2024-03-04 09:30:00
Licorice is one of the most popular drinks that Egyptians enjoy during the month of Ramadan, due to its great benefits. However, the Egyptian Medicines Authority has warned against excessive consumption of it.
The authority confirmed in a post on its official Facebook page that licorice may cause serious side effects such as high blood pressure, low potassium levels, irregular heartbeat, and birth problems when consumed in large quantities, or for long periods of time.
Therapeutic Nutrition Consultant, Emad El-Din Fahmy, explained that one should not panic over the Egyptian Medicine Authority’s warning, pointing out that licorice is a tree with roots, leaves, and fruits, and it has been known for more than 3,000 years, and people have become accustomed to using it, adding that it has various benefits:
• Licorice contains a high percentage of flavonoids, which are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances, and they also enhance the health of the immune system.
• Alternative medicine relies on licorice to treat cases of cough, constipation, stomach ulcers, and colon.
• Licorice is prescribed for some cases of arthritis, and for women who suffer from menopause.
• Licorice contains vitamin B1, 2, and 3, as well as iron, selenium, and zinc.
• Every 100 grams of licorice contains approximately 1350 milliliters of potassium.
As for the harmful effects of licorice and the warning of the Egyptian Medicines Authority, Imad El-Din Fahmy pointed out that:
• The problem occurs when eating licorice in excess. There is no harm for a healthy person who consumes licorice in moderate proportions, because the body is able to compensate for the potassium it loses in this case. The human body is designed to adjust and compensate for what it needs, and return conditions to their natural path.
• The crisis lies in excessive drinking of licorice, especially for patients with high blood pressure and those taking treatments that reduce the percentage of potassium in the body, especially since licorice also reduces the percentage of potassium.
• Licorice, after drinking it, digesting it, and breaking it down in the intestine, produces the active substance called Glycyrrhiza Glabra, which breaks down the enzyme (11 beta hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase), which is an enzyme that is useful in converting cortisol into cortisone.
• When the enzyme is broken down, it stops working, so the level of cortisol increases in the kidneys, which prompts the kidneys to reabsorb sodium and get rid of potassium, and thus the sodium level rises and the potassium level decreases.
• Low potassium and high sodium lead to symptoms, the most important of which are: an imbalance in the level of fluids in the body, causing water, fluids, and salt to be retained in the body, in addition to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and urinary problems, as well as decreased sexual desire. This can also affect pregnant women and children.
• Licorice contains a large percentage of potassium, but when you drink it in excess, an active substance is released from it that breaks down potassium, whether in the body or in the licorice drink itself.
Regarding the ideal way to drink licorice, the therapeutic nutrition consultant explains that:
• Licorice should not be consumed in excess in general, whether for those suffering from diseases such as high blood pressure, or even for healthy people.
• Those who take blood pressure medications that cause low levels of potassium in the body should reduce drinking licorice or stay away from it completely.
• For a healthy person, one cup of licorice is sufficient, and one should not drink it daily throughout the month of Ramadan, but when drinking it one day, one should rely on another drink the next day, which ensures that no health problems occur.
• The general rule is not to eat or drink excessively any food or drink, whether licorice or anything else.
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