Licorice Root Benefits, Side Effects and DGL: What to Know

Research on licorice root benefits is limited. NCCIH says there is not enough evidence to support it for digestive problems, though small studies suggest a licorice mouth rinse or gargle may help with canker sores and sore throat after surgery. The bigger story is safety. Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, a sweet compound that can raise blood pressure and drain potassium, and in large amounts it has caused dangerous heart rhythms and at least one well-documented death. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL, has the glycyrrhizin removed. Here is what the research shows, how to tell the forms apart on a label and who should avoid licorice.

Peptide Labs sells supplements that list licorice, but this article does not recommend any of them. It is general information, not medical advice.

What is licorice root?

Licorice is a perennial herb grown across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. NCCIH lists three species used in supplements and traditional medicine: Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. uralensis and G. inflata. Its root has a long history in Eastern and Western folk medicine and is used today as a flavoring. According to the FDA, many licorice-flavored products made in the United States contain no licorice at all; they use anise oil, which tastes and smells similar.

The compound that matters most is glycyrrhizin, also called glycyrrhizic acid. It is the sweetening compound in the root and is responsible for most of licorice’s side effects.

Glycyrrhizin vs DGL licorice

Supplement makers sell licorice in several forms, and the label wording tells you a lot about glycyrrhizin content.

Form	Glycyrrhizin	What to know
Whole root powder or extract	Present, amount often unstated	Carries the blood pressure and potassium risks
Extract standardized to glycyrrhizin	Deliberately concentrated	The opposite of DGL
DGL licorice	Removed	NCCIH says it might be safe for up to four months
Black licorice candy	Present if made with real licorice	The FDA's warning is about this
Licorice-flavored candy	Often none	Many US products use anise oil instead

Licorice root benefits: what research shows

NCCIH reports that research on licorice is limited. Small studies suggest a licorice mouth rinse or gargle may help with canker sores and with sore throat after a breathing tube is used during surgery, and topical products have been tested for eczema. It says digestive claims lack sufficient support.

The digestive evidence for DGL licorice is mostly old. Small trials in the 1970s and 1980s compared it with cimetidine, an ulcer drug, but they predate modern ulcer care and are hard to apply today. Newer trials have tested GutGard, a branded low-glycyrrhizin Glycyrrhiza glabra extract:

• A 2012 trial of 50 adults with functional dyspepsia (ongoing indigestion without a clear cause) found lower symptom scores than placebo after 30 days. Several authors worked for Natural Remedies, the company that developed the extract.
• A 2025 trial enrolled 200 adults in India with mild to moderate reflux symptoms. After 28 days, the extract group reported better quality of life and earlier relief of heartburn and regurgitation than placebo. Natural Remedies sponsored the study and supplied the product, and 82.5% of participants were analyzed at the end.

These results apply to one standardized extract and do not show that other licorice products work the same way. Our guide to digestive health supplements covers better-studied options.

Licorice root side effects: blood pressure, potassium and heart rhythm

Glycyrrhizin blocks an enzyme called 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. The result looks like an excess of aldosterone, the hormone that makes the body hold salt and water and lose potassium, so doctors call it pseudohyperaldosteronism. The typical signs are high blood pressure, swelling and low potassium, and very low potassium can trigger muscle weakness and dangerous heart rhythms.

A 2017 meta-analysis of 18 studies with 337 people found that regular intake of products containing glycyrrhizic acid raised systolic blood pressure by about 5 points and diastolic by about 3, while potassium fell. The larger the daily amount, the bigger the rise in blood pressure. A 2023 review of 104 case reports found high blood pressure and low potassium to be common features; complications can include arrhythmias, paralysis and muscle breakdown, and cases often needed hospital care.

The FDA warns that if you are 40 or older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could put you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm. It adds that potassium usually returns to normal without lasting harm once you stop. In 2020 the New England Journal of Medicine described a 54-year-old Massachusetts man who had switched to licorice candy containing glycyrrhizic acid three weeks earlier, eating one or two large packages a day. He had a cardiac arrest with critically low potassium and died 32 hours after reaching the hospital.

How much glycyrrhizin is too much?

These are published safety thresholds, not suggested amounts. In 2003 the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food concluded that a ceiling of 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizic acid a day, taken regularly, should protect most people, but not those with conditions that disturb water and electrolyte balance. The WHO and FAO expert committee on food additives reached a similar view in 2004 and noted that highly sensitive people may react to less, and that heavy eaters of licorice candy or drinkers of licorice tea can exceed that level. NCCIH adds that even modest amounts can be risky for people with high blood pressure, a high-salt diet, or heart or kidney disease. Most supplement labels do not state glycyrrhizin content, so you often cannot tell how much you are getting.

Medicines that interact with licorice

Memorial Sloan Kettering’s herb database lists several interactions:

• Diuretics. Licorice adds to potassium loss. Our water pills guide covers OTC diuretics.
• Digoxin. Low potassium can make this heart medicine more toxic.
• Warfarin. Licorice may speed the breakdown of this blood thinner and weaken its effect.
• Corticosteroids. NCCIH notes documented interactions with steroid medicines.
• Blood pressure medicines. Licorice can push blood pressure up and work against them.
• Laxatives. The European Medicines Agency warns that licorice root taken with aloe laxatives may increase potassium loss; see our aloe vera guide.

Licorice in pregnancy

Much of the pregnancy research comes from Finland. In a 2002 study comparing 95 women who gave birth early with 107 who did not, heavy glycyrrhizin intake was linked to more than twice the risk of delivery before 37 weeks. A 2017 follow-up of 378 Helsinki children found that those whose mothers ate the most licorice in pregnancy scored 7 points lower on IQ tests, had poorer memory and had higher odds of attention problems, and girls entered puberty earlier. These studies are observational and cannot prove cause, but NCCIH calls large amounts of licorice in pregnancy unsafe.

Licorice on supplement labels

Licorice shows up in many blends, usually without a stated glycyrrhizin amount. Three products in our catalog show what to look for:

• The SOLEMEONY GLP-1 supplement lists licorice root extract standardized to 20% glycyrrhizin, so it is not DGL.
• ColonBroom GLP-1 Booster lists licorice root powder without saying whether it is deglycyrrhizinated, along with berberine and 5-HTP.
• Inno Cleanse lists licorice root extract inside a blend, next to cascara sagrada, cape aloe and senna, without the licorice amount.

If a label just says licorice, assume it contains glycyrrhizin unless it says DGL or deglycyrrhizinated. Our guide on how to debloat looks at other ingredients common in these blends.

When to see a clinician

Ask a clinician before using licorice if you have high blood pressure, heart, kidney or liver disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take any of the medicines above. Following the FDA’s advice, stop licorice and contact a healthcare provider promptly if you notice an irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness or new swelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you take medicines. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Related guides: How to Debloat: Common Causes of Bloating, What Helps and When to See a Doctor, Digestive Health Supplements: Fiber, Probiotics, Prebiotics and Enzymes Explained, Water Pills: How OTC Diuretics With Pamabrom or Caffeine Work, and Who Should Avoid Them, Potassium Supplement Guide: The 99 Milligram Limit, Side Effects and Low Potassium Symptoms.