Benefits of Licorice Root: What the Research Shows

Licorice root has been used in traditional medicine systems — Chinese, Ayurvedic, and European — for thousands of years. Today it's one of the more researched functional herbs, appearing in supplements, teas, throat lozenges, and digestive formulas. The science behind it is more nuanced than its long history might suggest: some benefits are reasonably well-supported, others are still emerging, and the safety picture is more complicated than most herbs.

What Is Licorice Root?

Licorice root comes from Glycyrrhiza glabra, a legume native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. Its primary active compound is glycyrrhizin (also called glycyrrhizic acid), which gives licorice its characteristic sweetness — roughly 50 times sweeter than sugar. Glycyrrhizin is also responsible for most of licorice root's documented biological activity, and most of its known risks.

A second form, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), has the glycyrrhizin removed. This distinction matters significantly, both for how the herb works and how it's tolerated.

What the Research Generally Shows 🌿

Digestive and Gut Support

Some of the more consistent research on licorice root involves the digestive system. Studies — including several small clinical trials — suggest that licorice root extract may help soothe the stomach lining and support conditions involving mucosal irritation. DGL in particular has been studied for its potential to support the gastric lining without the hormonal effects associated with glycyrrhizin.

Research on H. pylori, the bacteria linked to stomach ulcers, has shown some interest in licorice compounds as part of combination approaches, though the evidence is preliminary and mostly from lab and small human studies. This is not established clinical treatment.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties

Glycyrrhizin and other licorice flavonoids — including liquiritin and isoliquiritigenin — have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in laboratory and animal studies. These compounds appear to interact with inflammatory signaling pathways, though translating this to human benefit requires larger, more rigorous clinical trials than currently exist for most of these mechanisms.

Respiratory and Throat Use

Licorice root has a long traditional use for coughs, sore throats, and upper respiratory irritation. Some research supports a mild demulcent effect — meaning it may coat and soothe mucous membranes. This is one of the better-supported traditional uses from a mechanistic standpoint, though large randomized trials are limited.

Adrenal and Cortisol Interaction

Glycyrrhizin inhibits an enzyme called 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which breaks down cortisol. This means licorice root can amplify cortisol activity — an effect that some researchers have explored in the context of adrenal fatigue and low cortisol states. However, this same mechanism is also why whole licorice root carries meaningful cardiovascular risks in certain populations (more on that below).

Skin Applications

Topical licorice extracts — particularly those containing glabridin — have been studied for their effects on hyperpigmentation and skin tone. Some clinical studies show modest benefit in reducing the appearance of dark spots, with glabridin thought to inhibit enzymes involved in melanin production. This is one of the more consistently replicated areas in the research, though results vary across studies.

Key Variables That Shape Individual Outcomes

The Spectrum of Responses

At low doses and short durations, healthy adults generally tolerate licorice root well. Most of the adverse effects documented in research — elevated blood pressure, fluid retention, low potassium, and in rare cases cardiac irregularities — are associated with high doses of glycyrrhizin consumed over extended periods.

For people with normal blood pressure, no medication interactions, and no potassium concerns, the risk profile looks quite different than for someone on diuretics or antihypertensives. DGL formulations sidestep many of these concerns for digestive use, though they also lack some of glycyrrhizin's biological activity for other applications.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has noted that consuming more than 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid per day from food or supplements may pose risks for sensitive individuals — a threshold that's easier to approach than many people realize, particularly with concentrated supplements.

What the Research Doesn't Yet Resolve

Several areas — including licorice root's effects on liver health, antiviral activity, and hormonal balance — show interesting early signals in lab and animal research that haven't been confirmed in large-scale human trials. The adaptogen framing sometimes applied to licorice root is not as well-established as it is for herbs like ashwagandha or rhodiola.

The gap between traditional use, laboratory findings, and clinical evidence remains real. Licorice root is not a uniformly "safe because it's natural" herb — its biological activity is significant enough to produce measurable effects in both directions.

Whether any of these research findings are relevant to a specific person depends entirely on their health status, existing conditions, medication use, and diet — none of which a general overview can assess.