Guest guest Posted March 4, 2005 Report Share Posted March 4, 2005 LICORICE -- The Legendary Herb We have used licorice for many years in our practice and still use it in our formulas on the market today. To assure the reader that this herb is not a new discovery, let me repeat statements found in other authors' works. The first is from Ethan Nebelkopf's book, Herbal Connection (Bi World Publishers). "In the depths of King Tut's tomb (a pyramid, no less) were found sticks of dried licorice. To the Egyptians, the sweet-tasting licorice root was a cure-all in much the same manner in which the Chinese related to Ginseng. "Licorice is particularly good for sore throats and coughs. It is extremely soothing to the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. It also has been used as a folk remedy to heal peptic ulcers because of its soothing demulcent properties. Another common use of licorice is an expectorant to bring forth and expel phlegm for minor respiratory problems." "...three active chemical agents found in licorice, glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid and glycerrhitimic acid... have been proven effective through research in healing gastric ulcers. As previously mentioned, some research indicates that licorice extract contains powerful principles which can help restore normal adrenal functions in persons with 's disease and in people who suffer from adrenal exhaustion." (Herbal Connection pg. 67) There has been a good deal of modern research on licorice, especially on the relationship between its active ingredients, glycyrrhizin, and cortisone, as well as the effect of glycyrrhizin on adrenal functions and arthritis. Cold licorice tea is used in place of water in many European industries, especially in iron and steel mills, where workers must endure considerable heat. Licorice has been used for centuries as a confection and because of its saponin content it is an effective soother of various internal pains. It is helpful for alleviating such ailments as inflamed stomachs, bronchitis, sore throat, coughs, irritation of the bowel and kidney, and indigestion. In Denmark, experiments have shown licorice to be very effective for treating duodenal and peptic ulcers. Southern Europeans drink large amounts of licorice water because they believe it to be a blood purifier. The Chinese have used herbs for thousands of years and I would like to recite an item or two from Chinese Medicinal Herbs compiled by Li Shih-Chen, translated and researched by F. Porter , M.D. and G. A. Stuart, M.D. and printed by town Press, San Francisco. "Glycyrrhiza (Kantsao and Kuo-lao). This last name is applied to the plant on account of its great virtues as a remedy. The drug is very highly prized by the Chinese and enters into the composition of very many prescriptions. The most common species that supply the Chinese licorice root are Glycyrrhiza echinata and Glycyrrhiza glabra, both of which are found growing plentifully in Northern China. Quantities are also brought from Mongolia, especially from the region about Kokonor. "In fact, the plant seems to grow extensively throughout the regions of Central Asia. The root is commonly sold in long pieces, dry, wrinkled, and red on the surface, and yellow, fibrous, and tough on the interior. The last is disagreeably sweet and slightly mucilaginous. It stands next to ginseng in importance of Chinese pharmacy, being the great corrective agent and harmonizing ingredient in a large number of recipes. Like most celebrated Chinese drugs, it is credited with the property of rejuvenating those who consume it for a long time. The roots, twigs, and efflorescence are used in medicine. It is used to allay thirst, feverishness, pain, cough and distress of breathing. It is especially prescribed for children, and is used in a large number of their maladies, but as it is usually exhibited in combination with other herbs, it can readily be understood why purely imaginary virtues should be ascribed to it. Locally it is applied, mixed with honey to burns, boils, and other sores. The properties ascribed to the twigs and flowers do not differ in any essential respect from those ascribed to the root." Here are the thoughts and opinions of a few of the many other herbalists who vouch for licorice and not against it. LICORICE ROOT -- A Legacy From The Ancients Many of the herbs we use today have fascinating histories, some of which reach far back into the dark recesses of antiquity. Licorice is one such herb. The fact, legend, and lore of many herbs has been preserved only through oral tradition, writings, or the rerecording of the ancient history of herbs, especially during the Middle Ages when quite a number of books were written on the subject of herbal medicine. We have come across numerous references to licorice, a popular herb for the past three thousand years. It is our intention to present the most interesting information on licorice to you in this newsletter, along with our personal success with the honorable root. Licorice is known by the scientific name Glycyrrhiza glabra. The word "licorice" is a popular simplification of two Greek words, glykys, meaning "sweet", and rhiza, meaning "root". The licorice root contains glycyrrhizic acid which is approximately 50 times sweeter than sugar. It is the root that is used for all practical purposes. This root penetrates deep into the fertile soil which contains nourishing minerals unobtainable by plants growing near the surface of the earth. BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION Licorice is a perennial herb belonging to the Legume family, Leguminosae. The legumes include peas, beans, alfalfa, and peanuts. The plants of this family have what is known as nitrogen-fixing bacteria on their roots. These minute forms of life are able to use nitrogen directly from the air. Licorice has a pale green, round stem which above the ground branches at the height of one foot into two smaller branches. The smaller branches are approximately 1/2 foot long and give nourishment to single leaves. The stems are erect and herbaceous. They arise from a thick rhizome known as the crown. The plant usually reaches a total height of about 4 to 5 feet. The leaves are alternate and consist of from 4 to 7 pairs of dark green, ovate, blunt, smooth leaflets that are sticky on their underside. The flowers range in color from yellow-white to purplish-blue and are arranged in axillary racemes. The roots which extend into the ground from a branching rhizome are called stolons. The stolons are slender, cylindrical, brown and wrinkled longitudinally on the outer surface and yellowish on the inside. Licorice enjoys fertile, sandy or clay soil near a river or stream where enough water is available for the plant to flourish in the wild, or under cultivation where it can be irrigated when necessary. Licorice root is native to Greece, Asia Minor, Spain, Southern Italy, Syria, Iraq, Caucasian and Transcaspian Russia and Northern China. We import most of our licorice from these countries. The amount of licorice grown in the United States is not enough to keep up our demands for the herb in commercial medicinal preparations and the candy industry. Licorice root was cultivated in Italy as early as the 13th Century, AD, and in England as early as the 16th Century, AD Licorice is a valuable asset to industry. It is employed in pipe tobacco and snuff flavorings. Candy manufacturers have flavored confections for years with the licorice juice. The remaining fibrous residue after the essentials (the juices) have been extracted is used in fire extinguishers, in insulated mill board, and for mushroom compost. THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LICORICE ROOT Licorice root contains saponins. These are substances which produce bubbles when shaken with water. It is the saponins (detergent-like action) that loosen the phlegm in the respiratory tract, so that the body can expel the mucus. They also increase the body's utilization of calcium and silicon. Flavinoids substances which are responsible for the yellow color of the root as well as for the health of the arteries are also present in the root. Glycyrrhizin, a sweet white crystalline powder composed of the calcium and potassium salts of glycyrrhizic acid is one of the main constituents of the herb. According to Dr. Shook, licorice root contain sugar, starch, gum, protein, fat, resin, asparagin (which contains 12“% nitrogen due to the nitrogen fixing bacteria on the nodules of the roots of a legumes), a trace of tannin in the outer bark of the root, and a volatile oil. The amount of glycyrrhizi in the extract varies from 5 to 24% and the amount of moisture varies from 8 to 17%. Dr. 's laboratory tests on a sample of licorice root reveals the chemical constituents to be as follows: Moisture 4.7% Protein 5.5% Fat 0.8% Fiber 19.7% Ash 6.7% Carbohydrate 39.2% Calcium 0.67% Phosphorus 0.39% Potassium 0.66% Sodium 0.09% Iron 0.0006% Traces of Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Chlorine, and Magnesium. Some Calcium and Potassium is present as salts of glycerrhizic acid. Additional components include glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhizine (7.1%), asparagine (3.3%), sugars, resins, starch (29.6%), gums, tannin (trace), glycerrhetinic acid, sodium salt of carbenoxolonic acid, glycyrrmarine, and glycerrhentic acid. MEDICINAL AND THERAPEUTIC USES FOR LICORICE Licorice is an aperient (mild laxative), an expectorant tonic, alterative, demulcent, emmenagogue, emollient, pectoral, stimulant, sialagogue, anti-inflammatory agent, and nourishing herb. Licorice is extremely soothing to the mucous membranes. It is unequalled in the treatment of coughs or inflammations of the respiratory tract. It lubricates, soothes, and heals inflamed, mucous-secreting tissues. The root is excellent as a stool softener or mild laxative especially for children because it does not cause gripping of the intestine as the other cathartic herbs are known to do. Its sweet, pleasant taste and mild action make licorice root a desirable laxative herb for children and delicate folks whose weakened bowel could not withstand the quick and drastic purge of the cathartic. In gastric or bowel irritations, licorice acts as an anti-flammatory substance. Licorice is recommended by many herbal sources for cases of hemorrhoids or an otherwise inflamed intestinal tract. There is herbal and medical evidence that licorice has been successfully used to heal gastric ulcers. We will go into this subject a little later. Licorice is also administered for coughs and sore throats. In fact, much of the licorice we import here in the U.S. is included in commercial cough preparations. Remember the old Brothers' cough drops? They came in a licorice flavor for many generations, but unfortunately contained sugar as well as the soothing licorice. Some of the other medicinal uses for the herb are treatments of hoarseness, laryngitis, wheezing, labored breathing, almost all lung and chest disorders, bronchial conditions, bowel or urinary tract complaints, and skin inflammations (used externally as a wash). Licorice also exhibits a cortisone-like action and some female hormone-estrogenic activity. Millspaugh (1892) considers licorice not as a medicine but as an adjunct to prescriptions. This is, in part, true, for licorice has frequently been added to a compound containing substances of a bitter nature to render it more palatable. We know, however, that licorice root is much more than just a sweetener. Licorice has been reported to prevent thirst. According to the illustrious Dr. Shook, the thirst-allaying property does not exist in the sweet juice, but in the bitter principle that remains after the sweet juice is chewed out of the root. The bitter principle acts upon the salivary glands to remove thirst. Shook also points out that the above information is extremely important in dropsy cases where the patient may experience inordinate thirst. Licorice can be administered as a tea, as powder in tablets or capsules, as a tincture, a syrup, or concentrated liquid extract. As mentioned previously, the washed and dried raw roots may be chewed as is. In fact, some of the roots that are more solid and will not splinter make excellent, natural "teething rings" or pacifiers for the baby. Dr. Shook suggests a good basic formula for a decoction of licorice roots: 4 oz. licorice root (cut) 3 pints distilled water 4 oz. pure vegetable glycerine Simmer the roots in water slowly for 20 minutes. Strain off the liquid. Simmer liquid again until the volume is reduced to three-fourths of a pint. Add 4 oz. pure vegetable glycerine and mix well. Cool the compound and bottle. Usually dark, tightly stoppered bottles are best. Store in a cool place. The doses may vary from a tablespoon to a wineglass full, 3 or 4 times a day. Children may have a teaspoon to a tablespoon 3 or 4 times a day, depending upon their age. It would be well to note that there are several types of glycerine on the market, all with the designation, " U.S.P., or United States Pharmaceutical (quality)." One is the pure vegetable variety, the only kind we recommend. Oftentimes it is sold as "Kosher." Others are made from animal or synthetic (mineral) sources. The last two are poison to the human system. Avoid them. HISTORY OF THE MEDICINAL USES OF LICORICE Archaeological evidence reveals that licorice roots were mentioned in some ancient Assyrian tablets dating from the third millennium before the present. In the old Egyptian pyramids, tombs of the pharaohs yielded licorice roots; large amounts of the root were found among the valuables in the tomb of King Tut (1345 BC). This practice of leaving licorice for the departing would guarantee that royalty would have plenty of their favorite drink, Mai sus, which is popular among Egyptians today. Twitchell, in his book, Herbs The Magic Healers, (1971), states that licorice root was introduced into Egypt for medicine by one of Eckankar's ancient masters, Gopal Das. Eckankar is the ancient science of soul travel. Almost all of the ancient earthly civilizations knew of and used licorice root. Among the list: Ancient Hindus of India, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and the older cultures of Europe and Asia. The therapeutic value of the herb varied from expectorant to restorer of sexual vigor. The Chinese associated the root with longevity and rejuvenation. Dioscorides, an herbal physician who traveled with the army of the Great, and who wrote an herbal describing the medicinal value of over 500 plants, advised the troops to carry and chew licorice root in order to allay their thirst when water was scarce on their long marching campaigns. Here are a few quotes from Dioscorides: "...grows much in Cappadocia and Pontus...roots...like those of Gentian somewhat bitter, sweetish, which are juiced as Lycium is...But ye juice is good for ye shapenesses of ye Arterie, but they must put it under ye tongue to let it melt. It is good likewise for ye burning of ye stomach & for ye griefs in ye throax & ye liver & ye scables vesicae, and kidney griefs. Briefs drank with Passum, & melted in ye mouth it is a quencher of thirst, and healer of wounds being anointed about, & being chewed it is good for ye stomach, & ye decoction of new roots is good for the same. But the dry root being beaten small is a fit sprinkling for ye Pterygia." Licorice is mentioned by the Roman writers Oribasius and Marcellus in the fourth century. Hippocrates, during the 5th century, BC, writes of the uses of licorice for prevention of thirst in dropsy and diabetes. Theophratus, known as "The Father of Botany" for his work on plants says that "The sweet Scythian root is good for asthma, dry cough, and all pectoral diseases." The Scythians were an ancient nomadic people who traveled on horseback in the steepes of Central Asia. Theophratus, a student of Plato and Aristotle reports that the Scythians were able to go as long as 12 days without water because they chewed on licorice root and ate mare's cheese. Licorice root was essential to the Arabic alchemists of the Middle Ages. The sweet root has been cultivated for centuries in England near Pontefract Castle beginning with the reign of Henry III. It was said to have been started by the Black Friars. The subsequent inhabitants of the castle have carried on the tradition to this day, although the garden has gone into neglect because of the heavy labor required to harvest the roots and the availability of imported licorice root. The Pontefract Castle only yields about one-half what it did in the old days. Pontefract licorice is said to be very sweet, more so than the European roots. The dark processed confections known in England as Pontefract cakes are sold to this very day. They are lozenges that are stamped with a picture of the castle. They were once seen in practically every chemist's shop in England. Both Chaucer and Shakespeare mention licorice in their classes. Later English herbals refer to licorice quite often, including the well known herbalist of the 16th century, M. Gerard, and another of the 17th century, Nicolas Culpeper. Gerard states that licorice grew plentifully in the famous "Physic garden" in London. Nineteenth century botanic physicians, both European and American, knew the virtues of the licorice root, and used it extensively in their practices. Licorice as a medicine was included in the early U.S. Pharmacopoeias and Materia Medicas, and still is today. Modern textbooks on pharmacognosy usually mention the active principles of licorice as being useful in the treatment of ulcers. One text, interestingly enough, states that peptic ulcers could possibly arise from the "formation of adherent mucus on the gastric mucosa." These sources also mention that licorice is a mild expectorant, and its cortisone-like substance may prove helpful in the treatment of 's disease and arthritis. It is also customarily added to bitter laxative preparations, and used to coat pills. MEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION WITH LICORICE During the second World War, a Dutch family physician by the name of F. E. Revers observed that his ulcer patients were recovering extremely rapidly and well. Upon further investigation into the causes of this phenomenon, he found that a local Netherlands pharmacist had supplied all of them with a compound that contained 40% powdered licorice root. Revers then began to prescribe licorice for ulcers regularly, and then waited to see the results. Although the licorice helped cure the ulcers, the formula caused sodium retention, hypertension, and even cardiac asthma in 20% of his cases. These effects were eliminated by the reduction of the licorice extract dosage. He then concluded that licorice had a cortisone-like action which accelerated the healing of chronic gastric ulcers. The diet of the patients were not considered, especially in the light of the mucusless diet, and the subjects were probably on the standard ulcer patient diet. During the middle ages licorice was often taken to counter-balance the effects of highly spiced and overcooked food, fat, and most probably contaminated meats and meat dishes. May we also mention here the still-prevalent Medieval custom of overeating as well as washing down the food with copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. The advent of inorganic drugs did much to retard the progress of the investigation and evolution of the contemporary natural healers such as licorice root. The rising medical profession would often overlook an old remedy in favor of a more "sophisticated" synthetic--they would not want to be found guilty of practicing "folk medicine." There arose a controversy regarding the value of licorice, and as one authority put it, "once the experts--at least the medical ones, disagree in public--it is difficult for the truth to penetrate the haze of the battle." The issue of the cortisone-like action of licorice was taken up in several medical journal articles during the 1950's after Rever's original "discovery", but was dropped because of the above principle. We will summarize some of their findings here, however, for they supplement first hand, empirical evidence of the efficacy of licorice root in situations where the steroid-cortin substance was needed by the human body. In The New England Journal of Medicine, March 29, 1951, there appeared an article by several Dutch M.D.s who carried Rever's research a few steps beyond the ulcer. The title of the article: "Extract of Licorice for the Treatment of 's Disease." Addision's disease is a dysfunction of the adrenal glands in some cases due to tuberculosis of the adrenals. In one instance, a patient's symptoms included weakness, loss of weight, lowered blood pressure, increase in blood nitrogen level, and a potassium level increase. The patient was given a dose of sodium chloride (which we consider inorganic and poison in that form, of course) and the symptoms remained basically unchanged. A treatment was started using DOCA (desoxycorticosterone acetate), but after 8 days, the patient displayed signs of DOCA overdosage. His weakness was replaced with a feeling of tightness in the chest in addition to migraine headaches and shortness of breath. His neck veins became swollen, his heart was enlarged, and other undesirable symptoms were present. The DOCA was reduced, the sodium chloride was administered again and after 6 days the patient was given a 25% solution of extract of licorice in water as an addition to the medication. After the licorice extract was added, the sodium-potassium balance of the patient became more stable. The DOCA was soon withdrawn and the licorice root extract was withdrawn, the biochemical disturbances reappeared in the patient. Oral licorice therapy was continued and the patient maintained his desirable mineral equilibrium. The conclusion of the clinical findings is that licorice extract contained a substance processing DOCA-like action that can be effective when administered orally. Other patients were treated with licorice extract and the results were reported in original articles in medicinal journals such as the Journal of American Medical Association, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. In most of the articles which appeared during the early 1950's, it was agreed upon that licorice definitely had cortisone-like properties. The interesting facts are these, however. Many of the licorice extracts used in the experiments have been obtained by the method of boiling the roots or otherwise treating them with inorganic chemicals. The licorice used was often no longer in its wholesome, organic state. Patients in the tests were often given varying doses of sodium chloride or some other accompanying inorganic drugs. In many cases where licorice was blamed for hypertension, the licorice in question was licorice candy. One subject suffered adverse symptoms from eating about 1/2 pound of licorice candy daily for about 6 or 7 years. Some of the authors admit to the inconsistency of the "black licorice extract" which they imported for their research, and this would produce varying effects in some patients. Some of the experiments concluded that licorice is capable of producing water, sodium and chloride retention in normal individuals. Often the conductors of the experiments used the isolated active principle of licorice, glycyyrrhetic acid, instead of the herb in its wholesome state. Most of the sodium retention was caused by the glycyrrhizic acid "purified from the crude licorice extract (boiling licorice extract) as an ammonium salt." Two to 5 mg. of this substance administered daily caused great sodium retention and mild potassium diuresis. We can thank the Good Lord that we are not afraid to use licorice in its wholesome state, as well as know the benefits of the mucusless diet and live foods. As the standard edition out of medical school, even the most meticulous M.D. is not trained very well in the field of diet and nutrition. Neither are most of the hospital dieticians. Add this to the devastating effects of inorganic substances (an idea which Dr. Shook made clear to a handful of dedicated physicians after World War II) and one could easily invalidate the data obtained from many of the so called scientific experiments. The important conclusion of most of the medical journal articles, however, is that licorice does exhibit cortisone-like activity and can nourish the adrenals if there is some healthy tissue remaining in these organs. A substance known as carbenoxolone has been synthesized from the active principle of licorice, glycyrrhizin. This substance has been used by medical science to aid in the healing of gastric ulcers. The gastric ulcers are those that are in the stomach itself, and because carbenoxolone is absorbed by the stomach very quickly, the drug has not been successful in the treatment of duodenal ulcers, that is, those ulcers that that form in the proximal portion of the small intestine, the part of the intestine immediately following the stomach. To test the effects of carbenoxolone on duodenal ulcers, researchers have invented a gelatin capsule that would burst in the duodenum after 2 1/2 or 3 hours instead of sooner in the stomach. Results on the duodenal ulcers are not yet conclusive. Interestingly enough, the carbenoxolone is not effective on gastric ulcers when given by hypodermic injection, although the cortisone-like effect is observed to have one third the potency of a similar dose of hydrocortisone. Thus we can see that the carbenoxolone has a local action on the ulcer and needs to come in direct contact with the sore. Given the ancient information that licorice was useful in stopping the pain of indigestion, one wonders why the old reliable wholesome licorice root tea, powder, or extract isn't more often used judiciously as a food supplement. This would prevent the body from breaking down and making it necessary for the lab to take over where the Lord left off. Dr. H. Costello of Columbus, Ohio, and Dr. E. V. Lynn of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy reported the discovery of the female hormone activity of licorice in the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association, around the year 1950. There were of course, plans to isolate the estrogen from the plant instead of simply taking licorice root at its face value. Centuries ago, Theophrastus wrote that licorice was mixed with honey and applied to wounds. Dr. Wm. A. R. Thomson expects that after the licorice-cortisone controversy subsides, the dermatologists will "discover" the usefulness of licorice for such skin disorders as psoriasis. In addition to quenching thirst and appetite, licorice root has been an aid in reducing the desire to smoke tobacco and consume alcohol. Many early family doctors knew this fact. One physician treated several bakery workers in the neighborhood. They couldn't break their smoking habit very easily, so he gave them licorice sticks to chew upon. This aided them at work, where the boss would not permit smoking lest ashes fall into the bread dough. Their desire to smoke lessened and they eventually quit smoking. Licorice has aided mankind during the past centuries and will continue to do so far into the future. Suzi Senior Moderator What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered. http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/ Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! 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