I tried licorice when I was in Australia and loved it; I had no idea it could be so soft and bold tasting!
Kookaburra Licorice was the kind I tried.
http://www.kookaburralicorice.com/

Reply

Just an FYI about Licorice, if it is real licorice. In the USA, candy passed off as licorice is usually flavored with Anise.

Avoid If...
Although the glycyrrhizin in Licorice fights the effects of hepatitis, you should avoid Licorice root if you have chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, or any disease that impedes the flow of bile from the liver. Avoid it also if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart irregularities, abnormal muscle tension, poor kidney function, or low potassium levels in your blood.

Special Cautions
When taken in high dosages (more than 20 grams of Licorice Extract or 50 grams of Licorice Root daily) for an extended period of time, it will lead to excessive loss of salt from the blood, water retention, high blood pressure, and heart irregularities, sometimes accompanied by fatigue, headaches, and muscle cramps. Because of the possibility of these side effects, limit use of Licorice preparations to 6 weeks. The side effects disappear after the drug is discontinued.

Possible Drug Interactions
Licorice can increase the potassium loss caused by other drugs, such as diuretics that flush excess water from the body (Diuril, Zaroxolyn, others). This potassium loss can, in turn, increase your sensitivity to the heart medication digitalis. Other heart drugs such as quinidine and procainamide can increase Licorice-induced potassium loss, leading to a dangerously rapid heartbeat.

Licorice may also increase the effects--and unwanted side effects--of steroid medications such as prednisone (Deltasone).

Licorice contains glycyrrhetic acid, which helps heal stomach ulcers. Other ingredients--including glabridin, glycyrrhizin, and licoricidin--soothe inflammation. The glycyrrhizin in Licorice also appears to combat viruses such as hepatitis B, influenza, and HIV by boosting the immune system's T-cell count and stimulating production of protective compounds such as interferon.

A number of studies have confirmed Licorice's anti-ulcer effect, which typically equals that of prescription drugs such as Tagamet. The herb's protective effect on the liver has been confirmed by a 16-year study of patients with chronic hepatitis C. In this study, patients receiving a glycyrrhizin extract had a significantly lower rate of liver cancer.

The soothing action of Licorice has been known since antiquity. The plant was introduced to the Ancient Greeks by Scythians from the east, and it has been used in Europe since the Middle Ages. Today, several varieties of Licorice can be found in a region stretching from southeastern Europe to southwestern Asia and Iraq.

Reply