Licorice is a plant native to the Mediterranean and Western Asian regions. The root of the licorice plant has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Chinese medicine has long used licorice root to treat many ailments, including gastrointestinal problems, malaria, insomnia, and infections.
Licorice root is often used as a sweetener in beverages, candy, and medicine. It is 50 times sweeter than sugar but provides health benefits that sugar does not. Licorice root contains over 300 chemical compounds and flavonoids.
Glycyrrhizin, the most active chemical compound found in licorice, has been studied for its medicinal properties. This powerful phytochemical has been proven to reduce body fat, heal stomach ulcers, and fight infections.
Health Benefits
Licorice root can provide the following health benefits:
Ulcer Treatment and Prevention
Multiple studies have shown that licorice root prevents and treats ulcers. It does this by increasing mucus production in the stomach, soothing the stomach lining. Licorice also increases the blood supply to the stomach, which promotes healing.
Licorice also prevents ulcers from forming in the first place by suppressing gastrin production in the body. Gastrin is a hormone that stimulates gastric acid production, which can lead to ulcer formation.
Cancer Treatment
Two studies have illustrated how licorice root can help in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. Researchers set out to determine if glycyrrhizin had a therapeutic effect on stomach cancer and leukemia. They discovered that glycyrrhizin causes apoptosis (cell death) of stomach cancer and leukemia cells.
This group of researchers then tested glycyrrhetic acid, a substance in glycyrrhizin, on stomach cancer, leukemia, and liver cancer cells. Once again, the licorice compound suppressed cell growth by causing apoptosis.