Liquorice is produced from the foundation of crops of the Glycyrrhiza species and has lengthy been used as a natural treatment and flavouring. Nevertheless, it’s identified that consuming liquorice can even elevate blood stress. That is primarily resulting from a substance referred to as glycyrrhizic acid that impacts the physique’s fluid steadiness via results on an enzyme within the kidney. Hypertension, in flip, will increase the danger of heart problems.

Each the European Union and the World Well being Group have concluded that 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid per day might be suitable for eating for most people. However some folks eat extra liquorice than that. The Swedish Meals Company has estimated that 5 per cent of Swedes have an consumption larger than this stage.

Within the present research, printed in The American Journal of Scientific Diet, researchers at Linköping College wished to check whether or not the restrict said as possible protected really is so or not.

It’s not straightforward to understand how a lot glycyrrhizic acid is within the liquorice you eat, as its focus in several liquorice merchandise varies vastly. This variation could depend upon elements similar to origin, storage circumstances and liquorice root species. As well as, the quantity of glycyrrhizic acid just isn’t indicated on many merchandise. The Linköping College research is the primary to have rigorously measured the quantity of glycyrrhizic acid within the liquorice that was examined, whereas being randomised and having a management group.

Within the research, 28 men and women aged 18-30 had been instructed to eat liquorice, or a management product that didn’t comprise any liquorice, over two durations of time. The management product as a substitute contained salmiak, which supplies salty liquorice its flavour. The liquorice weighed 3.3 grammes and contained 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid, that’s, the quantity indicated as possible protected for most individuals to eat day by day. Individuals had been randomly assigned to eat both liquorice or the management product for 2 weeks, take a break for 2 weeks, after which eat the opposite selection for 2 weeks. This enabled the researchers to match the impact of each varieties in the identical individual. The research individuals had been requested to measure their blood stress at residence day-after-day. On the finish of every consumption interval, the researchers measured ranges of varied hormones, salt steadiness, and coronary heart workload.

“Within the research, we discovered {that a} day by day consumption of liquorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid raised blood stress in younger wholesome folks. This hasn’t beforehand been proven for such small quantities of liquorice,” says Peder af Geijerstam, doctoral pupil on the Division of Well being, Drugs and Caring Sciences at Linköping College, normal practitioner, and lead creator of the research.

When the individuals ate liquorice, their blood stress elevated by a mean of three.1 mmHg. The researchers additionally measured two hormones which can be affected by liquorice and that regulate fluid steadiness: renin and aldosterone. The degrees of each of those decreased when consuming liquorice. The quarter of the research individuals who had been most delicate, based mostly on their ranges of the hormones renin and aldosterone lowering probably the most after consuming liquorice, additionally gained barely in weight, almost certainly resulting from an elevated quantity of fluid within the physique. This group additionally had elevated ranges of a protein that the guts secretes extra of when it must work tougher to pump across the blood within the physique, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). This means elevated fluid quantity and coronary heart workload within the people most delicate to the consequences of liquorice.

“Our outcomes give cause to be extra cautious with regards to suggestions and labelling for meals containing liquorice,” says Fredrik Nyström, professor on the identical division, who was answerable for the research.

The research was funded with assist from, amongst others, The Strategic Analysis Community in Circulation and Metabolism (LiU-CircM) at Linköping College, The Nationwide Analysis Faculty in Common Apply at Umeå College, King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria Freemason Basis and Area Östergötland.