Liquorice

Studies in people

• Concern

  Weight and blood pressure⁴

  In people, liquorice lowered weight and BMI but raised diastolic blood pressure, so those with high blood pressure should avoid it.

• Concern

  Blood pressure and swelling⁶

  Eating liquorice can raise blood pressure and cause swelling from salt and water build-up.

• Concern

  Blood pressure and salt balance⁷

  Eating a lot of liquorice over time can raise blood pressure and cause the body to hold onto fluid.

• Concern

  Blood pressure⁸

  In people, liquorice with glycyrrhizic acid raised blood pressure, while liquorice flavonoids did not.

Single cases of misuse or overdose

One person or one incident, such as an accidental overdose or a mistake in a kitchen or factory. They are real, but a single case does not show what happens at normal amounts, so the signal does not count them.

• Hormone imbalance and bleeding³

  In one child, eating a lot of liquorice for a long time was linked to a hormone problem and stomach bleeding.

• Blood potassium levels⁵

  In a person with anorexia, eating about 20g of liquorice daily led to severely low blood potassium.

• Muscle weakness from sweets⁹

  A 33-year-old patient who ate liquorice got severe muscle weakness, and tests linked it to low potassium.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.