Glycyrrhizae Radix health benefit and side effects

Licorice, Glycyrrhizae radix, is one of the herbal medicines in East Asia that has been commonly used for treating various diseases, including stomach disorders.

Substances in Glycyrrhizae Radix
Numerous bioactive compounds are present in Glycyrrhizae Radix including flavonoids and triterpenoids. Flavonoids include liquiritin, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin and triterpenoids include glycyrrhizin, 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic, and glycyrrhizic acid.

Glycyrrhizae Radix for weight loss
Effect of licorice on the reduction of body fat mass in healthy subjects.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2003 July. Armanini D, De Palo CB, Mattarello MJ, Spinella P, Zaccaria M, Ermolao A, Palermo M, Fiore C, Sartorato P, Francini-Pesenti F, Karbowiak I. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences-Endocrinology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
The active principle of Glycyrrhizae Radix, glycyrrhetinic acid, is responsible for sodium retention and hypertension, which is the most common side-effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix ingestion. We show an effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix in reducing body fat mass. We studied 15 normal-weight subjects (7 males, age 22-26 yr, and 8 females, age 21-26 yr), who consumed for 2 months 3.5 g a day of a commercial preparation of Glycyrrhizae Radix. Our findings suggest that Glycyrrhizae Radix consumption can reduce fat by inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 at the level of fat cells.

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