Licorice (Yashtimadhu): Traditional Use, Research and Safety

Licorice is the sweet root that flavours confectionery, herbal teas and many traditional formulas around the world. In Ayurveda it is called yashtimadhu, “the stick of sweetness”, and it appears throughout classical medicine as a soothing, moistening substance. Most people think of it as a gentle flavouring.

That reputation is only half the story. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a compound that can cause serious effects on the heart and blood pressure, and the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) gives it a fairly long list of cautions. This page describes the tradition first and then sets out the safety information plainly.

What it is

Licorice is Glycyrrhiza glabra, a perennial legume native to parts of Europe and Asia, and the part used is the root and underground stem (rhizome). In Sanskrit it is yashtimadhu or madhuyashti, in Hindi it is mulethi or jethimadh, and in English it is licorice, or liquorice in British spelling.

The root can be chewed raw, boiled, dried, powdered, or concentrated into an extract. Glycyrrhizin is the compound behind the characteristic sweetness. It is also the compound responsible for most of the safety concerns.

The traditional view

The Charaka Samhita and the materia medica that followed it describe yashtimadhu as sweet in taste, cooling in potency (virya) and sweet in its post-digestive effect (vipaka). It is described as heavy and unctuous. Teachers say it calms vata and pitta, and in excess may increase kapha because of its heavy, moist and sweet nature. Our pages on vata, pitta and kapha explain these terms.

Tradition associates licorice with the throat and voice, with the eyes and hair, and with a cooling effect on the digestive tract. It is also grouped with the rasayana plants, those taught to nourish tissues over the long term, and it is a frequent ingredient in classical compound formulas that balance other, sharper herbs. As elsewhere on this site, these are traditional descriptions and not statements of medical effect.

The sweet taste, which our page on the six tastes covers, is considered nourishing and calming in moderation. Yashtimadhu is the clearest example of why tradition does not treat taste as a simple pleasure: sweetness is described as a force with benefits and costs.

In the kitchen and the home

Licorice is a flavouring more than a food. Sticks of the dried root are chewed in many households, the powder flavours some teas and spice blends, and in several countries the extract is used to flavour sweets. We are not giving a recipe or an amount for health purposes. If you enjoy licorice sweets or tea, the safety notes below matter especially for people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or a high-salt diet.

For other spices and flavourings used in Ayurvedic cooking, see our page on the spices in the Ayurvedic kitchen.

What research says

NCCIH says the evidence for licorice is limited. Mouth rinses may help canker sores, and gargling with licorice before surgery might help prevent a sore throat after a breathing tube has been used. There is early evidence for topical gels in eczema. NCCIH adds that there is no credible evidence for licorice in COVID-19.

We found nothing in the sources we checked that supports bigger claims, and this site makes none. The wider point from NCCIH on Ayurvedic treatments applies as well: research is limited, trials are small, and much popular material rests on laboratory work.

Safety and interactions

• Glycyrrhizin and the heart. NCCIH warns that glycyrrhizin can cause serious effects, including irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest, especially in large amounts or with long-term use. The risk can arise even with small amounts in people who eat a lot of salt, who have high blood pressure, or who have heart or kidney conditions.
• Pregnancy. NCCIH states that large amounts, about 250 grams of licorice a week, are unsafe in pregnancy and may raise the chance of delivery before 38 weeks. Anyone who is pregnant should talk to a doctor or midwife about licorice sweets and teas as well as supplements.
• Breastfeeding. The NCCIH material we used does not give a specific statement here, so we cannot confirm safety. Please ask a doctor.
• Children. We found no specific statement for children in our sources. Ask a paediatrician before giving licorice products.
• Medicines. NCCIH reports interactions with corticosteroids. Beyond that, we are not listing further drugs, because our sources do not, and absence from our list does not mean safe. Anyone on prescribed medicines, especially for heart, blood pressure or kidney conditions, should ask a doctor or pharmacist.
• Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL). Products from which glycyrrhizin has been removed appear safe for up to four months, according to NCCIH. These are a different product, and the label should say deglycyrrhizinated.
• Liver. LiverTox reports that hepatotoxicity from licorice extracts or glycyrrhizin has not been reported.
• Surgery and allergies. Our sources do not cover these beyond the research note above. Tell your surgical team about any licorice product you use and stop if you notice any reaction.
• Contamination. NCCIH advises that some Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury or arsenic in toxic amounts, so buy from reputable producers.

This page is education, not medical advice. Please read our medical disclaimer, see a doctor for any health concern, and a registered Ayurvedic practitioner (BAMS in India) before using licorice within Ayurvedic care.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: NCCIH: Licorice root, LiverTox: Licorice.