16 Licorice Root Health Benefits

by Ely Jaehnig · Published November 13, 2018 · Updated December 10, 2020

The taste of licorice is not for everyone. That does not mean that if you find you are unable to stomach the taste that you cannot get the health benefits from it. Licorice root comes in a powder, tea, the root itself, and a liquid extract. So if you find that you cannot get behind the taste, you can use different ways to get the benefits.

The History of Licorice Root

The first signs of licorice root point to Nippur of the Babylonian Empire in 7,000 BC. The root has also been found in tombs of Egypt, in China, Greece, and the Netherlands. Licorice root, alongside cinnamon, were used as ways to fight off the plague. Licorice roots are still eaten today, though normally as a candy sweetener rather than a medicine.

Licorice Root Health Benefits

Licorice root, in its raw form, looks nothing like licorice candy

Respiratory System

Licorice, when taken orally as a supplement can drastically help the respiratory system. Most respiratory issues come from the production of the sticky mucus that comes with colds and asthma. Licorice root helps your body to make a healthy and clean phlegm that helps to clean out the old and keeps things moist out clogging up airways.

Stomach Calmer

The things that licorice can do for the stomach are amazing. It speeds up the healing time of stomach linings; stops heartburn and gastritis; heals food poisoning; and stomach ulcers.

Stress Relief

Adrenal and cortisol can be helpful at times, but other times your body needs a break because it stresses the body out to be constantly producing those. The licorice can relax the glands that produce the cortisol and adrenal so that your body can relax a bit.

Teeth and Skin

Licorice can fight off eczema because of its antibacterial compounds. The compounds also keep the mouth safe from different bacterias in the mouth that can cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum problems.

dry socket, dentist, teeth, tea tree oil

To sum it up, licorice root can help to ease many dental issues

Cancer

The American Cancer Society has been holding studies that have been starting show that licorice can be used in treating prostate and breast cancer. It is not only American groups that have been holding studies like this. In China, licorice is used in the treatment of most cancers.

Anti-Inflammatory

Licorice root stops inflammation and autoimmune disease symptoms, it keeps inflammation out of the brain and stops the death of neuron cells. Any ailment that involves swelling or bloating can also be treated with the use of licorice root.

Heart Health

With all of the anti-inflammatory help that licorice gives, it also protects the heart from high cholesterol and bad blood pressure levels. There are also antioxidants in the licorice that protects the heart’s tissue.

You should be mindful that you do not have too much licorice as it can increase the blood pressure and damage the heart.

Getting Rid of a Cold

Licorice root helps to clear your body of different phlegms and mucous membranes. It also helps to calm inflammation so that there is enough room for things to really get moving. Because the licorice gets rid of phlegm and inflammation, it is amazing for fighting off bronchitis.

Licorice root tea will work the best for colds and bronchitis

Immune Health

Licorice root has antioxidants that can kill off free radicals, HIV, hepatitis C, and influenza. With the immune system, licorice helps to fight off colds. It lessens phlegm production, gets mucus out faster, and calm inflammation in the throat.

Menopause and PMS

Licorice root has a bit of estrogen in it that helps to lessen the symptoms of menopause and the effects of PMS in women. The symptom that most women find is fixed is the hot flashes.

Lightens Dark Skin

You can boil the licorice root in water for about ten minutes and strain it after it cools. Once the licorice root water is ready, you want to apply the water to the area of skin that you want to be lightened. If you need or want, you can even just get creams or lotions that contain licorice root or you can add the powder to your own lotions and creams.

lighten dark skin, african american, woman, black

This home remedy works to lighten the overall skin tone of dark-skinned people, or to treat small dark patches

Cold Sores

Cold sores can be rather painful and or annoying. You can easily use licorice to ease away the cold sores because of its viral and inflammation compounds in it. Add licorice to your diet, you can mix a tablespoon of powdered licorice to petroleum jelly. You can also drink the tea if you wish.

Arthritis in the Hands

The anti-inflammatories in licorice can ease some of the pain that comes with arthritis. You can enjoy some tea, a cream or lotion that has licorice in it, or you can add the root to your meals.

Hay Fever

For hay fever, you are going to want the tea you make from the licorice root. The steam and heat of the tea is a big part of how this tea helps to alive the congestion. You just need to make the tea and drink it twice a day.

To make the tea, you just need a slice or two of the root and you need to boil it for about ten minutes. When the ten minutes are up, strain it, and let it cool enough that you cannot burn yourself on it, but drink it before it gets cold.

Stopping Hair Loss

Licorice root can be used to stop dandruff and hair loss and it is a pretty easy and fast fix, too. All you need to do is make a small amount of paste using a cup of milk, a teaspoon of saffron, and enough ground licorice to make it a paste. You need to apply the paste to your scalp, leave it there overnight (you can cover it up with a shower cap if you want) and wash it out in the morning.

Genital Warts

Genital warts can be painful, embarrassing, and contagious. If you apply some crushed up licorice to warts three times a week, warts should go away pretty quickly.

Try adding licorice root extract to a bath to easily wash the area affected by genital warts

Licorice can be rather strong, so by no means do you want to have too much of the root in any of its forms. It is suggested that you do not have more than 30 mg/mL a day because of the glycyrrhizic acid. Having too much of the acid can poorly affect you rather than helping you.

Too much licorice can weaken the muscles in the body by deploying them of potassium; it can mess with metabolism and increase fluid retention; it can raise blood pressure, cause irregular heartbeats, and swelling.