May 27, 2024, 2:31 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Eating too many sweets is generally unhealthy. But licorice, in particular, should be consumed with caution. For several years, it has been known that consuming this licorice product can have dangerous consequences. And as a study shows, this is potentially the case even with very small amounts. Find out here what licorice does in the body and which groups of people are particularly affected.
Sweet, salty, and bitter–licorice fans love the black spirals and sticks for this characteristic flavor combination. In the production of licorice, licorice root juice is mixed with starch and animal or plant gelatin, as well as certain flavorings if necessary. Of course, a certain amount of sugar or sugar syrup is also added to qualify it as a treat. But this is not (only) what can make consuming licorice dangerous. Researchers warn of an ingredient in licorice that is actually attributed with certain health benefits. Two experts also warn in an interview with the “dpa” against excessive consumption–especially for certain groups of people.
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Overview
An acid in licorice is considered a remedy–but is also dangerous
Responsible for the typical licorice taste is glycyrrhizin, a substance from licorice root juice. This acid has a significantly higher sweetness than white table sugar. Glycyrrhizic acid has been used in medicine for thousands of years because it is said to boost the immune system and have a healing effect on, among other things, inflammatory processes in the body and liver values. In the right dosage, glycyrrhizic acid can act as an expectorant, antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant. Therefore, licorice extract is also used in the production of cough and stomach medications.
But more is not always better in this case. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been warning for years about health side effects (such as high blood pressure) from excessive licorice consumption.1
And as a Danish study suggests, these risks apparently arise at much lower amounts than previously thought.
Study from Denmark examined the effects of licorice
Licorice is very popular in Scandinavia, including Denmark. In 2023, employees of the Food Authority and the Technical University of Denmark investigated the potential dangers of the candy.2 The basis was that previous studies had “clearly shown adverse health effects from excessive licorice consumption.” To avoid such a risk, one should not exceed a daily intake of 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizic acid. But how much licorice can you safely snack on to stay below these limits?
Licorice often contains too much glycyrrhizic acid
Not much, as it turns out. The research team found that most of the 219 licorice products analyzed contained high amounts of glycyrrhizic acid. Even small portions of about four grams of candy would be enough to exceed the recommended maximum intake of the acid (100 milligrams per day). To put this in perspective: A single licorice spiral already weighs about 11 grams.
This is particularly problematic because 10 percent of the products examined lacked a corresponding warning label. People with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions should be aware of the associated dangers. Study leader Nicolai Zederkopff Ballin emphasized this in an interview with the Danish science portal “Videnskab.”3 He calls for more education in this area.
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What exactly makes licorice dangerous?
Christian Schulze, a research associate in the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology at the University of Greifswald, comments on this to the “dpa”: “When it comes to the harmfulness of licorice, one must first distinguish between children’s and strong licorice.”
And he gives the all-clear: “Children’s licorice contains hardly any of the potentially harmful substance glycyrrhizin.” There is an EU-set limit that states that a maximum of 200 milligrams of glycyrrhizin may be contained in 100 grams of product. The exact content does not have to be indicated on the packaging. However, consuming typical amounts of children’s licorice is considered safe.
The dark spirals contain a lot of sugar
The low glycyrrhizin content in children’s licorice should not be seen as an invitation to indulge: “What I find much more concerning about the ingredients of children’s licorice, and what is often overlooked, is the high sugar content,” says Martin Smollich, a nutritionist and pharmacologist at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck. Sugar is, after all, the main ingredient in licorice products.
Glycyrrhizin and ammonium chloride affect mineral metabolism
Smollich further adds that in addition to sugar syrup, ammonium chloride is often added. “Children, but also adult risk groups, should especially avoid excessive consumption for this reason.”
Ammonium chloride gives licorice its typical, sharply salty taste. It is mainly found in adult licorice. It can disrupt the mineral balance in children, Schulze warns. Nausea or vomiting can result.
Strong licorice contains more glycyrrhizin than children’s licorice. If the glycyrrhizin content exceeds 200 milligrams per 100 grams, the candies are considered strong licorice. And this is not only problematic for children. “In adults, higher doses of glycyrrhizin and ammonium chloride can trigger a chain of side effects in the body,” says Christian Schulze. Glycyrrhizin is broken down into glycyrrhetinic acid in the body. It can cause an increase in cortisol levels in the kidneys. This leads to changes in mineral metabolism, sodium accumulates, and the potassium level drops. Smollich lists a number of consequences: “Blood pressure can rise, water retention can occur in the joints and face, and muscle weakness and a disturbance in blood potassium concentration can occur.”
Who should eat little or no licorice
Older people and those with pre-existing conditions should consume licorice only in very small amounts. In men, the black treat is said to lower testosterone levels over time and thus promote potency problems. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends that consumers with high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes avoid the regular consumption of large amounts of licorice. The same applies to pregnant women. There are indications that glycyrrhizic acid can negatively affect the physical and mental development of the embryo.4
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At what quantities licorice affects health
The BfR recommends consuming no more than 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizin per day. According to Smollich, health effects are only to be expected with a constant intake of more than 200 milligrams daily. “To reach this value, one would have to eat 200 grams of regular licorice or 25 to 100 grams of strong licorice daily.”
For people in the mentioned risk groups, problems can arise even with smaller amounts, warns the expert. To be on the safe side, don’t eat half the bag at once, but only individual pieces.
American died in 2020 from licorice overdose
In 2020, a case from the U.S. made headlines in the professional press.5 A 54-year-old construction worker from Massachusetts reportedly consumed one and a half bags of licorice daily for three weeks–and then died. The man had suffered from convulsions and repeatedly lost consciousness before finally collapsing in a fast-food restaurant. The autopsy revealed “cardiac arrest due to mineralocorticoid excess from excessive licorice consumption.”
Extreme special case
It is important to emphasize that the man had some pre-existing health conditions. Due to his weakened heart, consuming licorice was particularly dangerous for him. According to the professional report, he was a chain smoker who reportedly used heroin in the past and lived on fast food and sweets. An untreated hepatitis C infection was also found during the autopsy. The high intake of glycyrrhizic acid ultimately overwhelmed his body.
*with material from dpa