Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Black Licorice: Trick or Treat?
U.S. Food & Drug Administration ^ | October 30, 2017 | U.S. Food & Drug Administration

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 ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food
KEYWORDS: arrhythmia; blacklicorice; salmiak
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-90 last
To: gnarledmaw
Any of these look familiar or similar?

Real Licorice

Italian Licorice
81 posted on 11/03/2017 12:35:35 AM PDT by Trillian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: Trillian
Always someone trying to 'do a public service" by telling us how too much of something "may be bad for us" and "may cause some problems".

Too much Potassium and you get heart beat problems - and now licorice can cause too low a Potassium level and heart beat problems.....

Almost seems like they are wanting to inundate the medical folks by having a million minor things that folks can "self diagnose" with and go looking for their favorite "seen on TV" drug...

82 posted on 11/03/2017 2:22:17 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Trillian
Unfortunately, no. It used to come in 5(?) rectangular blocks in a cardboard sleeve. The best stuff had each block in a diagonal silver and black foil. The sleeve was black, no pictures or symbols, at least none were prominent enough to remember. The licorice was quite soft and melted in the mouth rather readily, almost no resistance to the bite which left one deep rootbeer colored end. I want to say that this one was English, could have been repackaged there.

I believe the second most common offering was Swiss but I could be making that up. A dark blue sleeve, some sort of distant mansion in artwork, blue and silver foil.

83 posted on 11/03/2017 6:37:11 AM PDT by gnarledmaw (Hive minded liberals worship leaders, sovereign conservatives elect servants.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: gnarledmaw
My husband says he remembers that. He hasn't seen it since he was a kid.

Did it look like this?


84 posted on 11/03/2017 9:31:22 AM PDT by Trillian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Trillian

Of course, its difficult to judge the substance by appearance. It was dull and didnt shine but I suppose different processes may make it look different. In form it wasnt a large segmented bar, it was individual foil wrapped bars each of which had the proportions similar to a pack of Wrigleys but slightly smaller.


85 posted on 11/03/2017 10:43:54 AM PDT by gnarledmaw (Hive minded liberals worship leaders, sovereign conservatives elect servants.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Fantasywriter

If medicine tasted like black licorice I’d Me an addict. I guess that’s why they say to each his own. I love the stuff. Can’t get enough.


86 posted on 11/03/2017 10:47:53 AM PDT by NELSON111
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: NELSON111

Lol. Here’s another one. I can’t abide the taste of coffee. I once managed to dilute a cup with enough milk and sugar to down a few swallows. I didn’t enjoy them, though.

Let me guess; you love coffee.


87 posted on 11/03/2017 11:12:01 AM PDT by Fantasywriter (Any attempt to do forensic work using Inernet artifacts is fraught with pitfalls. JoeProbono)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: Trillian; mass55th
Glycyrrhizin can cause potassium levels in the body to fall.

I recently noticed some strange problems with my heartbeat and thought maybe it was time to consult a cardiologist. But then I realized that this issue always seemed to occur when I had been drinking a certain kind of tea. It was Earl Grey tea, a brand with "double bergamot oil". I looked up whether other people had had similar problems and I read that bergamot oil can deplete potassium from the body.

88 posted on 11/13/2017 4:34:47 PM PST by wideminded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wideminded

Can’t help you with the tea question, or bergamot oil. I don’t drink tea, and have never heard of bergamot oil. Hope you can get some answers.


89 posted on 11/13/2017 5:15:10 PM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: mass55th
I didn't mean to be questioning you. I included you in the "ping list" because I had noticed you commented about potassium levels in the same thread.

Earl Grey tea seems to be one of the most common types of tea you can buy. It has something called bergamot oil added to it, which I don't know very much about either, but I think I have read that it is a flavoring that comes from a kind of oranges.

Anyway, I felt better after I stopped drinking that type of tea. A main reason I drink tea is that I add butter to it, but that's another story.

90 posted on 11/13/2017 8:49:19 PM PST by wideminded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 89 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-90 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson