Licorice Colon Problems

Licorice comes from the roots of a variety of rhizomes in the Glycyrrhiza glabra L. family. Licorice can be beneficial for digestive disorders and colon problems. Licorice is a powerful antioxidant that can counter the cell damage caused by free radicals and might help prevent colorectal cancer.

Benefits

• Licorice can benefit disorders of the digestive tract and colon, including poor digestion, painful inflammation, constipation and swelling. It assists the body in flushing toxins, helps heal ulcers and protects the mucous lining of the stomach and intestines to prevent ulcers from forming.

Types

• Licorice comes as glycyrrhizinated or deglycyrrhizinated (DGL). DGL is a form of licorice that has been deglycyrrhizinated to remove the glycyrrhizin from the plant.

Features

• Health care professionals more commonly recommend DGL for medical use because glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure and is known to be toxic in large quantities.

Function

• Carbenoxolone, a compound derived from licorice, protects the colon and is a treatment of ulcerative colitis in China.

Expert Insight

• A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, conducted by Dr. Raymond Harris and Dr. Ming-Zhi Zhang of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, revealed that a component in licorice can block the production of Cox-2, an enzyme that can stimulate the growth of tumors in the colon.

Fun Fact

• The glycyrrhizic acid in licorice is 50 times sweeter than sugar and contributes to licorice's unique flavor.