DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice)

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice · Glycyrrhiza glabra · DGL

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Reflux symptoms¹ Dyspepsia² Aphthous ulcers³ Postoperative sore throat⁴	Cardiac glycoside use² Diuretic use² Treated hypertension²

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is Glycyrrhiza glabra root with most glycyrrhizin removed, the constituent behind licorice-related hypertension and potassium loss². It is thought to act through anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects⁵. People take it for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms¹ and dyspepsia². Licorice preparations are also used as topical or rinse formats for aphthous ulcers and postoperative sore throat.

A 2025 placebo-controlled trial of a glycyrrhizin-reduced extract reported earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation¹. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) states that high-quality evidence is not sufficient to support licorice for any health condition⁶. Topical licorice lowered the incidence of postoperative sore throat in a meta-analysis of randomized trials⁴. A 2024 review of North African medicinal plants listed licorice among gastroprotective candidates for peptic ulcer, drawing mostly on animal and in vitro work, and called for human trials⁷. Products listing deglycyrrhizinated licorice number in the thousands, mostly tablets and capsules; see Form comparison.

Residual glycyrrhizin matters because it inhibits renal cortisol inactivation, producing mineralocorticoid excess with hypertension and hypokalemia⁸. Per NCCIH, patients taking any medicine are routed to their health care provider before using licorice products⁶.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

49 sources, 32 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources