Licorice Side Effects

Although it seems like a harmless substance, dangerous licorice side effects are possible. The glycyrrhizin component is thought to cause these side effects. Notify your healthcare provider immediately if you are consuming real licorice (which is found in some candies, beverages, supplements, and extracts) and you develop any of these serious side effects of licorice, such as an irregular heart rhythm, muscle weakness, or allergic reactions.

Licorice Root

Does Licorice Cause Side Effects?

Real licorice products (including some candies, beverages, supplements, and extracts) can cause significant side effects. However, many "licorice" products contain little or no real licorice. For instance, red licorice does not contain any real licorice, and some black licorice products contain anise flavoring instead of licorice.

Serious Licorice Side Effects

Even though it seems like a harmless substance, licorice can cause some dangerous side effects.

You should immediately report any of these side effects to your healthcare provider. These licorice side effects include but are not limited to:

High blood pressure (hypertension)
Signs of congestive heart failure (CHF), such as:

Water retention
Rapid weight gain
Swelling of the feet or hands
Difficulty breathing

Low blood potassium (hypokalemia)
An irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
Severe muscle pain
Signs of hormonal changes, such as:

Missed periods (in women)
A low sex drive
Impotence (in men)

Muscle weakness
Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:

Rash
Itching
Hives
Swelling of the mouth or throat
Wheezing

Difficulty breathing.

Many of the serious licorice side effects are thought to be caused by one specific component of licorice, known as glycyrrhizin. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) products, which have had the glycyrrhizin component removed, may be less likely to cause these serious side effects.

(Licorice Side Effects Continued: Page 2)