Licorice
Herbal Remedies and Medicinal Cures for Diseases, Ailments & Illnesses that afflict Humans and Animals
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accept the bitter to get better
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 Licorice stem and Flower |
Licorice
The medicinal herb Licorice Root as an alternative herbal remedy - Most licorice is grown in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. Licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin (or glycyrrhizic acid).Common Names--licorice root, licorice, liquorice, sweet root, gan zao (Chinese licorice)
Latin Name--Glycyrrhiza glabra, Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Chinese licorice)
Active Ingredients in Licorice
- Between 6 and 14 percent of the root is the glycoside glycyrrhizin. This calcium or potassium salt of glycyrrhizinic acid is fifty times sweeter than table sugar.
- Licorice contains a number of other triterpenoid saponins, along with plant sterols including sitosterol and stigmasterol.
- The root also contains several other sugars, including glucose, mannose, and sucrose.
- More than thirty flavonoids and isoflavonoids have been identified, including liquiritin and its derivatives.
- Some coumarins and an immunosuppressant called LX have also been isolated.
What Licorice Root Is Used
- For Licorice root has been used as a dietary supplement and as an herbal remedy for stomach ulcers, bronchitis, and sore throat, as well as infections caused by viruses, such as hepatitis.
How Licorice Root Is Used
- Peeled licorice root is available in dried and powdered forms.
- Licorice root is available as capsules, tablets, and liquid extracts.
- Licorice can be found with glycyrrhizin removed; the product is called DGL (for "deglycyrrhizinated licorice").
What the Science Says about Licorice Root
- A review of several clinical trials found that glycyrrhizin might reduce complications from hepatitis C in some patients. However, there is not enough evidence to confirm that glycyrrhizin has this effect.
- There are not enough reliable data to determine whether licorice is effective for stomach ulcers.
Side Effects and Cautions of Licorice Root
- In large amounts, licorice containing glycyrrhizin can cause high blood pressure, salt and water retention, and low potassium levels, which could lead to heart problems. DGL products are thought to cause fewer side effects.
- The safety of using licorice as a supplement for more than 4 to 6 weeks has not been thoroughly studied.
- Taking licorice together with diuretics (water pills) or other medicines that reduce the body's potassium levels could cause dangerously low potassium levels.
- People with heart disease or high blood pressure should be cautious about using licorice.
- When taken in large amounts, licorice can affect the body's levels of a hormone called cortisol and related steroid drugs, such as prednisone. *Pregnant women should avoid using licorice as a supplement or consuming large amounts of licorice as food, as some research suggests it could increase the risk of preterm labor.
- Tell your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you are using, including licorice root. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated care.
News About Licorice
Licorice root could help treat diabetes: study
- Source:http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/licorice-root-treat-diabetes-study-article-1.1064818
- (AFP RELAXNEWS)
A new German study has found that licorice root may contain anti-diabetic properties.
In addition to having anti-inflammatory properties, substances called amorfrutins from the plant’s root were found to reduce blood sugar levels in mice.
Furthermore, the study, published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week , found the substance helped prevent the mice from developing a fatty liver and improved insulin resistance, leading scientists to suggest that licorice root could be used in the treatment of complex metabolic disorders.
In their study, the amorfrutins worked by activating various genes that reduced the plasma concentration of certain fatty acids and glucose, researchers said. The reduced glucose level, in turn, prevented the development of insulin resistance.
But before you go tucking into a bag of black licorice candy, scientists point out that the concentration of amorfrutins is too low to be effective in sweets or tea.
Extracting the nutrients in large concentrations, however, could be used on an industrial scale, they say.
Earlier this year, another study published in the Journal of Natural Products found that two substances in licorice were able to kill the major bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.
- LEARN MORE ABOUT DIABETES
In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, licorice root has also been used extensively to treat everything from respiratory to digestive problems.
Meanwhile, last year the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to adults over the age of 40 to limit their consumption of black licorice, which has been shown to cause irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmia.
Liquorice slows skins cancer cells: Compound found in root could hold key to beating most lethal form of the disease
- By Pat Hagan (for MailOnline)
• Breakthrough could lead to new drug to combat malignant melanoma
Liquorice could hold the key to beating the most lethal form of skin cancer, scientists have discovered.
Research carried out in the US has identified a compound found in liquorice root which slowed the growth of cancer cells during laboratory tests.
Now they hope the tumour-busting compound can be developed into a new drug to combat malignant melanoma.
Previous studies have found liquorice contains an anti-cancer chemical called glycyrrhizin.
But attempts to turn it into a medicine have been hampered by the fact that long-term consumption of glycyrrhizin can cause high blood pressure and even swelling on the brain.
But experts at the University of Minnesota in the US have now found another ingredient - called Isoangustone A - which has the same benefits but without the dangerous side-effects.
Malignant melanoma kills around 1,700 people a year in the UK and is the third most common cancer in people aged 15 to 39.
Over-exposure to the sun’s rays is the biggest cause and since the mid-1990s there has been a 24 per cent increase in cases.
Some evidence suggests even a few early bouts of sunburn in childhood can be enough to trigger the cellular changes in moles that lead to skin cancer later in life.
Cells within moles become cancerous and start to divide uncontrollably, eventually spreading through the body. Some evidence suggests even a few early bouts of sunburn in childhood can be enough to trigger the cellular changes in moles that lead to skin cancer later in life
The disease has historically had a very high death rate as the cancer has often spread by the time patients seek help.
Recently new drugs have emerged that appear to halt the spread of tumours by ‘resetting’ the immune system so that it is able to attack malignant cells.
In the latest research, scientists extracted Isoangustone A from liquorice root and applied it to skin cancer cells in the laboratory.
The compound slowed down the rate at which melanoma cells reproduce, partly by blocking the release of certain proteins needed for them to flourish.
When the scientists gave the extract to mice with skin cancer, it had the same effect - suppressing growth of the tumour.
Liquorice is already a popular remedy for cold sores. A balm made from the root can reduce the severity of outbreaks.
But too much liquorice can be harmful. A Scottish study found children born to women who ate over 100 grammes a week during pregnancy performed worse in intelligence tests at school and the harmful compound glycyrrhizin was blamed.
In a report on their findings, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, scientists said: ‘Liquorice root is known to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
We found Isoangustone A suppressed the proliferation of human melanoma cells and provides the basis for the potential development of a new agent.’
Growing Licorice in Your Herb Garden
- Source:http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-licorice-in-your-herb-garden-zmaz82jazgoe
- By Terry Tucker Francis
MOTHER's Herb Garden provides a history and gardening guide for growing licorice in your herb garden.
- Growing Licorice in Your Herb Garden
Lately, more and more people have begun to understand just how limited — in both variety and nutritional value our "modern" diets have become. This realization has sparked a new and wide spread interest in the culinary and therapeutic uses of herbs . . . those plants which — although not well-known today — were, just one short generation ago, honored "guests" on the dinner tables and in the medicine chests of our grandparents' homes. In this regular feature, MOTHER EARTH NEWS will examine the availability, cultivation, and benefits of our "forgotten" vegetable foods and remedies . . . and — we hope — help prevent the loss of still another bit of ancestral lore.
You might be surprised to learn that good old-fashioned licorice has an impressive — and in some cases royal — family history. Great stores of the flavorful root were found, alongside priceless art treasures and jewels, in the 3,000-year-old tomb of King Tut. In fact, licorice was considered to be such a valuable herb that no Egyptian king would be without it on his journey into eternity. And even today, a beverage called mai sus, brewed from the sweet yellow root of the licorice shrub, is popular in the Middle East.
- The Royal History of Medicinal Licorice Root
The botanical name for licorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, incorporates the Greek glykys (sweet) and rhiza (root). If you pronounce the tongue-twisting "glycyrrhiza" quickly and casually, you'll know how it came to be "licorice" in English.
This perennial shrub (it's also known as sweetwood or sweet root) grows wild in Asia Minor, Greece, Spain, southern Italy, Iraq, Syria, Russia, and northern China. Large quantities are now shipped into northern Europe for various commercial purposes, but sweet root may have been taken there first by the Romans who ate it because they believed it increased personal stamina.
Different uses of this medicinal herb have developed over a number of centuries. An old Arabian remedy for skin lesions and blisters, for instance, involved dusting powdered licorice onto the affected skin. The ancient Hindus made a tonic of milk, sugar, and licorice to increase virility, the Chinese have long consumed great quantities of this wonder herb to ward off old age and medieval Europeans believed the root to be so nutritional and thirst-quenching that a small piece held under the tongue could keep a person alive for 11 or 12 days!
Most of our modern supply of licorice is commercially grown for its medicinal value as a natural laxative and for use as an ingredient in cough mixtures. The thick, black syrup extracted by boiling chopped sweet root is 50 times sweeter than sugar cane, and helps disguise less palatable ingredients.
- Grow Your Own Licorice
Of course, most of us know licorice best in the form of the chewy twisted sweets we were fond of as children. Now you can't grow candy sticks in your garden, but you certainly can grow licorice plants from live roots. The wrinkled, brownish yellow rootstock will produce — as it comes up each year — a five-foot shrub.
A dry, stony soil in full sun is best for the herb. The plant's stems will bear alternate pinnate leaves — with three to seven pairs of dark green oval leaflets — and pealike, pale lavender or yellow flowers will blossom throughout the summer.
Licorice stems make a tasty tea.
Homegrown licorice stems peeled of their bark — can be used to prepare a tasty tea . . . or even as teething sticks for small children!
Ayurvedic Remedies To Cure Chronic Gastritis
- By Tanushree Kulkarni
Our lifestyle has highly changed, wherein we work late hours, consume junk food, lead a stressful life, and drink an excessive amount of coffee and tea to put ourselves through the long day.
This leads to an impaired digestion and problems like acidity. If this problem is not cured, it can lead to the condition of chronic gastritis.
Loss of appetite, nausea, depression, uneasiness, and bloated tummy are some of the problems that are commonly experienced by people suffering from chronic gastritis.
Chronic gastritis generally refers to a situation wherein inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach is caused.
In Ayurveda, the condition of gastritis is referred to as Urdhavaga Amalapitta. This condition is generally caused by vitiation of the "Pitta" dosha. According to Ayurveda, the impairment of pitta dosha is caused by reasons such as taking stale, spicy, rotten or mismatched food. It later leads to hyperacidity or the condition of gastritis.
There are many medicines available to cure the problem of gastritis; however, we would recommend going the herbal route. Ayurveda recommends many herbs and remedies for the treatment of chronic gastritis. So, today, let us unearth this scripture of good health and see what it recommends to cure this situation, in this article, have a look.
According to Ayurveda, the impairment of pitta dosha is caused by reasons such as taking stale, spicy, rotten or mismatched food. It later leads to hyperacidity or the condition of gastritis.
There are many medicines available to cure the problem of gastritis; however, we would recommend going the herbal route. Ayurveda recommends many herbs and remedies for the treatment of chronic gastritis.
So, today, let us unearth this scripture of good health and see what it recommends to cure this situation, in this article, have a look.
- Liquorice Root
Licorice root is popularly known as Mulethi, which is a great herb prescribed by Ayurveda for a variety of ailments. It is especially effective in treating various digestive issues that plague us such as stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis. It also helps in relieving the inflammation caused in the stomach.
Mix 1 tbsp of mulethi powder with ghee and honey. Now, consume this every day on an empty stomach till you are completely cured. You can also consume liquorice tea by infusing liquorice in some water and consuming it every day on an empty stomach.
- Amla
Amla is a powerhouse herb and is recommended by Ayurveda to those suffering from issues related to the stomach. It is helpful in treating indigestion, vomiting, bleeding or chronic acidity.
Drinking fresh amla juice every day on an empty stomach will help in alleviating the situation of gastritis.
- Ginger
Ginger is commonly used to flavour food in the Indian kitchens, but it has medicinal benefits too. It contains a compound known as gingerol which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also aids in digestion.
Chewing on ginger root before the meal helps in curing the problem of chronic gastritis. It helps fight the bacteria that cause gastritis and also cures the problem completely.
- Fennel
Fennel seeds, popularly known as saunf, are used as a digestive to be had after meals. This helps in curing indigestion and relieves acidity. It is also helpful to those suffering from inflammation of the digestive tract.It relaxes the muscles and helps in curing acidity.
Consume an infusion of fennel seeds soaked in water overnight for a great relief from chronic gastritis.
- Cardamom
Cardamom has this sweet-spicy flavour that helps in giving a delicious flavour to our food, but it is also a useful herb when it comes to treating indigestion. Its beneficial quality helps in soothing the inflamed stomach muscles and also curing the side effects, such as heartburn that is caused by chronic gastritis.
Chew cardamom every day before food to treat the problem of indigestion.
- Curd
Curd is a beneficial remedy to treat the problem of gastritis. It protects the digestive tract and helps in treating any bacterial infection. Consume a bowl of curd every day with your meals to treat chronic gastritis.
Liquorice could be used to treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
- By Fiona Parker
Currently 850,000 people in the UK are living with Alzheimer’s, but this number is expected to soar to over one million by 2025
Liquorice root extract could be used to treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, a study revealed.
Salicylic acid, a bitter chemical found in some plants and a critical hormone for regulating plants’ immune systems , is also a component in aspirin.
It binds to the enzyme GAPDH, which is believed to play a role in neurodegenerative diseases stopping the enzyme moving into a cell’s nucleus where it can trigger its death.
But derivatives, such as from liquorice or synthesised versions, were even more effective than aspirin in stopping the enzyme.
Currently 850, 000 people in the UK are living with Alzheimer’s, but this number is expected to soar to over one million by 2025.
There are around 127,000 Parkinson’s sufferers and 12 in 100,000 have Huntington’s - an inherited condition that damages nerve cells in the brain.
The anti-Parkinson’s drug deprenyl also blocks GAPDH’s entry into the nucleus but the study suggests salicylic acid can achieve the same goal.
Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (GADPH) is a central enzyme in glucose metbolism, but it also plays additional roles in cells.
Under oxidative stress - an excess of free radicals and other reactive compounds -GAPDH is modified and then enters the nucleus of neurons.
It increases protein turnover, the balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation.
More synthesis than breakdown indicates an anabolic state that builds lean tissues, more breakdown than synthesis indicates a catabolic state that burns lean tissues.
The finding found GADPH led to a catabolic state and cell death which occurs in brain cells in neurodegenerative conditions.
Professor Solomon Snyder, from Johns Hopkins University said: “The enzyme GAPDH, long thought to function solely in glucose metabolism, is now known to participate in intracellular signalling.
“The new study establishes that GAPDH is a target for salicylate drugs related to aspirin, and hence may be relevant to the therapeutic actions of such drugs.”
Previous research has identified ‘targets’ that the acid binds to in plants, and many of these have equivalent targets in humans.
Earlier this year lead author Professor Daniel Klessig at Boyce Thompson Institute and Cornell University identified another novel target of salicylic acid called HMGB1 (High Mobility Group Box 1).
HMGB1 causes inflammation and is associated with several diseases, including arthritis, lupus, sepsis, atherosclerosis and certain cancers.
Low levels of salicylic acid block these pro-inflammatory activities, and the salicylic acid derivatives were 40 to 70 times more potent than salicylic acid at inhibiting these pro-inflammatory activities.
Professor Klessig said: “A better understanding of how salicylic acid and its derivatives regulate the activities of GAPDH and HMGB1, coupled with the discovery of much more potent synthetic and natural derivatives of salicylic acid, provide great promise for the development of new and better salicylic acid-based treatments of a wide variety of prevalent, devastating diseases.”
Salicylic acid is used in skin care products including anti-dandruff shampoos and acne treatments.
Natural sources include blackberries, blueberries, grapes, kiwi fruits, apricots, green pepper, olives, tomatoes, radish, chicory, almonds, water chestnuts and peanuts.
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Liquorice slows skins cancer cells: Compound found in root could hold key to beating most lethal form of the disease
- By Pat Hagan (for MailOnline)
• Breakthrough could lead to new drug to combat malignant melanoma
Liquorice could hold the key to beating the most lethal form of skin cancer, scientists have discovered.
Research carried out in the US has identified a compound found in liquorice root which slowed the growth of cancer cells during laboratory tests.
Now they hope the tumour-busting compound can be developed into a new drug to combat malignant melanoma.
Previous studies have found liquorice contains an anti-cancer chemical called glycyrrhizin.
But attempts to turn it into a medicine have been hampered by the fact that long-term consumption of glycyrrhizin can cause high blood pressure and even swelling on the brain.
But experts at the University of Minnesota in the US have now found another ingredient - called Isoangustone A - which has the same benefits but without the dangerous side-effects.
Malignant melanoma kills around 1,700 people a year in the UK and is the third most common cancer in people aged 15 to 39.
Over-exposure to the sun’s rays is the biggest cause and since the mid-1990s there has been a 24 per cent increase in cases.
Benefits and Side Effects of Licorice Root Tea
- By August McLaughlin
Growing wild in Europe and Asia, licorice has been used to treat a variety of conditions for thousands of years. Standard dosage for licorice tea, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, is 1 to 5 grams of dried licorice root steeped in boiling water, consumed three times . Prepared licorice teas and extract, which you can add to hot water, are also available. Licorice should not be consumed longer than four to six weeks and is unsuitable for pregnant women. For best results, seek pre-approval from your doctor.
- Potential Benefits
Licorice root can act as a soothing agent and expectorant, which could make it useful for reducing phlegm and other upper-respiratory symptoms, says the UMMC, such as sore throat and coughing. Licorice root is also used to treat ulcer symptoms, canker sores and digestive problems, such as acid reflux and indigestion. As a weight loss aid, licorice tea may help reduce body fat.
- Effectiveness
Because licorice in all forms, including tea, has not been thoroughly investigated, the overall effectiveness remains unknown. In one study, however, published in the "Journal of Health Science" in 2006, 103 overweight adults consumed licorice oil or a placebo for 12 weeks. People who consumed the licorice oil were more likely to maintain their body weight, while those who took the placebo tended to gain weight. A limited number of small studies have shown cholesterol-lowering, body fat-lowering and acid reflux-reducing benefits of licorice, says the UMMC. One small study showed that a warm licorice tincture, another word for tea, improved canker sore symptoms.
- Side Effects
Some licorice contains a substance called glycyrrhizin. If your tea contains glycyrrhizin, you could experience serious side effects, according to the UMMC, including hormonal problems, headaches, fatigue, high blood pressure, water retention and heart attacks. Higher doses of licorice tend to pose the most glycyrrhizin-related risks. Lesser amounts of licorice can cause arm and leg numbness and muscle pain.
- Drug Interactions
Licorice may interfere with medications, including high blood pressure medications, corticosteroid medications and antidepressants known as MAO inhibitors. Drinking the tea may cause these drugs to work less effectively, worsen side effects or, in the case of blood pressure medications, cause potassium buildup in your body. Licorice may also increase your risk for toxic effects of digoxin -- a drug used to treat heartbeat abnormalities. Women taking oral contraceptives have developed high blood pressure and low potassium levels while consuming licorice, says the UMMC. Discussing licorice root tea with your doctor is particularly important if you are taking medications or supplements or have an illness of any kind.
Licorice, the Sweet Root With Lots of Health Benefits
- Source:http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2100405-licorice-the-sweet-root-with-lots-of-health-benefits/
- By Conan Milner (Epoch Times)
Say “licorice” and most people think of those black, chewy ropes from a bygone era of candy. But licorice is also a plant related to beans and lentils, and its root is one of the most important and most used herbs in ancient Egypt, Greece, India, and China.
The most striking thing about licorice root is its sweetness, about 50 times sweeter than sugar. The Chinese call it gan cao (“sweet herb”). The word “licorice” is the product of a centuries’ long phonetic corruption of the Greek word for the plant, glyrrhiza, which means “sweet root.”
If you can appreciate its heavy anise character, licorice is one of the best tasting herbs available. It is found in a great number of traditional herbal formulas because it takes the edge off the foul flavors of other herbs.
In Chinese medicine, licorice’s sweet and smooth quality makes it the perfect harmonizing herb, and that’s why it’s found in so many classic Chinese formulas. According to Chinese herbalists, the addition of a small amount licorice makes a formula more effective and minimizes the potentially toxic nature of other herbs, preventing unwanted side effects.
22 Amazing Benefits Of Licorice Root Tea For Skin Hair And Health
- By Nithya Shrikant
The sweet sap of the licorice root is sweeter than sugar. No wonder it is called ‘Iratti Madhuram’ [Double Sweet] in Malayalam. Known botanically as Glycyrrhiza Glabra, the roots of licorice have been used for its numerous benefits since ages.
Packed with coumarins, flavonoid, volatile oils, glycosides, chalcones, plant sterols, anethole, and glycyrrhizic acid, this anise seed look alike is a rich source of various medicinal properties. A tea made with the roots of licorice is known to be extremely beneficial for treating throat infections. It is also known to offer relief from various other health conditions including depression, canker sores, assorted infections, ulcers, skin rashes, liver disorders, menopausal issues to name a few.
- How to Make Licorice Root Tea at Home?
• Ingredients:
- • Water – 4 oz
- • Dried licorice roots – 1 tsp
• How to Make:
- • Place a saucepan filled with water on medium heat.
- • Once the water turns hot, before it starts boiling, add the dried licorice roots.
- • Allow the mixture to come to a boiling point.
- • Turnoff the burner and steep for 5 to 7 minutes.
- • Place a fine mesh strainer above a cup and pour the mixture into it.
- • Discard the roots.
Your licorice root tea is ready!
• Tips:
- • Add 1 inch fresh ginger while steeping the tea, if you are using it as a natural remedy for cold and cough.
Now that your licorice root tea is ready, let’s read a little about what you can expect from it!
- Skin Benefits of Licorice Root Tea:
1. Soothes and Hydrates Skin:
Regular use of this tea is known to keep the skin moisturized and hydrated from within. You can even apply cool licorice tea on your skin and leave it for a while before washing off for a visibly soft skin.
2. Natural Source of Fairness:
Licorice brightens the skin, making it look fairer. Prepare a face pack by mixing the tea with Fullers Earth and turmeric powder. Apply on your face, allow it to dry, and rinse off with normal water. You can add a few drops of olive oil, coconut oil, or even almond oil to keep your skin hydrated.
3. Cure for Skin Disorders:
Applying cooled licorice tea helps in healing various skin disorders, including psoriasis, eczema, skin rashes, and dry skin. The anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and demulcent properties of this tea help to reduce inflammation, redness, and paves way for faster healing. The hydrating nature traps the moisture and prevents the skin from drying out.
4. Natural Sunscreen:
Yes, inclusion of this tea in your diet can protect your skin from the harmful UV rays. A thick decoction like tea can be used as a sunscreen to safeguard the skin from sun burns, tan, and harsh UVA/UVB rays. It also prevents the loss of moisture from the skin due to excessive exposure to the scorching sun. Plus, it offers guaranteed fairness and smoothness. Apply a pack by mixing in the tea with crushed cucumbers and apply it on the affected area if you are already suffering from sun damage. Hair Benefits of Licorice Root Tea:
5. Good for the Scalp:
Known for its hydrating properties, a tea made from licorice root had been used by ancient Greeks to keep the scalp moisturized. It soothes the dry scalp and prevents various scalp conditions like dandruff and scabs. Massage the tea along with few drops of coconut oil on your scalp, leave for one hour, and wash off for a moisturized scalp.
6. Helps with Hair Growth:
Topical application as well as oral use of licorice tea is known to be beneficial for hair growth. It traps the essential moisture in the scalp, paving way for the lush growth of hair follicles. This, in turn, ensures you of radiant, lush tresses.
7. Prevents Premature Baldness:
Even though not proven scientifically, people have been drinking licorice tea to prevent premature balding triggered by excessive hair loss since ancient times. It makes sense to follow age old wisdom at times.
8. Effective Hair Treatment:
A pack prepared by mixing licorice root tea with henna and amla powder can be used as an effective hair treatment for various hair conditions, including sun damage, dandruff, split ends, and dull hair. Health Benefits of Licorice Root Tea:
9. Helps to Combat Depression:
As mentioned above, licorice root tea is a natural anti-depressant. It stimulates the functioning of the adrenal glands, regulating the synthesis of cortisol. A lower level of this hormone is a major cause of stress, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and nervousness. By maintaining the equilibrium, the tea ensures that your mood is elevated, and depression is warded off. Just include two cups of this tea in your diet daily and bid adieu to depression forever.
10. Natural Remedy for Cold:
This herbal tea is one of the most sought after and most effective remedy for cold and cough. While the antiviral property fights the infections, the tea also ensures that the body’s immunity power gets a boost. Once your immunity is pumped up, infections slowly vanish by themselves. It is also a good way to ease sore throat. A warm licorice tea eases inflammation and pain, ensuring faster recovery from cold. The expectorant properties of this herbal tea also ensures that the clogged nasal passages as well as lungs are cleared, guaranteeing quicker relief. That is why the licorice root tea is recommended by Ayurvedic doctors as a cure for various bronchial issues. So remember—three cups of licorice root tea a day keeps cold away!
11. Good for Arthritis:
The anti-inflammatory properties of this tea helps in easing the pain experienced due to inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Along with reducing the pain, it also alleviates the swelling experienced. The joint movements also improve with regular use of this tea.
12. Safeguards you from Cardiac Disorders:
Studies indicate that this tea has the potential to stimulate the flow of bile and can help in keeping the levels of cholesterol under control. The lower the levels of bad cholesterol, the better your heart health will be. Plus, it is a potential antioxidant agent. This actually impedes plaque from getting attached to the arterial walls, improving the health of capillaries. A lower cholesterol level together with a smooth circulation of blood ensures that you are safe from cardiovascular disorders.
13. Good for your Liver:
This tea has powerful detoxifying properties. Two cups of this herbal tea a day ensures that your liver is free from toxins. It empowers the liver and puts your worries about hepatitis to rest.
14. Cure for Low Blood Pressure:
Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is one condition that is actually quite difficult to cure. Luckily, this tea is a safe way to treat low BP. Two cups of this inexpensive tea can pep up your blood pressure levels to the desired level by warding off the stress factors such as dizziness, fatigue, and nausea.
15. Herbal Remedy for Stomach Disorders:
Licorice root extracts are known to possess mild laxative properties. A tea prepared by infusing these roots can be used to ease constipation. The chalcone and flavonoid present in these roots combat the irritation and inflammation triggered by bacterial infection in your stomach. The soothing properties soothe the inflamed mucus lining and strengthen your digestive system, offering guaranteed relief from gastric issues. Make sure you sip two to three cups of warm tea to reap the benefits.
16. Beneficial for Yeast Infections:
Many a time, women are subjected to vaginal yeast infections caused by Candida Albicans. Studies suggest that oral intake as well as topical application of this tea has the power to combat these infections and heal the condition.
17. Good for Diabetics:
Licorice root extracts are excellent sugar substitutes. While preparing regular tea, add licorice root tea instead of sugar—sweetness and health together in one cup!
18. Aids in Weight Loss:
Studies suggest that 3.5 grams of licorice root, when used in the form of tea, for about 8 weeks can help in lowering the body fat mass to a significant extent. Include just two cups of tea a day – each cup containing 1.75 grams of this root – along with a balanced diet and healthy workout regimen and see visible changes in your weight in 12 weeks.
19. Beneficial During Menopause:
Packed with antioxidant and phytoestrogens, this tea has shown positive impacts on the hormonal issues associated with menopause, including mood swings, hot flashes, and fatigue. Just two cups of the tea a day can help in creating a hormonal equilibrium, helping women tide over this messy phase.
20. Helps with PMS:
The tea is crammed with anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Plus, it has admirable levels of estrogenic properties too. A synergic action of these is known to ease premenstrual symptoms such as bloating, nausea, mood swings, and breast tenderness. Start including 2 cups of this tea three days before the expected date to combat menstrual cramps in a better way.
21. Natural Detoxifying Agent:
The detoxifying properties of this tea can be used to lose weight and even to flush out toxins and stones from the kidneys.
22. Home Remedy for Canker Ulcers:
Canker sores alias Apthous ulcers are painful inflammations that appear on the tongue and cheeks. Warm licorice tea can be used as a gargle for quick relief from these painful conditions. Just gargle with this tea 4 times a day – and see how fast the pain subsides and your sores heal.
- Side Effects of Licorice Root:
Yes, as with other herbal teas, this one too comes with its own set of side effects. Excessive use of this tea is known to lead to the following negative effects:
- • Dangerously low potassium levels in blood
- • Hypertension
- • Cataract
- • Fluid retention
The roots are known to possess estrogenic properties. Hence, it is advisable for pregnant women to avoid the use of licorice root tea.
These were the benefits of licorice root tea for health, skin, and hair. Have we left out something? If so, share with us right below because sharing is learning…
5 natural cold sore remedies
- By Chanie Kirschner
Once you have the virus, cold sores can appear with little warning. Here's what you can do to treat and prevent these unsightly blemishes.
Ugh. Cold sores are positively awful. Not only do they hurt, but they can make you feel like holing up in a dark room because you don’t want anyone else to see that wonderful-looking growth on your lip. Am I right?
Once you have the virus, you will have it for life, and cold sores — which are usually caused by the herpes simplex virus — may pop up from time to time, but most likely within the first two years of getting the virus. Type 1 herpes (oral herpes) is a virus that spreads through contact and usually passes from person to person through blister fluid or another fluid infected from the blister fluid, such as saliva. The most likely means of transmision is kissing, but if you share a drink with someone who has a cold sore, it’s possible that you could get the virus. Cold sores do heal on their own, and annoying as they may be, there are steps you can take to prevent them and things you can do to help them go away faster.
What do you do once you’re the lucky recipient of the herpes simplex virus? Know your triggers. For some, it’s stress. For others, it’s lack of sleep. Know what brings your cold sores on, and do your best to avoid those things. Also, make sure to keep adequate sun protection (lip balm and sunscreen) on and around your lips — because too much sun can cause a cold sore outbreak.
What about once you have a cold sore? There are some natural remedies you can try:
Milk. If you feel one lurking beneath the surface about to make its grand entrance, try soaking a cotton ball in milk and applying the cotton ball to the affected area. Some swear by this natural remedy to stop the cold sore dead in its tracks.
Licorice. Real licorice, that is. The stuff you buy in the candy aisle of the grocery store ain’t gonna do much (though you might will it to). Try making a licorice tea and applying it topically or drinking it while you have a cold sore.
Ice or cold compress. You might try putting an ice pack on the cold sore as well. Some say this can speed up the healing process and it definitely feels good since ice works as a numbing agent.
Petroleum jelly. Don’t try to cover the cold sore with makeup, as this can aggravate the cold sore and make it worse. (Hearkening back to your awkward high school days, you might remember that covering pimples in makeup has much the same result.) If you insist on putting something on it, try some Vaseline, as this will create a barrier and moisterize the area.
Lemon balm ointment. You can buy this ointment at most drugstores. Lemon balm has been used as a calming herb for centuries alternative medicine studies have shown that it can actually reduce the redness and swelling of cold sores in as little as 2 days.
Either way, they can be treated with any of the remedies above. Of course, you can also try over-the-counter topical ointments like Abreva. Or if they’re popping up really often, ask your doctor about a prescription cream or antiviral therapy. The creams won’t necessarily make the cold sore go away faster, but they can relieve any pain or itching caused by the sore.
Good luck to you, and I hope by the time you’re reading this, that cold sore is gone!
Liquorice loaded with health benefits
- By ANNABEL ROSS
Are you a liquorice lover? In news that will have fans reaching for the allsorts, The Atlantic has published an article suggesting that liquorice root contains anti-diabetic properties.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, Germany identified a group of natural substances within liquorice root called amorfrutins.
Testing on mice, the scientists found that the consumption of amorfrutins reduced blood sugar levels and inflammation that would otherwise be present in the mice suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
The amorfrutins also prevented the development of a fatty liver - a common side-effect of type 2 diabetes and a high-fat diet.
Type 2 diabetes generally affects people who are already overweight or obese, causing the body to become resistant to insulin.
Another action of amorfrutins is to bind to a nuclear receptor called PPARy which activates various genes that reduce fatty acids and glucose in the blood.
The reduced glucose level prevents the development of insulin resistance, thereby blocking the cause of Type 2 diabetes
But before you march off to your nearest dairy, take note. "The amount of amorfrutin molecules in a piece of licorice available for human consumption is far too low to cause the same beneficial effects that were identified in the diabetic mice."
In response, the researchers developed a method of extracting sufficient concentrations of amorfrutins from the Amorpha fruticosa bush in which they are also found, which could be used to produce amorfrutin extracts on an industrial scale.
So is there any benefit to be had in eating liquorice sweets? Well, it depends on the sweet.
What you're looking for is products containing liquorice extract or liquorice root. You won't get the same medicinal properties from anise oil, which is what is used to flavour many commercial liquorice products.
Even if the sweet does contain extract, the quantity is usually far too small to have any sort of health benefit.
As nutritionist Catherine Saxelby notes, Darrell Lea liquorice contains just 3 per cent liquorice extract, coming in after flour, sugar, molasses, and glucose syrup on the ingredient list.
Manufacturers of liquorice sweets are quick to point out that liquorice is a low-fat food.
Saxelby says that while liquorice is a healthier snack than milk chocolate, care must be taken with portion size.
"There's nothing wrong with having a few pieces of liquorice three or four times a week, so long as it's your only 'treat food' that week," says Saxelby.
"It's not safe for coeliacs though; the main ingredient of liquorice is wheat flour."
Those with high blood pressure should also avoid the salty Dutch variety of liquorice, she says.
Liquorice is slightly lower in sugar and carbohydrates than most other lollies, and contains small amounts of protein, iron and calcium.
Real liquorice also contains glycyrrhizin, a substance obtained from the root of the liquorice plant.
Glycyrrhizin is the active agent in liquorice that combats illnesses such as upper respiratory infections, and is said to lessen the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
But the amount of real liquorice found in liquorice sweets is not standardised, making it far more safe and effective to take the recommended quantity of liquorice root or extract as a pill or powder.
Those with high blood pressure may want to consider the deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) form of the product.
In spite of its benefits, continued consumption of large amounts of glycyrrhizin may reduce blood potassium levels, lead to water retention, and increase blood pressure.
Other ailments liquorice is used to treat include:
Hepatitis: The anti-inflammatory properties of liquorice is said to help calm hepatitis-associated liver inflammation. Liquorice is also said to fight the hepatitis C virus and supplies valuable antioxidant compounds that help maintain the overall health of the liver. Results from large-scale high quality studies are not available.
Dyspepsia (Heartburn): According to the US National Library of Medicine, liquorice may be an effective treatment for heartburn when used in combination with other herbs. Sold as Iberogast or STW5, research suggests that the formulation significantly reduces severity of acid reflux and associated pain, cramping, nausea, and vomiting.
Eczema: In one study, liquorice gel, applied to the skin, helped relieve symptoms of itching, swelling, and redness, reports the University of Maryland Medical Centre. A gel with 2 per cent liquorice worked better than a gel with 1 per cent liquorice.
Cancer: Laboratory studies have identified several substances in liquorice that may help prevent DNA mutations, inhibit tumour formation, or even kill cancer cells, says The American Cancer Society. While animal studies suggest some chemicals from liquorice might be useful in preventing or treating some forms of cancer, human clinical trials are yet to be carried out.
Liquorice has also been associated with weight loss. According to the University of Maryland, consumption of liquorice was linked to body fat mass in one study.
Another study found that glycyrrhetinic acid (a component of liquorice) reduced the thickness of fat on the thigh in human subjects.
A study carried out by Japanese scientists and published in Obesity Research and Clinical Practice linked the consumption of liquorice flavonoid oil to significant decreases in total body fat mass, weight, BMI and LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
Medicinal forms of liquorice include wafers, tinctures, tablets, lozenges, teas, loose dried herbs, creams and capsules.
To treat a cough, wholehealthmd.com suggests 1 teaspoon of liquid liquorice extract in 1 cup of hot water 3 times a day.
For PMS, 200 mg of standardised extract three times a day for the 10 days preceding your period is recommended.
Last year in Germany, where around 500 tonnes of liquorice are imported each year, liquorice was named "the medicinal plant of 2012".
Professor Johannes Mayer, an expert on the history of medicinal botany at the University of Würzburg, noted the myriad indications of liquorice, used medicinally since ancient times.
"Liquorice is special because it can quickly soothe sore throats and coughs and was used centuries ago to treat coughing, hoarseness and asthma by Ancient Greek and Egyptian physicians," he said.
Natural Health Remedy: The Benefits of Licorice Root
- (Best Health)
The health benefits of licorice root are astounding; it's time we stop thinking of it as a candy ingredient and start taking it seriously
- Learn about the health benefits of licorice root
When you think of licorice you probably think of a sweet red chewy candy stick, or maybe the anise-flavoured black licorice we all seem to either love or hate. A real old-fashioned licorice stick is actually the dried root of the licorice plant. Sink your teeth into one and what happens next just might surprise you.
Hidden inside is a super-sweet compound called glycyrrhizin. This and dozens more chemicals lend this ancient herb its healing medical potential. For thousands of years, licorice has had a well-deserved reputation for soothing irritations such as sore throats and upset tummies and relieving congestion. Now it appears it might also have other, yet more powerful properties, though there are a few downsides worth noting, too.
So what are some of the health benefits? Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is used to treat indigestion, hepatitis C, memory loss, cancer and skin infections. Traditionally it was used as treatment for stomach ulcers, heartburn, indigestion, toothache, fever, asthma, bronchitis and coughs, too.
- How to take licorice root as a supplement
Peeled licorice root is available in dried and powdered forms and as capsules, tablets and liquid extracts. The safest dose for most adults to get the full health benefits is 1 to 5 grams of licorice daily containing 1 to 10 milligrams of the active ingredient glycyrrhizin, for 4 to 6 weeks.
Note that in large amounts and in people with hypertension or heart, kidney or lung disease, licorice that contains glycyrrhizin can cause adverse reactions. Choosing deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL)’licorice with the glycyrrhizin removed’can lower the risk of serious side effects.
- Stomach protection
For a time, licorice was considered a natural and effective remedy for stomach ulcers, after Dutch physician FE Revers used it to treat his patients. Intrigued, researchers in the 1950s discovered that licorice compounds worked by triggering the release of stomach-protecting mucus and by protecting the stomach’s lining from the ravages of pepsin, a powerful digestive enzyme.
It has since been shown, however, that long-term exposure to the glycyrrhizin in licorice can boost blood pressure, cause water and sodium retention and lower levels of potassium in the body, making it unsafe for extended use.
And although researchers in India have experimented successfully with a safer, glycyrrhizin- free licorice to ease ulcer pain, today most people take antibiotics to wipe out the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers, and most scientists have switched their attention to other exciting healing possibilities in licorice.
- Stalling cancer
Can licorice stand up to cancer? A lab study conducted at India’s Roland Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2011 says yes. The compounds licochalcone-A, glabridin and licocoumarone halted the growth of or killed, breast cancer, prostate cancer and leukemia cells. Glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizic acid also put the brakes on the formation of tumours in skin, colon, liver, uterine and breast cancers.
This use of licorice has not been widely tested in humans, but one herbal prostate-cancer formula that contained licorice, PC-SPES (which is no longer available), was shown in human studies to slow the progression of some prostate cancers. Certainly, licorice is no substitute for conventional cancer therapy, but scientists think it has potential.
- Fighting infection
There are other health benefits being looked at into the future, too. It looks like licorice could be a mainstay in medicine’s arsenal of infection-fighters. A 2010 University of Texas study revealed that glycyrrhizin helps damaged skin create bacteria-fighting proteins called antimicrobial peptides, which are an important defense against infection. This could lead to treatments to counter antibiotic-resistant infections, such as those that sometimes occur in severe burns and can be fatal.
Perhaps most surprisingly, this sweet root could even be a dentist’s dream. Two licorice compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, have been shown, in lab studies, to kill off 2 major types of cavity-causing bacteria and 3 types of bacteria that fuel gum disease.
- Anti-stress and anti-inflammatory effects
Licorice may be good for the brain, too. During a 2004 study at the University of Edinburgh, older men took a licorice extract containing the compound carbenoxolone and their verbal memory and fluency (the ability to put thoughts into words), improved. Why is that? Carbenoxolone seems to help by inhibiting a brain enzyme that helps make stress hormones, which contribute to age-related brain changes. Scientists say more research is needed but that a growing stack of lab research backs licorice’s potential for memory enhancement. In a mouse study, for example, animals that received licorice extract excelled at learning and memory tests.
What does licorice root do in the body – 5 top benefits
- Source:https://ask.naij.com/health/what-does-licorice-root-do-in-the-body-5-top-benefits-i24491.html
- (Ask Naij)
- What useful licorice root properties do you know? Read the article to learn about all advantages of this remedy.
Licorice is one of the most unusual medical plants. Thanks to various curative properties Ancient Chinese healers included it in the list of 50 main medicinal herbs. Bright taste makes treatment process quite pleasant.
The main miracle part of licorice is its root. It is actively used as medicine and mean for maintenance of health.
- What does licorice root do?
Licorice root extract has a various chemical composition: vitamins, valuable elements and acids. It does it universal remedy.
This root strengthens capillaries and reduces their fragility, removes spasms, helps to clean various inflammations and accelerate regeneration of cells. Licorice properties strength immunity, help to struggle with allergy and infections and to resist to stresses more actively. Licorice also blocks pain and is successfully used in treatment of gastritis.
It is also successfully used in treatment of cough. Its medicinal properties help at pneumonia and bronchitis. In addition, licorice root tea is often used at treatment of stomach diseases.
- Where to buy licorice root?
Production of licorice root is rather widespread in Nigeria. You can buy it in a drugstore or order in online store.
- Licorice root benefits
Licorice root is one of the most popular food additives recommended for treatment and prevention of diseases of digestive tract. Researches note high efficiency of this natural product in maintenance of healthy digestion, stimulation of gastric juice and fast digestion of food, and also in prevention of heartburn.
The acid,
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