The applications of licorice in the West are different from the East. In Chinese medicine, licorice usually is used as antidote; while in western medicine, licorice usually is used as expectorant and antitussive.

Licorice benefits from the point of view of western medicine

Modern medicine has confirmed that licorice has a very good function of detoxification, which can eliminate and reduce the toxicity of ammonium chloride, histamine, chloral hydrate, benzene, arsenic and mercury etc., as well as certain detoxification for puffer fish poison, venom, diphtheria toxin, and tetanus toxin.

They also prove that licorice benefits in treatments of all sorts of coughs, and inhibits the secretion of gastric acid, thus, to some extent, benefits the treatment of gastrointestinal ulcer disease.

Licorice can also reduce the cholesterol in patients with high blood pressure. And licorice benefits as well in analgesic and anti-seizure.

In addition, according to the medical study by scientists from Japanese and U.S.A., they found that glycyrrhizin in licorice can inhibit the reproduction of HIV, in which the inhibitory rate reached 78%. And test proved that glycyrrhizin can kill the cells infected with HIV.

Licorice benefits from the point of view of Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine thinks that licorice is of sweet nature, neutral in property and enters meridians of spleen, stomach and lung. Specifically, licorice benefits as follows:

1. Licorice benefits in the treatments of symptoms such as deficiency of heart Qi, palpitation, irregularly intermittent pulse, as well as deficiency of spleen-stomach Qi, and fatigue.

Usually the former symptoms can be treated by licorice along with Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus) etc., such as the formulas of Gui Zhi Gan Cao Tang and Zhi Gan Cao Tang.

The latter symptoms can be treated by licorice in the combination with Dang Shen (Codonopsis pilosula), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizomz) etc., such as the formulas of Si Jun Zi Tang and Li Zhong Tang etc.

2. Licorice benefits in the treatments of ulcers, sore throat and so on. Licorice can be used alone, internal or external, or combine with other drugs.

For the treatment of ulcers, licorice works very often together with Jin Yin Hua (Lonicerae Flos) and Lian Qiao (Forsythiae Fructus) etc to clear heat-toxicity, such as the formula of Xian Fang Huo Ming Yin.

For the treatment of sore throat, licorice usually accompanies with Jie Geng (Platycodi Radix), such as the formula of Jie Geng Tang.

For the treatment of poisoning by pesticides or food, licorice is often boiled in water along with mung bean and Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae Radix).

3. Licorice benefits in the treatment of asthmatic cough. Licorice can be used alone, or works with other drugs, such as the following formulas:

• Er Chen Tang treats cough by dampness-phlegm;
• Ling Gan Wu Wei Jiang Xin Tang treats asthmatic cough by cold-phlegm;
• Sang Xing Tang treats cough by dryness-phlegm;
• Jie Geng Tang treats purulent sputum by lung carbuncle due to the interior accumulation of heat-toxicity;
• Gan Cao Gan Jiang Tang treats coughing up watery phlegm.

4. Licorice benefits in the treatments of stomach pain, abdominal pain and acute gastrocnemius pain. Licorice, combined with Shao Yao (Paeoniae Radix), can significantly enhance the efficacy in stopping pain, such as the formula of Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang.

5. Licorice benefits in reconciliation with the intense property of some certain drugs. For instance, licorice eases the violence of purgation by Da Huang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) and Mang Xiao (Natrii Sulfas), as well as eases the stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, licorice can be used often in many prescriptions to reconcile various drugs.

Licorice side effects

Licorice side effects include as follows:

• Licorice has the side effects of encouraging dampness and stagnation of Qi, so licorice should not be used in those with excessive dampness and edema;
• If people take large doses, or a small amount of licorice in a long run, the side effects of licorice can lead about 20% of them to edema, feeble limbs, cramps and numbness, dizziness, headache, high blood pressure, hypokalemia and other adverse reactions; at the same time, too much potassium loss caused by hypokalemia can result in cardiac arrhythmia and muscle weakness; the elderly and those with cardiovascular disease and kidney patients prone to cause high blood pressure and congestive heart disease.
• Long-term use of glycyrrhizin can cause lactating in women who are not in lactation.

As a herbal drug, licorice has its own benefits and side effects. But it is up to us to help licorice benefits play its role, rather than its side effects.

Why licorice root is so important?

• Licorice root is of sweet nature and work to
• Licorice root invigorate spleen-stomach and replenish Qi;
• Licorice root clear heat-toxicity;
• Licorice root moisten lung for removing phlegm;
• Licorice root harmonize miscellaneous properties of herbs;
• Licorice root relieve emergency and stop pain.

Chen Xiu Yuan (1753~1823), a famous herbalist in Qing Dynasty, ever had an insightful view about Treatise on Febrile Diseases by Zhang Zhong Jing. He said:

“The key to decode Treatise on Febrile Diseases was that Zhang Zhong Jing liked to use sweet-natured herbs due to stomach Qi was the priority concern for any diseases. And licorice root was the most important sweet-natured herb to invigorate spleen-stomach and replenish Qi. “

Spleen and stomach are the source of energy for the whole human body. As long as stomach Qi remains, one can survive. On the contrary, if stomach Qi loses, one must die. So the least thing we may do is to ruin the stomach Qi during any therapies with Chinese medicine. This is the utmost principle we must follow anytime, anywhere.

Licorice root’s history

In China, licorice root was first documented in “Er Ya” B.C.200. And the using licorice root as medicine was found in the book of “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic” in the Han Dynasty, in which licorice root was regarded as one of the top grade drugs.

Licorice root in “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic”

“Licorice root rules all pathogenic cold-heat in five visceras and six organs, strengthens bones and tendons, grows muscles, increases strength, and remove toxicity for eliminate carbuncles.”

Licorice root in “Ming Yi Bie Lu”

Licorice root is fairy grass, honey grass, the teacher of the king, and is rated as the “king of medicines.”

Licorice root by Zhen Quan

Zhen Quan, a famous doctor in Tang dynasty, claimed:

“Licorice root rules 72 kinds of toxicities from milk stone, treats 1200 kinds of toxicities from vegetation.”

Licorice root by “Tu Jing Ben Cao” by Su Song in Song Dynasty

“In the area of Huguang in China, people there always travel with a few pieces of licorice root for contingencies. They usually just try a small amount of food first, and then chew licorice root to test. If they do not vomit, it indicates that the food is safe and can enjoy it boldly.
In the area of Jiangzhe, people there always tie a piece of licorice root on the baby’s wrist, which is allowed to be sucked because licorice root is sweet and harmless. “

Licorice root’s alias

There are a lot of alias for licorice root in China, such as honey grass, sweet grass, beauty grass, elf grass, pink grass etc., among them the alias of Guo Lao (the teacher of the king) is the most special one.

Tao Hong Jing, a famous physician in Qi Liang period of Nan dynasty, said:

“Licorice root is the king of the herbs, which can be seen in almost all classical formulas. Guo Lao is the respectful title of the teacher of the king. Guo Lao is not the king, but the king’s knowledge is from him.”

“Raw licorice root can clear fire, and prepared licorice root can dispel superficies cold, relieve the emergency as well as ordinary syndrome, and harmonize various drugs to make them not fight to each others.”

Li Shi Zhen ever said:

“Given that licorice root can reconcile various drugs, it is acclaimed as the name of ‘Guo La’.”

The story about licorice root

In the Ming Dynasty, there was an imperial physician named Sheng Yin, who was the favorite physician of Emperor Renzong and Xuanzong. One morning, Sheng Yin entered into the Royal pharmacy, and all of a sudden he had headache and dizziness and fell to the ground. Other imperial physicians were panic because they did not know what caused it.

Then the emperor ordered to collect physicians outside the court for the treatment. One folk herbalist recommended himself and dispensed a dose of decoction to Sheng Yin. And Sheng Yin was revived just after a while. The emperor was quite surprised and asked what magic drugs he used. The herbalist then replied that: “Due to Sheng Yin did not eat breakfast that day and his stomach Qi was too weak to resist the steaming of drugs odors and therefore he fainted because of the toxicity of miscellaneous drugs. The only drug can clear toxicity of miscellaneous drugs is licorice root. So I just boiled the sole licorice root decoction to him and it is not magic drug.” The emperor immediately asked Sheng Yin, and indeed he did not eat breakfast.

And the emperor bestowed a lot of money and gifts to this experienced folk herbalist.

Licorice root is not magic drug, but it can play a magic role in Chinese medicine treatments if using licorice root properly. Actually our ancient herbalists had been telling us about that all the time.