Licorice

Glycyrrhiza glabra

Licorice and its unique properties

This self-growing herb is native to Asia, North Africa, and southern Europe. Licorice root has brown and black skin and yellow core and has medicinal properties. The herb has 5 to 6 brown seeds and bluish flowers.

The herb has four to seven pairs of leaves and a leaflet which are sticky due to the secretion of a special kind of sap.

Licorice Ingredients

• Glycyrrhizin is the major component of licorice which turns into two molecules of water and glucuronic acid and glycyrrhetinic under hydrolysis condition.
• Glyceric acid, which is 50 times sweeter than sugar, is another ingredient of licorice. The amount of Glyceric in the herb varies between 5 to 20 percent, depending on the plant kind and environmental conditions. The Glyceric increases with age.
• Isoflavones and flavonoids
• Coumarins and strudels
• Terpenoids
• Starch and volatile oils
• Amino acids and lignin
• Amines and waxes
• Sugars such as glucose and sucrose

Extraordinary medicinal properties of licorice

As mentioned above, the taste of licorice can vary depending on the herb kind. For example, the Greek sweet is said to have a bitter taste, while the Spanish herb has a milder taste. The following are among the medicinal properties of the herb:

• The dried and abraded root of the herb has expectorant properties. The Hindus have used it in a special medicine called Jasti Mado.
• Having antimicrobial properties, it is used in toothpaste and mouthwash as an anti-decay agent.
• Antispasmodic and anti-muscle cramps
• Treating bronchitis, rheumatism, and swollen joints
• Used in cough syrup.
• having laxative and diuretic properties
• Used as a topical antiviral drug for eyes, ulcers, shingles, mouth, and genital ulcers.
• Helping with the digestive system, while treating ulcers, stomach swelling and duodenum and preventing gastric cancer
• Helping with bloating and indigestion
• Affecting the body’s endocrine system, while lowering blood testosterone levels. However, its effect on testosterone has not yet been studied.
• A skin brightener and anti- Some cosmetic creams usually contain the herb.