I love licorice too, but

[pellicle]

Death due to black licorice
Doctors reported on Wednesday that a Massachusetts man died after overeating bags of licorice for weeks. Eating too much licorice has thrown the man's nutrients out of whack, which caused his death.

Even a small amount of black licorice can increase the blood pressure a little bit, said cardiologist Dr. Neel Butala of the Massachusetts General Hospital, who wrote about the man's case in the New England Journal of Medicine.



https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/black-licorice-trick-or-treat

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., M.P.H., in 2016, reported that 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.

 

[Eva]

I used to love licorice. Fortunately, and for no reason, I stopped eating it!

 

[Superman]

Did you see how much this person was eating? Also, I don’t think this is Twizzlers. Anyone who’s had real black licorice would know the difference. Definitely an acquired taste.

 

[pellicle]

Anyone who’s had real black licorice would know the difference. Definitely an acquired taste.

I grew up in Australia eating real black liquorice and when I went to the states found that I'd also been eating real chocolate and drinking real coffee too. My lovely wife however (being from Finland really liked the salty liquorice they had in Finland ... that's a whole-nuther-level right there. Salty liquorice - Wikipedia

We lived in Kouvola for some time and that's pretty much one of the homes of the manufacture of it ...
https://www.kouvolanlakritsi.fi/en/shop/salty-liquorice-300g/

 

[Superman]

I grew up in Australia eating real black liquorice and when I went to the states found that I'd also been eating real chocolate and drinking real coffee too. My lovely wife however (being from Finland really liked the salty liquorice they had in Finland ... that's a whole-nuther-level right there. Salty liquorice - Wikipedia

We lived in Kouvola for some time and that's pretty much one of the homes of the manufacture of it ...
https://www.kouvolanlakritsi.fi/en/shop/salty-liquorice-300g/

My Grandma was first generation American. Parents were from Vriesland (Netherlands). Grandpa was Dutch as well. They also had the salty black licorice. Grandpa would eat pickled herring (fish) and have a small glass of buttermilk as a snack as well.

I did enjoy windmill cookies though!

 

[dornole]

Hmm, I’m rather fond of licorice tea. Good reminder not to overdo.

 

[Carnelian]

I stopped eating all licorice because it creates cavities, sticks to my teeth or might pull out my teeth. Anise is safer

 

[Eva]

I stopped eating all licorice because it creates cavities, sticks to my teeth or might pull out my teeth. Anise is safer

I make anise tea at night.

 

[KatherineA]

Licorice is also in many herbal teas, mostly the ones that say something about detox or also have turmeric. I always check the labels carefully anymore. Camomile can be very intense and it’s so widely added to “herbal teas”

It is a surprising how little of an herb or spice or whatever needs to be in a tea to have an effect. I took an herb course and this really hit home with that. We drank 3 herbs each class. Each class covered a Chinese Medicine element like water, fire or wood etc. These were all “normal” herbs found in commercial teas Or ones traditionally used when people make their one teas or teas often sold in farmers markets around where I live

The first class I didn’t realize how little of certain plants could really matter and drank probably a 1/3 - 1/2 cup of each Each class covered a Chinese Medicine element like water, fire or wood etc. the water element herbs really knocked me down. It was educational for sure

 

[Protimenow]

The black licorice in the United States uses Anise as its source of flavor - I don't think any use licorice root, which is the real villain here. And, as others have said, licorice root IS in many herbal teas. You can also buy it in capsules, if you're suicidal.

There are too many herbal supplements (and other stuff) that have been adequately studied for interactions between each other, and with prescription medications. I wish there were. Right now, it's a matter of 'try it, and see if you have problems with it.'

I'm using K2 (MK7) from two different companies - same dose, completely different packaging (one's a little gel ball with something in it, the other is a traditional capsule) -- the problem is, I don't really feel a difference when I take them. They could be packed with placebo, they can have something else entirely - and there's probably no way of knowing unless these are sent to a lab.

At least with regulated prescription drugs, you can be fairly confident that what you're buying is (usually) what's been prescribed -- and if there's a recall, the pharmacy will contact you right away.