Licorice Benefits: What the Research Shows and Why It Matters

Licorice is one of the oldest recorded medicinal plants in human history, used across traditional medicine systems in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe for thousands of years. Today it sits at an interesting crossroads: a familiar candy flavor to most people, yet a genuinely complex herb with a growing body of modern research exploring how its active compounds interact with the body. Understanding licorice benefits means understanding what the plant actually contains, how its compounds function biologically, and why the same herb can have very different effects depending on how it's prepared, how much is consumed, and who is consuming it.

Within the broader category of functional herbal remedies — plants used not just as foods but for their specific physiological effects — licorice occupies a distinctive position. Unlike adaptogens such as ashwagandha, which are studied primarily for stress response, or antimicrobial herbs like oregano, licorice research spans an unusually wide range of systems: digestive, respiratory, endocrine, immune, and oral health, among others. That breadth is what makes it worth examining in depth, and what makes the nuances here particularly important.

The Plant Behind the Benefits: Two Types of Licorice Worth Knowing

🌿 Licorice root comes from Glycyrrhiza glabra (the most widely researched species) and related species including Glycyrrhiza uralensis, commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Most research focuses on a compound called glycyrrhizin (also called glycyrrhizic acid), which gives the root its characteristic intensely sweet taste — roughly 30 to 50 times sweeter than table sugar.

The distinction between whole licorice (or standard licorice root extract) and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is one of the most important things to understand in this space. DGL is a processed form of licorice root from which most of the glycyrrhizin has been removed. The reason this matters: glycyrrhizin is both the source of several studied benefits and the compound responsible for most of licorice's well-documented risks. DGL formulations were developed specifically to retain certain digestive benefits while reducing systemic effects associated with glycyrrhizin. These are not interchangeable products, and research on one does not automatically apply to the other.

How Glycyrrhizin Functions in the Body

Glycyrrhizin is metabolized in the gut into glycyrrhetic acid (also spelled glycyrrhetinic acid), which is the form that produces most of the herb's systemic effects. Glycyrrhetic acid inhibits an enzyme called 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, which normally converts cortisol (an active hormone) into cortisone (an inactive form) in tissues like the kidneys. When this enzyme is inhibited, cortisol activity increases in those tissues — producing effects that mimic the hormone aldosterone, which regulates sodium and potassium balance.

This mechanism explains several of licorice's studied effects and nearly all of its risks. At lower amounts and shorter durations, research in various contexts has explored how this pathway might relate to adrenal function and stress response. At higher amounts or with prolonged use, the same mechanism is associated with elevated blood pressure, sodium retention, potassium loss, and related cardiovascular strain. These aren't theoretical concerns — they're well-documented in clinical literature and are the reason licorice is one of the more closely scrutinized herbs in nutrition science.

Beyond glycyrrhizin, licorice root contains a range of flavonoids and other phytonutrients — including glabridin, liquiritin, isoliquiritigenin, and formononetin — that have been studied independently for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Much of this research is preliminary, conducted in laboratory settings or animal models, and the extent to which these effects translate meaningfully to human outcomes at typical consumption levels remains an active area of investigation.

What the Research Explores: Key Areas of Interest

Digestive and Gut Health

DGL licorice has been researched more consistently than perhaps any other application. Studies have examined its effects on the stomach lining, with some research suggesting it may support the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. There is moderate clinical interest in DGL for conditions involving gastric discomfort, and some small trials have explored its role alongside conventional approaches for gastric and peptic issues. The evidence here is generally considered more developed than for other licorice applications, though trial sizes tend to be small and more rigorous research is ongoing.

Respiratory and Throat Support

Traditional use of licorice root for respiratory complaints — coughs, sore throats, and bronchial irritation — aligns with laboratory research showing that glycyrrhizin and related compounds have expectorant and soothing properties. Some research has examined licorice-containing formulations for upper respiratory support, though most studies involve combination herbal products, making it difficult to isolate licorice's specific contribution. The demulcent (soothing, coating) quality of licorice preparations is thought to partly explain this traditional application.

Antiviral and Antimicrobial Properties

🔬 Glycyrrhizin has attracted significant scientific interest for its antiviral properties, with laboratory studies — including research on enveloped viruses — showing inhibitory effects in cell culture. This is an active area of investigation, but it's worth being clear: in vitro (laboratory) findings do not automatically translate to clinical outcomes in humans. The pathway from "inhibits virus in a petri dish" to "clinically effective antiviral therapy" requires substantially more evidence, including well-designed human trials. Interest in this area has increased in recent years, but the research remains largely preliminary.

Skin and Topical Applications

Topical formulations containing licorice extracts — particularly glabridin — have been studied for skin brightening and anti-inflammatory effects, with some clinical trials showing reductions in hyperpigmentation and redness. This is one area where the research base includes human trials with measurable outcomes, though study sizes and methodologies vary. Topical use bypasses many of the systemic concerns associated with oral glycyrrhizin, which is why this application has a somewhat different safety profile than oral supplementation.

Menopausal Symptom Research

Some small studies have examined licorice's phytoestrogenic compounds — particularly isoliquiritigenin — for potential effects on menopausal symptoms. The evidence here is limited and mixed. The phytoestrogenic activity of licorice is weaker and structurally different from other well-studied phytoestrogens like those in soy. This area warrants caution for individuals with hormone-sensitive health conditions, and the research does not yet support strong conclusions either way.

Oral Health

DGL lozenges and mouthwash formulations have been studied in the context of oral health, with some research examining effects on the bacteria associated with dental caries and periodontal concerns. Early findings are modestly promising, but this remains an emerging area without definitive clinical guidance.

The Variables That Shape Outcomes

💊 The gap between "licorice has been studied for X" and "licorice will do X for you" is shaped by a meaningful set of individual variables.

Amount and duration are perhaps the most consequential. The hormonal effects of glycyrrhizin are broadly dose-dependent and accumulate with prolonged use. Research on adverse effects generally describes higher intakes — often well above what is found in a modest daily tea or occasional confection — but individual sensitivity varies considerably, and some people respond at lower amounts than others.

Form of preparation changes the active compound profile significantly. A licorice root tea, a standardized glycyrrhizin extract, a DGL tablet, and a topical licorice cream each deliver different compounds in different amounts to different parts of the body.

Pre-existing health conditions matter substantially. Individuals with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, low potassium levels, or liver conditions are generally advised by healthcare providers to approach glycyrrhizin-containing licorice with particular caution. The hormonal mechanism described above creates meaningful risks in these populations.

Medications represent a significant interaction category. Because glycyrrhizin affects potassium levels and cortisol metabolism, it can interact with diuretics, corticosteroids, blood pressure medications, and anticoagulants, among others. These interactions are not well-characterized for every drug combination, which is why individual medication review matters before regular supplementation.

Age and hormonal status influence response as well. Pregnancy is a context where licorice consumption has been specifically examined — some observational research has associated higher licorice intake during pregnancy with adverse developmental outcomes, though the evidence is not conclusive. This is an area where caution is warranted and where individual guidance from a healthcare provider is particularly relevant.

Bioavailability varies with the preparation. Licorice compounds consumed with food, in capsule form, or as a liquid extract may be absorbed at different rates and to different extents. Standardized extracts list their glycyrrhizin or flavonoid content on the label; raw root preparations and many teas do not.

The Subtopics Worth Exploring Further

The research landscape around licorice divides naturally into questions that warrant their own careful examination. How does DGL licorice differ in both benefits and safety from whole root preparations — and for which uses does the research actually favor one over the other? What does the evidence specifically show about licorice root and blood pressure, and how does dosage shape that relationship? What does topical licorice extract research look like in terms of skin applications, and how does it compare to other studied approaches? How does licorice fit within Traditional Chinese Medicine formulations, where it's often used as a synergistic ingredient rather than a standalone herb — and what does that mean for interpreting research on isolated compounds?

Each of these questions represents a meaningful area of its own. The answers depend not only on what the research shows at a general level, but on factors specific to each reader — their health history, current medications, dietary baseline, and goals. Licorice root is not a simple herb, and the distance between its traditional reputation, its studied mechanisms, and its real-world appropriateness for any given person is exactly the kind of gap that an individual healthcare provider or registered dietitian is best positioned to help navigate.