Licorice Root

Glycyrrhiza glabra · Liquorice · Glycyrrhizin · Glycyrrhizic Acid

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Alopecia areata¹ Vitiligo² Chronic urticaria³ Postoperative sore throat⁴ Recurrent canker sores⁵ Radiotherapy oral mucositis⁶ Functional dyspepsia⁴	Hypertension⁵ Pregnancy⁵ Potassium depletion⁷ Cardiac glycoside or diuretic use⁴

Licorice root, from Glycyrrhiza glabra, is a perennial herb used as a flavoring and in traditional medicine for cough, asthma, and wound healing⁵. Licorice compounds show anti-inflammatory activity, and glycyrrhizin also acts on cortisol handling, giving mineralocorticoid-like effects⁴. Compound glycyrrhizin is added to conventional care for alopecia areata, vitiligo, and chronic urticaria. Licorice is also used for canker sores⁵, postoperative sore throat⁴, radiotherapy mucositis⁶, dyspepsia⁴, and energy support, where trials are few⁵.

Meta-analyses found higher response rates when compound glycyrrhizin was added to conventional care for these skin conditions^1–3. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) finds too little high-quality evidence to clearly support any use⁵, though systematic reviews support topical licorice for postoperative sore throat⁴. A 2024 case report tied a licorice-containing supplement to acquired apparent mineralocorticoid excess that resolved on stopping; no trial has tested this. More than 18,000 products list licorice root as liquids, capsules, or powders; see Form comparison.

Hypokalemia, hypertension, and arrhythmia follow from glycyrrhizin's mineralocorticoid-like effect⁴, concentrating risk in people with hypertension, heart or kidney disease, or high salt intake⁵. Per the NCCIH fact sheet, people taking any medicine are asked to talk with their health care provider before using licorice⁵.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

69 sources, 51 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