People shouldn't eat
more than 100mg of
glycyrrhizic acid a
day
|
Experts have
warned people against eating too
much liquorice.
It follows the case of a
56-year-old woman who was admitted
to hospital after overdosing on
liquorice.
The woman from Yorkshire went
into muscle failure, a potentially
fatal condition, after eating too
much Pontefract cake.
Writing in the Postgraduate
Medical Journal, doctors said she
had been eating the liquorice sweets
to relieve chronic constipation.
Dangerous condition
"She had been eating a packet of
sweets a day, about 200g," said Dr
Raja Hussain of Pontefract General
Infirmary.
"Her potassium levels were
dangerously low and her muscles were
very weak. She also had high blood
pressure, which is dangerous because
it can lead to stroke."
Dr Hussain and
colleagues at the hospital restored
the woman's potassium levels, using
an intravenous drip and tablets.
"She was up and walking about
within four days," Dr Hussain told
BBC News Online.
The active ingredient in
liquorice, glycyrrhizic acid, is
found in a variety of products,
including herbal remedies.
Manufacturers claim it can
relieve constipation, cold, flu and
allergy symptoms and may even help
people with chronic fatigue or
ulcers.
It is also found in smaller
quantities in confectionery,
toothpaste and some herbal teas.
Cigarette and drugs manufacturers
sometimes use it to improve the
taste of their products.
Some brands of chewing gum can
contain 24mg of glycyrrhizic acid
while some herbal teas can contain
up to 450mg per litre.
A report by the European
Commission published earlier this
year suggested that people should
not consume any more than 100mg of
glycyrrhizic acid a day.
Studies have shown that it can
increase blood pressure or cause
muscle weakness and chronic fatigue.
Other problems include headaches or
swelling.
Recent research suggested it can
also lower testosterone levels in
men, affecting their mood and sex
drive.
"Like everything else, liquorice
is good for you in moderation," said
Sinead O'Hara, principal pharmacist
at the Royal London Homeopathic
Hospital. "But too much of it is
quite toxic."
Haribo, one of the companies that
manufacture Pontefract cake, said
people shouldn't eat too much of it.
"Haribo advises, as with any
other food, liquorice products
should be eaten in moderation," said
marketing manager Christian Freund.
Liquorice is good
for you in
moderation
