Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Anti-inflammatory, Adrenal Tonic, Mucoprotective, Demulcent, Anti-ulcer, Expectorant & Anti-tussive, Mild Laxative, Anti-viral, Anticariogenic (protective against dental caries) 

Historical Uses of Licorice

Gastrointestinal Tract: Effective for peptic ulceration, gastro-esophageal reflux (GER), gastritis, ulcers, reduction of gastric acids, heals ulcerated areas and eases spasms in the large intestines. Gentle laxative, enhances bile production and flow.
Adrenal: Adrenal exhaustion, stress, poor mineral absorption, withdrawal from corticosteroid drugs. Licorice has a strong adrenal effect, partially because it extends cortisol’s half life. However, an excess of cortisol is not necessarily an ideal treatment for long-term adrenal fatigue or general inflammation. Other adrenal herbs, such as Borage, have less of a cortisol-effect, and are sometimes superior depending on the case. For a bit of context: there is an entire pharmaceutical variety of drugs called NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Ant-Inflammatory Drugs), which came into vogue as anti-inflammatory drugs because of the extremely detrimental long-term effects of corticosteroid drugs dispensed by the medical community previously. Corticosteroid drugs were highly effective short-term for their anti-inflammatory effects, resulting in less pain, more energy, and general well-being overall; but their function was essentially due to the increase of synthetic cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which activates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system. Activating the sympathetic nervous system makes you strong and vital, but the reason some people feel chronic pain at all times is because the body, in a parasympathetic rhythm, is attempting to heal, detoxify, and resolve chronic issues in the body. If you’re attacked by a bear, cortisol is activated, and you won’t feel your regular chronic pain so as to escape. But taking cortisol long-term disrupts the natural rhythm of your nervous system and will likely lead to long-term problems, despite its immediate relief of multiple symptoms. Licorice is a much more nuanced, gentle, and intelligent medicine than a pharmaceutical corticosteroid, and whether it would even be problematic long-term is questionable, but theoretically the activation of sympathetic cortisol (or, rather, the increased half-life), could lead to a disruption and suppression of the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” portion of the ANS (autonomic nervous system). Licorice is a great herb for first-time herb users due to its strong effect, as well as the above-mentioned actions, but it is a nuanced and specific adrenal herb for certain cases, where other adrenal herbs could be preferred long-term. To clarify, I love licorice and use it all the time for myself and clients, but theoretically there are better herbs for long-term adrenal support. 

Respiratory: Is both soothing and expectorant, which is likely why it is such a popular and effective cold remedy. It makes the patient feel better and addresses the root cause of the ailment simultaneously (mucus).
Gynaecological: PCOS (reduces LH, reduce facial hair growth (hirsutism), reduce testosterone levels) , infertility, dysmenorrhea, muscle cramps, chronic pelvic pain, cervical dysplasia.
Topical use: eczema, recurrent mouth ulcers, shingles, chicken pox, cold-sores.

 

 

Contraindicated in hypertension, edema, pregnancy.

Consult an herbalist before using this herb if you are on pharmaceuticals. Due to the complex relationship between licorice’s cortisol-effects and sodium-retention effects, many pharmaceutical drugs are conflicting.

Cultivation of Licorice

There are fourteen species of licorice, glycyrrhiza glabra, glandulifera, and echinata being the most used for medicine, though others are useful as well to varying degrees of efficacy. Licorice grows best on sandy soil near streams, and is not often found more than 50 feet from water. It does not like clay; prefers rich, fine soil in river valleys, because there is an abundance of moisture during the growing period, and the ground bakes hard during the later summer months, when the dry heat is conducive to the formulation of its sweet constituents. Licorice succeeds best in warmer climates, and it is said that where oranges grow, licorice does well too. It will still grow in cooler climates, but the wood will become more woody and lack some of the desired juices in cultivation.

To grow licorice is quite easy and profitable (particularly in ideal climate). The root goes 2-3 feet deep, and thus the soil should be rich and fertile 3 feet down (it likes rich soil), use manure to enhance the soil as needed. Plant in February and March. Mostly you want to collect the taproot for making medicine, as it is richest in constituents, but there are also side-runners (stolons). To propagate, take the previous years stolons, cut to about a 6 inch length, with at least one “eye”, and dibble them into the ground, 3 or 4 feet apart, 4 inches underneath, and 18 inches between rows. Dress with 40 tons of farmyard manure per acre. During the first two years the growth is minimal, and the intervening space can be used for potatoes, cabbage, or other crops for a time (they should grow well due to the luxuriant manure used to grow the licorice, and due to the nitrogen-fixing nature of licorice). After the second year, the licorice will cover the entire area and exclude all other growth. You may procure a better root if you stop the flowers from budding or producing fruit, as this drains the sweet substance of the sap.

Harvest in the autumn of the fourth year, remove the entire plant including 2-3 feet of root entirely. Both the runners and roots can be sold/used medicinally; sell the hard “hard” runners; the “young/soft” runners are reserved for propagation. Average yield per acre is 4-5 tons. The same ground yields a crop every 3-4 years. Third year growth is deficient in sweet properties, but after the fourth year the texture becomes tough, woody, and inferior.

Historically licorice has been used for many purposes, but primarily it was used for soothing and expectorating a cough, cold, or more chronic progressions of a cold (e.g. tuberculosis). This remains a popular use, as it is a demulcent, expectorant, and febrifuge simultaneously, which makes for a great cold remedy. The demulcent properties of licorice also serve a similar purpose in the gut, easing stomach pain, healing ulcers, and reducing the inflammation of the gastric mucosa. But licorice has even more nuanced and powerful uses. Licorice is a powerful and somewhat stimulating adrenal herb. The function of the adrenals intertwines with the functioning of almost every other part of the body – including its deep effect on the kidneys (those detoxifying organs), which affects the entire body due to their ability to excrete metabolic waste. Due to this intricate connection, the use of licorice can exacerbate hypertension due to the retention of sodium in the kidneys which can lead to edema, and for cases of high blood pressure or heart problems licorice is best avoided until a greater state of vascular health is reached. Licorice also possesses complex estrogenic properties, and intelligently benefits a myriad of gynaecological concerns, including PCOS and infertility. This herb is also a powerful and effective addition to many herbal formulas; it enhances sweetness, balances more brutish herbs, and is considered synergistic, enhancing the effects of the other herbs in a blend.