Licorice Root – 1 lb (454 g)

Licorice Root, known in Chinese as 甘草 (Gāncǎo) and scientifically as Radix Glycyrrhizae, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Licorice Root carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Licorice Root helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Licorice Root provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Licorice Root has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Licorice Root, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Fencao, Tiancao, Meicao, and Micao. It is the root and rhizome of the Fabaceae family plants Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza inflata Batal., or Glycyrrhiza glabra L. It is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, and other regions. It is harvested in spring and autumn by digging up, removing the fibrous roots, and drying in the sun.

[Properties] Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Enters the spleen, stomach, lung, and heart meridians.

[Actions] Tonifies qi and strengthens the middle burner; resolves phlegm and stops cough; clears heat and detoxifies; relieves spasm and alleviates pain; harmonizes the effects of other herbs.

[Applications]
1. Used for spleen and stomach qi deficiency with impaired transportation and transformation, poor appetite, loose stools, and fatigue. Honey-fried licorice is combined with Codonopsis, Atractylodes, and Poria, as in the formula Si Jun Zi Tang (Four-Gentlemen Decoction). For chronic spleen deficiency with sinking middle qi, persistent diarrhea, or gastric ptosis and anal prolapse, it is combined with honey-fried Astragalus, Cimicifuga, and Bupleurum, as in Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction).
2. Used for heart qi deficiency with intermittent pulse and palpitations (anxiety, palpitation). Honey-fried licorice is used in larger doses combined with Ginseng, Rehmannia, Cinnamon Twig, and Donkey-hide Gelatin, as in Zhi Gan Cao Tang (Honey-fried Licorice Decoction). For heart qi (and blood) deficiency with insomnia, excessive dreaming, and palpitations, it is combined with Ginseng, Longan Fruit, Ziziphus Seed, and Acorus. For women with heart deficiency and liver qi stagnation causing irritability, it is combined with fresh ginger and jujube, as in Gan Mai Da Zao Tang (Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Decoction).
3. Used for cough and asthma regardless of external or internal causes, with or without phlegm, cold or heat, deficiency or excess, combined according to pattern.
4. Used for heat toxin sores and ulcers, sore throat, mouth ulcers, painful urinary dribbling, and food or drug poisoning. For heat toxin sores and ulcers, raw licorice decoction is used for soaking or as a paste for internal use; combined with Lonicera, Taraxacum, and Wild Chrysanthemum to enhance efficacy. For sore throat, raw licorice is taken as a decoction or combined with Platycodon, Isatis root, and Arctium. For heart fire rising with mouth ulcers and painful urination, it is often combined with Rehmannia, Akebia, and Bamboo Leaf. Licorice is the preferred detoxifying herb in Chinese medicine for drug and food poisoning, taken in large amounts either alone or combined with black soybeans or mung beans as a concentrated decoction.
5. Used for spasmodic pain in the epigastrium, abdomen, and limbs. For spleen deficiency with liver hyperactivity causing spasmodic abdominal pain or blood deficiency causing spasmodic limb pain, it is often combined with White Peony Root, as in Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang (Peony and Licorice Decoction). This formula is commonly used clinically as a base, combined according to pattern to treat gastric and duodenal ulcers, acute gastroenteritis, bacterial dysentery, acute and chronic hepatitis, vascular or muscular spasms causing stomach pain, abdominal pain, flank pain, headache, and calf pain.
6. Harmonizes the properties of other herbs. Licorice appears in many formulas not only for its own therapeutic effects but also because it harmonizes the properties of other herbs, reducing toxicity and gastrointestinal irritation, and correcting unpleasant tastes with its sweet flavor.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 1.5–9 g; or incorporated into pills or powders. Raw licorice is slightly cold in nature, excels at clearing heat and detoxifying, suitable for sores, swelling, cough, asthma, and poisoning. Honey-fried licorice is slightly warm, excels at tonifying the middle burner, augmenting qi, moistening the lungs, and stopping cough, suitable for heart and spleen qi deficiency and cough/asthma.

[Cautions] Contraindicated with Kansui, Genkwa, Euphorbia, and Sargassum. Avoid use in cases of internal dampness causing chest and abdominal distension, vomiting, and edema. Avoid large doses or long-term use to prevent edema.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Licorice mainly contains glycyrrhizic acid (a triterpenoid saponin). Hydrolysis of glycyrrhizic acid produces glucuronic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid. It also contains flavonoids such as liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritigenin, as well as glycyrol, glabrol, glycyrrhetol, isolglycyrol, and resin.
2. Pharmacological effects: Licorice has nonspecific immune-enhancing effects and mineralocorticoid-like activity similar to deoxycorticosterone; it has anti-ulcer effects by inhibiting gastric acid secretion, relieving gastrointestinal smooth muscle spasms, and analgesic effects; expectorant, antitussive, and bronchodilator effects; also antiarrhythmic, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-allergic effects.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Ventricular premature beats: raw licorice, honey-fried licorice, and Alisma each 30 g, one dose daily, decocted and taken twice daily. 23 cases treated with good results. [Journal of Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1983,(2):24]
2) Chronic pharyngitis: raw licorice 10 g soaked in boiling water, mild cases treated 1–2 months, severe cases 3–5 months. 38 cases treated, 34 cured, 4 improved. [Journal of Yunnan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1983,(1):20]
3) Hepatitis B: daily intravenous drip of Qiangli Ning injection 80–100 ml (containing 160–200 mg glycyrrhizin) added to 5% glucose 500 ml; once daily in month 1, every other day in month 2, twice weekly in months 4–5, once weekly in month 6. 27 cases of chronic active hepatitis B treated; ALT reduction effective rate 67%, serum albumin increase 67%, globulin reduction 50%, HBeAg seroconversion 61–73%. [Chinese Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1988,(2):78]
4) Thrombocytopenic purpura: oral licorice decoction, 12–20 g daily divided morning and evening. 22 cases treated; 8 markedly effective, 8 effective, 2 improved, 4 ineffective. [Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1988,(2):78]
5) Hypotension: licorice 20 g, cinnamon 15 g, decocted twice daily, one dose daily, 15 doses per course. 41 cases treated; blood pressure increased after 5 doses by 2.66/1.33 kPa (20/10 mmHg), after 10 doses blood pressure rose to 16–12.33/10.66–8 kPa (120–100/80–60 mmHg). [Chinese Rural Doctor, 1991,(11):27]
6) Hand desquamation and pruritus: raw licorice and Tribulus each 100 g soaked in 75% ethanol 300 ml for 7 days, filtered and applied externally 2–3 times daily. 40 cases treated; 39 cured, 30 followed up after 6 months with 1 relapse. [Hunan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1992,(11):10]
7) Urticaria: raw licorice 30 g brewed with 500 ml boiling water, taken hot or cold as a water substitute daily for 30 days. 36 cases treated; 34 cured, 1 improved, 1 not cured. [Henan Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003,23(9):56]
8) Phlebitis: safflower and licorice each half amount, ground to fine powder, mixed with 50–70% alcohol, applied externally and bandaged, changed daily. 68 cases treated; 53 cured, 10 improved, 5 ineffective; total effective rate 88.89%. [Journal of External Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2001,10(6):32]
9) Mushroom poisoning with visual hallucinations: mung beans 100–300 g, raw licorice 10–20 g, soaked in 1000 ml water for 30 minutes, decocted 30 minutes, 600 ml juice taken as tea frequently, 100 ml each time, 1–2 doses daily. 88 cases treated; 68 markedly effective, 18 effective, 2 ineffective; total effective rate 97.73%. [New Chinese Medicine, 1999,3(3):37]

Additional herb: Zhigancao (Honey-fried Licorice) is the honey-fried processed product of licorice. Its properties and actions are the same as licorice, with effects of tonifying spleen and stomach, augmenting qi, and restoring pulse. Used for spleen and stomach weakness, fatigue, palpitations, and intermittent pulse. Dosage and administration are the same as licorice.