an array of conditions and diseases including tuberculosis and diabetes.

More recently, the licorice plant has mostly been used to treat coughs and sore throats. Of course, licorice is also favored as a flavoring. "Licorice" is a word derived from the Greek word meaning "sweet root".

Recent studies have indicated that licorice contains compounds known as flavonoids and glycyrrhizin. According to some studies, glycyrrhizin has anti-inflammatory properties and may have inhibiting actions that can hinder the breakdown of cortisol, which is an important substance produced by the body.

Although it has yet to be proven to work in humans, licorice may also have anti-viral properties. The flavonoids found in this herb are powerful antioxidants that work to protect several organs of the body, most importantly the liver. Chalcones, which are closely related to flavonoids may also help treat digestive tract cells. Preliminary studies on the results of licorice have shown that the flavonoids can kill the ulcer-causing bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria are responsible for most stomach inflammations as well.

Doctors have used a licorice extract called liquiritin as a treatment for melasma, a pigmentation disorder of the skin. In one study, medical researchers indicated that a 70 percent improvement rate was observed on melasma patients who applied liquiritin cream twice a day over a period of four-weeks.

Purchasing Information

When buying licorice for health benefits, remember that there are two types available on the market. "Standard" licorice glycyrrhizin and is used to treat respiratory infections, herpes and chronic fatigue syndrome. The other type, called "de-glycyrrhizinated" licorice, is used to relieve ulcers and other conditions in the digestive tract.

Licorice can be purchased in tablets or in capsule form. If you need to treat canker sores, you can also find de-glycyrrhizinated licorice in powder form.

Article Source: http://www.homesteadarticles.com

Author Joelle Applebe contributes to several web magazines, on health and wellness and health plans topics.
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