Liquorice is made from the roots or stolons of the liquorice plant. Liquorice has many highly beneficial medicinal uses:
- It promotes the production of interferon, which is a compound that helps protect cells from viruses, making it beneficial for supporting the immune system. Interferon helps prevent viruses from moving from host cells to other uninfected cells in the body, making it beneficial for helping to treat herpes and hepatitis. Reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) is another natural promoter of interferon.
- Liquorice is good for adrenal fatigue, which is a very common cause of many health issues in modern-day society.
- It is also helpful in the treatment of peptic ulcers and duodenal ulcers.
- It can be beneficial for chronic respiratory problems. It is a good expectorant which makes it helpful for clearing excessive mucus from the respiratory system.
- Liquorice can be effective for helping to treat inflammatory skin problems.
- It can have good anti-cancer effects in the body, helping to protect cells from carcinogens.
- Liquorice is a good anti-microbial making it effective in the treatment of candida albicans over-growth, as well as infiltration of detrimental bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract such helicobacter pylori.
- It has good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
- It can be beneficial for rheumatism and arthritis.
- Liquorice can be an effective addition to herb teas used for treating colic.
And to add to its many medicinal uses, liquorice also contains B vitamins, numerous minerals and lecithin.
However, despite its great medicinal properties, liquorice should not be used in high doses for long periods of time. It can have the potential to increase blood pressure, therefore people with high blood pressure should seek the advice of a professional before taking liquorice as a herbal medicine. It is also not recommended during pregnancy.