Liquorice (Br.) or licorice (Am.) is the plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra, in the Family Fabaceae from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a legume related to beans and peas and native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. Very little commercial liquorice is grown in North America, but wild liquorice (G. lepidota) is quite common.
Liquorice is a highly effective cough remedy (expectorant), and has been used for this purpose since ancient times.
Liquorice extract is produced by boiling liquorice root and subsequently evaporating all or most of the water. Liquorice extract is traded both in solid and syrup form. Its active principle is glycyrrhizin, a sweetener more than 50 times as sweet as sucrose which also has active medical effects.
The flavour is common in medicines to disguise unpleasant flavours. Liquorice can also be found in many candies. The most popular in the United Kingdom and North America are very sweet Liquorice Allsorts. In continental Europe, however, far stronger, saltier, candies are preferred. It is well regarded as a low fat sweet. Liquorice is also found in some soft drinks.
Liquorice is a mild laxative. Also, the glycyrrhizin that it contains can lead to an increased blood pressure when liquorice candies are consumed in larger quantities (over 50 g per day).
The word liquorice means 'sweet root' in Ancient Greek.
Licorice may also be taken as a tincture in the amount of 2-5 ml, three times daily.
Licorice root contains a saponin-like glycoside, glycyrrhizin (glycrrhizic acid) and has historically been used for a variety of female disorders and also as an expectorant and antitussive in treatment of respiratory tract infections and asthma.
Licorice is considered a powerful drug that is useful in treating a number of conditions, such as peptic ulcers, malaria, abdominal pain, insomnia and infection.
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