Licorice - And its soothing effects

I love Licorice and have since I was a little girl. But only the black stuff counts as the real thing as far as I'm concerned. Black and sticky. The kind where you have to brush you teeth after you've eaten it. But this isn't what I'm talking about right now. In fact, I've only recently discovered that that sticky black stuff is actually flavored with anise. What I'm talking about here is the root of the plant.

This herb grows wild in parts of both Asia and Europe. It has a long root system and these roots are what is used to make the medicinal products. The Chinese often use this herb to improve the taste and the effects of other herbs in complex formulas. Japanese research has shown that it decreases high testosterone levels in women with ovarian cysts and helps to increase their fertility. Large amounts of the herb or long-term use can raise blood pressure in some people so you want to pay close attention to that if you start using licorice root therapeutically.

If you have any doubts about the use of this herb, please check with your physician before you use it.

Its soothing, anti-inflammatory and relaxing actions help smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract on contact. It "gets into a painful, contracted, tight digestive tract and coats the raw places, relaxes the clenched-up muscles and acts as a local anti-inflammatory,” she says. It also increases bile secretion and is indicated for any gastrointestinal ulcers, including mouth ulcers. The root is indicated for chronic coughs and bronchitis as a soothing decongestant. It's also indicated in small amounts to reduce sugar cravings.

The major constituents of this herb, the ones with all the benefits, are flavonoids which help reduce inflammation and glycyrrhizin which has 50 times the sweetness of sugar in comparable amounts. Although researchers have yet to figure out quite how the process works, it seems to keep the body's adrenal hormones such as cortisol from breaking down. And this makes those hormones more available to the body for the purpose of counteracting stress.

But, again, if you have any doubts about the use of this herb, please check with your physician before you use it. This is especially true if you are pregnant or nursing or if you are already using steroid drugs.

A lot of people confuse the taste of anise and fennel with the taste of licorice. Their flavors are similar but are much milder. Interestingly enough they also have a soothing effect on digestion. In fact, if you've ever been in an East Indian restaurant, you've probably seen the little candy coated fennel seeds at the cash register. They're there so you can grab a few and swallow them after your meal. They'll help you digest all that spicy food.

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