In my work, 'flutter' to me a lot of health information on the table - and some of them are even quite entertaining (for example, that the amino acid N-acetylcysteine helpful compulsive hair pulling is). So it was that I at a recent dinner party when the conversation on pregnancy and children fall came, saying: "Now that it has been found that licorice makes stupid children ..." Perhaps it is because I think licorice for the worst stuff in the world, and I was definitely very scared, shocked me as the hostess groaned and looked at "What! I have devoured in my pregnancies mountains of licorice! I was so addicted that I regularly have special Dutch from a friend sent to you. "Silly me! How did but to my lapidary sentence? Scientists at the Universities of Helsinki and Edinburgh have found that children whose mothers large amounts of licorice in pregnancy To consume concentration difficulties and behavior problems tend to cut and worse in cognitive tests than their peers. First of all, I
must say that the hostess said all children are highly intelligent and extremely well behaved. Either she's famous exception or the consumed fruits are one of the 'typical strong and salty European variety', according to Wikipedia, which contains mainly anise oil and very little licorice.
is usually the main ingredient in licorice candy at the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra , also called licorice. Licorice, with its active Active ingredient glycyrrhizin, has many positive attributes and is traditionally used in the following areas as a medical herb:
licorice ...
... expectorant effect and therefore is often an ingredient in cough syrups.
... has anti-viral properties and is used for example in control of chronic viral hepatitis.
... contains, as well as soy , phyto-oestrogens (isoflavones) that may be helpful for menopausal symptoms.
... lowers the testosterone level (similar to Agnus castus ) and can therefore be helpful in high male sex drive.
... fought Helicobacter pylori and therefore can help with stomach ulcers, but also nausea, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Crohn's disease and general digestive problems.
... inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and therefore may be helpful for depression.
glycyrrhizin is not without problems. High doses (more than 50 g licorice a day, representing about 250 mg glycyrrhizic acid) may contribute to liver toxicity and high blood pressure, edema, muscle weakness, cause chronic fatigue, headaches and a low testosterone level in men. It is generally recommended to consume no more than 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid daily. Pregnant women are recommended to a maximum of 100g of liquorice to limit (500 mg glycyrrhizic acid) per week.
References:
Montague-Jones, G: Study next liquorice to mental health problems. Food Navigator 08th Oct. 2009th http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Study-links-liquorice-to-mental-health-problemsOfir R et al: Inhibition of serotonin re-uptake by licorice constituents. J Mol Neurosci. 2003 Apr; 20 (2) :135-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12794307Wikipedia: Liquorice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice
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