Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. Tall perennial legume with pinnate leaves, pale blue-violet pea-flowers and a deep, spreading rootstock; native range: Southern Europe to western and central Asia; long cultivated for the sweet root. Globally recognized as yashtimadhu / madhuka in Sanskrit, mulethi in Hindi, gan cao (甘草) in Chinese, asl-us-soos / sus in Arabic, and liquorice · sweet root · sweet wood in English. The part used is the dried root and stolon (runner). Fibrous yellow root, tough and stringy, intensely and lingeringly sweet with a faint earthy bitterness at the back of the throat.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
LICORICE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Licorice
- Scientific name
- Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
- Family
- Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Form
- Part used
- the dried root and stolon (runner)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet
- Ayurveda
- sweet (madhura)
- Western
- sweet
- Unani
- sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta)
- Western
- neutral
- Unani
- temperate
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Heart · Lung · Spleen · Stomach
- Western
- lungs · stomach · adrenals · liver
- Unani
- lungs · stomach · kidneys
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- tonifies Spleen qi, moistens the Lung and stops cough, clears heat and resolves toxicity, relieves spasm and pain, and harmonises and moderates the other herbs of a formula
- Ayurveda
- madhura-rasayana, vrishya, chakshushya (eyes), keshya (hair), kanthya (voice), vranaropana (wound-healing), demulcent and pitta-shamana
- Western
- demulcent, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, adrenal-restorative, antispasmodic and mildly laxative
- Unani
- muleyyin (laxative), munzij-mundij (ripener), demulcent and muqawwi-e-sadr (chest tonic), soothing to throat, chest and urinary passages
Cautions
Contraindications: hypertension, oedema and fluid retention, hypokalaemia, congestive heart failure and pregnancy; avoid prolonged or high-dose use
Toxicity: sustained use causes pseudoaldosteronism — sodium and water retention, potassium loss, raised blood pressure and, rarely, muscle weakness or arrhythmia
Interactions
- Western
- cardiac glycosides: glycyrrhizin-induced potassium loss potentiates digoxin toxicity · diuretics: additive potassium depletion (especially with loop and thiazide diuretics) · antihypertensives: sodium and water retention raises blood pressure and opposes the drug · hormonal therapy: inhibits cortisol breakdown and potentiates corticosteroid and hormonal effects
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