Licorice, with its slightly aniseed taste, is not as harmless as it sounds. On September 23, 2020, doctors discovered that black licorice was responsible for the death of a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts, USA. A case in point among others: Many medical reports present cases of muscle breakdown, increased blood pressure and, sometimes, death after significant consumption of licorice, Media Discover points out.
Let’s be clear right away: licorice is not dangerous when consumed in small quantities, reasonably and by healthy individuals. Otherwise, caution is advised, especially for people above 40 years of age who have the unfortunate habit of consuming very large amounts over a long period of time. Like the recent victim in Massachusetts: The man ate a bag and half of black licorice every day for three weeks. Fatal excess due to, among other things, the presence of the chemical element.
Glycyrrhizin
This chemical is glycyrrhizin, also called glycyrrhizic acid, which is found in black licorice and which gives the candy its distinctive flavor. A product fifty times sweeter than sugar, which can also be toxic.
Glycyrrhizin mimics aldosterone, a hormone produced by your adrenal glands when your body needs to retain sodium and release potassium – important minerals for the body, which contribute to the proper functioning of the nervous system, normal muscle function and maintaining blood pressure. Excess glycyrrhizin disrupts this balance, causing increased blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances. That’s exactly what a Massachusetts man experienced when his potassium levels were dangerously low at the time of his death.
People suffering from certain illnesses are especially sensitive to black licorice overdose. Those who already have low potassium levels, high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmias, for example, but also people suffering from liver or kidney failure. They will keep glycyrrhizin in their blood for longer, increasing the risk of side effects.
