Licorice: A Botanical Powerhouse (and a Candy, Too!)

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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Its likely that you realize the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplementation for supporting general health and preventing disease. But are you aware that some botanicals have found a home on market shelves alongside (or even inside) vitamin and mineral supplements due to their proven effects on specific organ systems or physical conditions? One such botanical wonder is licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Yes, it’s the same licorice used to flavor the confectionery of the same name. But it has several medicinal uses, too.

Licorice soothes inflamed mucus membranes, making it an excellent choice for coughs, sore throats, allergies, and urinary tract infections. Licorice’s anti-inflammatory effects are attributed to the chemical constituent glycyrrhizin and various flavonoids. Glycyrrhizin works to calm inflammation throughout the body by inhibiting the breakdown of cortisol, while flavonoids provide antioxidants and act to heal the mucosal cells.

The medicinal uses of licorice don’t end there. It stimulates fatigued adrenal glands to produce sufficient amounts of adrenal hormones, giving you more get-up-and-go. It’s also effective against viral conditions such as hepatitis and mononucleosis, and it has been shown to protect over-taxed livers from damage. As medicine, licorice is typically available in tea, tincture, or capsule form. In Chinese medicine, licorice is often used as a base for botanical formulas. Its sweet taste makes it an excellent flavoring for botanical tinctures (and candy, too!), and it helps to focus the actions of other herbs in the formula for greater effectiveness.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is a form of licorice in which the glycyrrhizin has been removed. Available as a powder or chewable tablets, its niche is the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, making it a go-to remedy for ulcers of the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. It has also been shown to inhibit Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacteria associated with stomach and intestinal ulcers.

As with any medicine, consulting a physician before using licorice medicinally is a good idea. Large and/or frequent doses of glycyrrhizin have been associated with blood pressure increases, water retention, and potassium depletion.

Licorice has been a favorite treat for hundreds of years. It was known to be a favorite of Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte! Licorice is still popular in many countries; in the UK liquorice allsorts are a favorite. In fact, Yorkshire was the first place that licorice was mixed with sugar to create the treat we have come to know today.

Karen Brothers, ND student, NCNM

To learn more about this soothing, energizing, and harmonizing herb, check out the references below. And

   Gaby, Alan R. and Healthnotes, Inc. The Natural Pharmacy. New York:
   Three Rivers Press, 2006.
   Gaby, Alan R. Nutritional Medicine. Concord, NH: Fritz Perlberg
   Publishing, 2011.
   Murray, Michael and Pizzorno, Joseph. Encyclopedia of Natural
   Medicine. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1998.
   Tilgner, Sharol. Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth 2nd ed.
   Pleasant Hill, OR: Wise Acres, LLC, 2009.

Labels: herbs, licorice, liquorice, medicinal, natural, root

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Latobacillus In My Where?

Monday, September 12, 2011

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Whether from food or a capsule, probiotics are a necessity in order to maintain healthy gut flora. There are over 100 trillion bacteria that live in the human intestines. Many of which are friendly, while others are not so friendly. The health promoting bacteria are able to keep the non friendly bacteria that we are exposed to on a daily basis in their place. When there is an imbalance in the body, this can be another story.

We are a walking glob of bacteria. We need each other. Without the proper bacteria living and thriving in our intestines, we would not be able to digest, absorb necessary nutrients or detoxify our bodies. These are crucial processes for our survival.

For example, Vitamin K, a fat soluble vitamin, helps with blood clotting, supports the liver, maintains kidney function, and prevents or reverses arterial calcification. Gut bacteria plays a very important role in sustaining life, don’t you think? There are two known forms of Vitamin K, K1 and K2. K1 can be obtained via your diet of green cruciferous vegetables and fermented foods. K2 is made via beneficial bacteria in your gut. This is only one example of the power of having balanced microflora in the gut.

Lactobacillus is a very important probiotic. It is responsible for converting lactose to lactic acid. Lactic acid inhibits growth of some harmful bacterias. Lactobacillus should ideally be present in both the vagina and the gut. And having an ideal gut flora balance is essential for optimal health! Healthy gut flora will boost your immune system. Germs from your co-worker with the sniffles or whatever your kid was exposed to at daycare, will have to literally fight to stay alive in your body.

In today’s society, we are eating more processed foods, drinking purified water, and filling ourselves with empty calories. Antibiotics have been added to the majority of our meat sources. While used as our main defenses against bacterial infections, however ingesting these anitobiotics on a regular basis can kill healthy gut in our gut. This is even more the reason why good quality probiotics are a necessary addition to our daily diet. Fermented foods are another fabulous way to introduce probiotics into your diet. Harness the health-boosting power of healthy gut bacteria!