Licorice is a common traditional Chinese medicine with the effects of tonifying the spleen and replenishing qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving cough and reducing phlegm, relieving pain and harmonizing other medicines. It is often used for weak spleen and stomach, fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, cough with phlegm, abdominal pain, limb spasms, abscesses, and reducing the toxicity of drugs.
1. Used for heart qi deficiency, palpitations, pulse stagnation, as well as spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue, and weakness. The former is often combined with cinnamon twig, such as Guizhi Gancao Decoction and Zhi Gancao Decoction. The latter is often used with Codonopsis and Atractylodes, such as Four Gentlemen Decoction and Lizhong Pill.
2. Used for abscesses, ulcers, sore throat, etc. Can be used alone, taken orally or applied externally, or used in combination. For abscesses and ulcers, it is often used with honeysuckle and forsythia to achieve the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, such as Xianfang Huoming Drink. For sore throat, it is often used with balloonflower root, such as Balloonflower Decoction. If pesticide or food poisoning, it is often combined with mung beans or boiled with Saposhnikoviae Radix.
3. Used for asthma and cough. Can be used alone or in combination with other drugs. For treating damp phlegm cough, Er Chen Tang is used; for treating cold phlegm cough and wheezing, Linggan Wuhuai Jiangxin Tang is used; for treating dry phlegm cough, Sang Xing Tang is used; for treating lung abscess cough with foul-smelling pus and phlegm, Balloonflower Decoction is used; for treating cough with saliva, Gancao Ganjiang Tang is used, etc. Wind-heat cough, wind-cold cough, and hot phlegm cough are also often used in combination.
4. Used for stomach pain, abdominal pain, and calf muscle spasms. It is often used with peony to significantly enhance the effectiveness in treating spasms and pain, such as Shaoyao Gancao Decoction.
5. Used to moderate the potency of certain medicines. For example, in the Wumei Chengqi Decoction, it is used to moderate the purgative effects of rhubarb and mirabilite and their irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it is also commonly used to harmonize various medications in many prescriptions.
7. Licorice has a similar effect to adrenal cortical hormone. It has inhibitory effects on excessive gastric acid secretion caused by histamine and has anti-acid and relief of smooth muscle spasms in the gastrointestinal tract.
8. Licorice flavonoids, licorice extract, and glycyrrhizic acid have significant antitussive effects, and their expectorant effects are also more significant, with the intensity of the effects being glycyrrhizic acid > licorice flavonoids > licorice extract.
9. Licorice also has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, and can protect the inflamed throat and tracheal mucosa. Licorice extract and glycyrrhizic acid have detoxifying effects similar to glucuronic acid on certain toxins.
10. Licorice is often used to treat symptoms associated with menopause. This is because licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a compound similar to hormones, which helps balance the hormone levels in women's bodies.
11. The glycyrrhetic acid contained in licorice can block the growth of tumors induced by carcinogens.
Warm reminder: Long-term use of high doses of licorice can cause edema. Studies have also found that licorice preparations have damaging effects. Taking 28 grams of licorice every day can lead to decreased libido and other forms of sexual dysfunction in men, which can be restored after stopping for 4 days. Licorice can also inhibit the conversion of cortisol, leading to increased blood pressure and hypokalemia. Therefore, licorice is not suitable for patients with decreased sexual function, hypertension, and edema.
