Posted on 11/02/2017 1:44:41 PM PDT by Trillian
As it turns out, you really can overdose on candy—or, more precisely, black licorice.
Days before the biggest candy eating holiday of the year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages moderation if you enjoy snacking on the old fashioned favorite.
So, if you’re getting your stash ready for Halloween, here’s some advice from FDA:
If you’re 40 or older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.
FDA experts say black licorice contains the compound glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from licorice root. Glycyrrhizin can cause potassium levels in the body to fall. When that happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy, and congestive heart failure.
FDA’s Linda Katz, M.D., says last year the agency received a report of a black licorice aficionado who had a problem after eating the candy. And several medical journals have linked black licorice to health problems in people over 40, some of whom had a history of heart disease and/or high blood pressure.
Katz says potassium levels are usually restored with no permanent health problems when consumption of black licorice stops.
Licorice, or liquorice, is a low-growing shrub mostly grown for commercial use in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says the plant’s root has a long history of use as a folk or traditional remedy in both Eastern and Western medicine. It has been used as a treatment for heartburn, stomach ulcers, bronchitis, sore throat, cough and some infections caused by viruses, such as hepatitis; however, NIH says there are insufficient data available to determine if licorice is effective in treating any medical condition.
(Excerpt) Read more at fda.gov ...
Don’t like the candy.
Do like licorice tea.
And yes apparently intake should be limited.
I think it’s racist.
Aristotle said that everything in moderation is good. Licorice is no different. I don’t know anyone that eats two ounces of licorice a day for two weeks. I guess the green scat should scare some off from eating it.
NNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Obviously “racist”. s/
I like black licorice, I just don’t eat that much of it. I have heard there can be issues eating large quantities
The Licorice Crisis
The horror
I didn’t like licorice as a kid, much less as an adult................
I’ve tasted medicines that had a better flavor than black licorice.
I suppose someone, though not from here, will claim that is racist.
I remember when you could buy IDEAL brand (I think) unsweetened licorice in a stick. Horrid stuff!
Sounds racis’.
Isn’t a lot of our licorice artificially flavored?
Black Licorice Matters
I have always hated black licorice. Worst tasting things on Earth....weirdly I do like red licorice. However, eating 2 pounds of black licorice is insane and deserves to be in health trouble. Talk about gluttony.
Toxic as hell but it's fabulous.
The article said 2 ounces not pounds. Not really that much.
Bump
To Read Later
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