Licorice is a perennial herb whose root is used to flavor candy, foods and tobacco, and is sold as a supplement for digestive, respiratory and energy support. NCCIH notes that many "licorice" products in the US contain anise oil instead of real licorice.
Also known as: licorice root, liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra, glycyrrhizin, DGL, deglycyrrhizinated licorice.
Licorice has no intake value or upper limit. NCCIH says eating large amounts of licorice during pregnancy, about 250 grams a week, is unsafe.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
Evidence, per NCCIH: there is not enough high-quality evidence to clearly support licorice for any health condition. A licorice mouth rinse or gargle might reduce the size and pain of recurring canker sores, and a gargle or lozenge before surgery might help prevent a sore throat after a breathing tube. Evidence for eczema, burns and bad breath is preliminary, and it is unclear whether licorice alone helps digestive symptoms.
Safety: licorice is generally considered safe as a food ingredient, but its glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) can cause serious effects such as irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest, especially in large amounts or with long-term use. NCCIH says even small amounts have caused severe effects in people who eat a lot of salt or have high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease. A 2026 review (Yoshino) explains that licorice can cause low potassium and high blood pressure by blocking an enzyme (11β-HSD2), and that the dose alone does not predict who is affected. Products without glycyrrhizin (DGL) might be safe for up to 4 months. Interactions with corticosteroids have been reported.
We could not find a published half-life or time to peak for licorice that we could cite, so we do not list one.
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