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LICORICE
Licorice root contains more than 400 phytochemicals, according to nutrition expert James Duke. Glycyrrhizin, the one that gives licorice its intense sweetness, has attracted the most scientific interest. In animal studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, purified glycyrrhizin protected lab animals from lethal doses of a flu virus.
Duke says other studies suggest that phytoestrogens in licorice lower the risk of breast cancer in mice. Plus a substance called glabridin may reduce the risk of clogged arteries by blocking the oxidation of cholesterol. And Duke is convinced by evidence that licorice can help heal stomach ulcers.
The bottom line:
Many studies have used extracts similar to those on store shelves. But there are tastier ways to get the benefits. Health food stores stock licorice root either as twiglike sticks or in a coarsely ground form that can be brewed into tea. Plenty of packaged herb teas also contain licorice. However, most American-made licorice candy is artificially flavored and has none of the root at all.
Duke recommends drinking no more than three cups of licorice tea a day because large doses of glycyrrhizin can cause blood pressure to soar. In some supplements the compound has been removed. The ulcer benefit appears to survive, but the others may not.
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