Although the annual celebration of Halloween comes once a year, for some of us (and of course, our children) our packets of confectioneries are swelling with delectable treats. Black licorice is one of the time-honored pleasures that many of us traditionally binge on during this festivity.
What is black licorice, really?
Basically, licorice is a confection that is colored black from root extracts of the famed licorice plant, a low-growing shrub called Glycyrrhiza glabra. Licorice is predominantly cultivated in Asia and other countries including Turkey and Greece.
Licorice root has a historic medicinal reputation, too. It finds critical application as a folk remedy in Western and Eastern medicine, particularly in treating conditions like sore throat, heartburn, cough, bronchitis and stomach ulcers. There have been purported instances where licorice root has been used in treating infections triggered by hepatitis and other viruses. Nonetheless, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have yet to reach an affirmative conclusion as to the effectiveness of licorice in treating diseases due to data paucity.
A darling confectionery…
There is an overwhelming multitude of licorice sweets across the globe, most of them coming in tubular forms or as chewy ropes. Black licorice is a popular favorite among those who not only have a sweet tooth, but are also keen on the nutritional content of the candy they eat.
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Black licorice is reasonably safer than the bulk of candies littering the market today, given its reduced sugar content. For most of the biggest producers in the U.S, their licorice products' sugar content is commonly staked at 18g. In the United States and several North American countries, black licorice differs from other licorice variants (being that the latter are not colored with licorice extract), therefore lacking that distinctive black sheath.
Other than sugar, black licorice comprises ingredients like binder and licorice extract. You can choose to flavor it further with other ingredients like molasses, beeswax and ammonium chloride. Most manufacturers opt for the beeswax ingredient to enhance the candy's luster, making it more mouthwatering visually.
The base varies. This can be gelatin, starch (and in some other cases flour), and gum Arabic. Sometimes, the base can mix either of these ingredients. Ammonium chloride tends to be a major component of salty licorice candy. Occasionally, the concentration can run up to 8%.
Your everyday licorice candy can pack up to 2% of ammonium chloride. This may not be apparent, being subdued by the amplified sugar concentration.
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Take note that not all licorice candy is flavored with licorice root extract. Some make do with anise oil flavoring. Anise oil shares the signature smell of licorice root extract, and even retains the taste.
But how safe is black licorice actually?
Black licorice tastes remarkably delicious, but its effects on your health may not be that delicious. It is worth noting that an exorbitant black licorice consumption can damage your system, no thanks to a significant component called glycyrrhizin. A curious name indeed, this is a triterpenoid compound to which the cherished sweetness of licorice root can be attributed. Glycyrrhizin combines the magnesium, potassium, and calcium salts of glycyrrhizic acid.
Depending upon the licorice root species, the glycyrrhizin content can be as little as 2 percent or as high as 25 percent. And guess what? Compared to cane sugar, glycyrrhizin is 50 times sweeter.
Don't drool just yet, however. Glycyrrhizic acid is not all that good news for your health, despite it being contained in toothpaste, beer and other dietary supplements. To better put it in perspective, owing to the glycyrrhizic acid composition in black licorice, eating more than two ounces of this candy every day for 14 days can cause you...
fatal health consequences.
"How?" Well, relax. We’ll tell you.
An enormous amount of your beloved licorice candy can affect the hormone aldosterone dispensed by the adrenal gland. This can be damaging as this aldosterone is crucial in achieving fluid equilibrium in your body. Such equilibrium is attained by instructing the kidney to soak in more sodium. Here is the interesting–but alarming–part. Sodium plays a critical role in fluid retention. So, in circumstances of increased sodium retention, fluid retention pumps up proportionately.
Consequently, your potassium levels will fall with a hike in the amount of aldosterone being released. This is because aldosterone regulates the potassium content that is passed in your urine. This is a condition called pseudo aldosteronism. Ultimately, this leads to high blood pressure. An increase in blood pressure would increase the strain on your lungs and heart.
This is a typical example of the saying "when it rains, it pours," because the accompanying drop in potassium will trigger abnormalities or irregularities in your cardiac rhythms. Worse, such declining potassium levels can result in muscle weakness, even culminating in paralysis.
The reality moving forward
If you have been heavily consuming black licorice and are noticing an increase in your fluid retention capacity or a significant swell in your legs, see your doctor urgently, and terminate your romance with black licorice.
Research has abundantly pointed out the dangers of an excessive intake of black licorice. In 2012, researchers from Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago published a revealing review on Endocrinology and Metabolism. The report called upon healthcare providers to adequately educate their patients on reducing their black licorice consumption. The researchers also raised an alarm...
on licorice abuse to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The researchers urged the federal agency to step up its game in raising public awareness about the health hazards associated with an extravagant licorice intake, while reigning in the use of the substance.
Admittedly, many licorice manufacturers are not making life easier for FDA regulators. While the FDA maintains a 3.1% maximum limit on the glycyrrhizic acid content of food products, most candy manufacturers are reluctant to publish the genuine glycyrrhizic acid content per ounce of their products.
What mayhem has black licorice caused?
The unfortunate death of a bubbling 54-year man in Massachusetts in 2019, drives home the message regarding the potential fatality of excess licorice intake. The gentleman was healthy, with no previously recorded complications, but suddenly suffered severe cardiac arrest, dying the next day upon being hospitalized. It was later discovered that this man was a fanatic lover of black licorice, consuming 1-2 large bags of the candy over a window of 21 days.
This uncontrolled feast on black licorice proved fatal as his cardiovascular health was severely affected. His story is just one among many sad stories related to excessive licorice consumption. There is also the case of a jolly 10-year old boy who, after binging on black licorice for eight weeks, suffered seizures accompanied by high blood pressure. And still another woman went on a herbal tea (known to contain significant amounts of licorice) drinking spree, gulping eight cups daily.
She also developed high blood pressure, which landed her in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. Fortunately, she won the battle as her symptoms vanished once she terminated her herbal tea intake.
Keep it moderate
It is essential to point out here that black licorice isn't...
as devastating as you may now be viewing it. Black licorice is as healthy as it is delicious, when taken moderately. If you are above 40 years of age, you shouldn't take more than two ounces per day in a stretch of 14 days. According to the World Health Organization, you shouldn't ever exceed 100 milligrams of black licorice daily.
For those with existing conditions like kidney issues, high blood pressure problems and diabetes predicaments, it is recommended that you totally abstain from black licorice unless you specifically get approval from your doctor. The same abstinence is recommended for pregnant women as well.
According to Sophia Tolliver, MD, trained as a family medicine physician at the Wexner Medical Center in Ohio, "If you are especially vulnerable, like those in elderly populations, or if you have a history of heart issues, kidney issues or even a noted potassium deficiency, how much black licorice you consume is something to be very aware of."
In conclusion, if you modestly eat black licorice candy, you don't have to worry much about its risks. When you purchase it, try to inspect the label. Be mindful of the glycyrrhiza content if stated in the ingredients.
