Home Supplements That Start With G Glycyrrhizic acid: Digestive Relief, Cough Soothing, Daily Limits, and Safety Precautions

Glycyrrhizic acid: Digestive Relief, Cough Soothing, Daily Limits, and Safety Precautions

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Glycyrrhizic acid—often listed on labels as glycyrrhizin or ammonium glycyrrhizate—is the signature sweet compound in licorice root. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose, and it is found in herbal teas, cough syrups and lozenges, candies, traditional formulas, and some cosmetic and oral care products. Interest in glycyrrhizic acid spans soothing effects for the throat and stomach, flavoring in foods, and supportive roles in skin-calming routines. Yet the same chemistry that brings benefits can also pose risks when intake is high or prolonged. Excess exposure may disturb the body’s salt and water balance, with elevations in blood pressure and drops in potassium. This guide translates the science into practical advice—what glycyrrhizic acid is, how it works, where it helps, how to use it wisely, how to read labels, common pitfalls, and who should avoid it—so you can capture benefits while staying well inside safe limits.

Essential Insights

  • Short courses may soothe cough or throat irritation and offer digestive comfort.
  • Overuse can cause pseudoaldosteronism with hypertension and low potassium.
  • Keep total daily glycyrrhizin from all sources ≤100 mg/day; limit use to 1–4 weeks.
  • Avoid oral use if pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have heart, kidney, or liver disease or take diuretics, digoxin, or corticosteroids.

Table of Contents

What is glycyrrhizic acid and how it works

Glycyrrhizic acid (also called glycyrrhizin) is a triterpenoid saponin naturally present in licorice roots from Glycyrrhiza species. In products, you may also see ammonium glycyrrhizate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, or other salts; these are simply more soluble forms of the same parent compound. When taken orally, intact glycyrrhizic acid is poorly absorbed. Instead, gut bacteria and intestinal enzymes split it into glycyrrhetinic acid and related sulfated or glucuronidated metabolites. Those metabolites circulate in the bloodstream—mostly bound to proteins—are secreted into bile, and undergo enterohepatic recirculation, which can prolong their presence in the body.

The most clinically important action happens in the kidney and some vascular tissues. An enzyme called 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) normally converts active cortisol into inactive cortisone, keeping cortisol from stimulating the mineralocorticoid receptor. Glycyrrhetinic acid–type metabolites inhibit 11β-HSD2. When that happens, ordinary levels of cortisol can activate the mineralocorticoid receptor as if aldosterone were high. The downstream effect is increased sodium and water retention with potassium loss—presenting as rising blood pressure, ankle swelling, fatigue, cramps, and, in serious cases, arrhythmias. Clinicians refer to this pattern as “pseudoaldosteronism” or “pseudohyperaldosteronism.”

This mechanism explains both risk and benefit. At lower exposures and short durations, glycyrrhizic acid–containing preparations can soothe irritated mucosa and modulate inflammatory signals. At higher exposures or longer courses, the mineralocorticoid-like effects dominate. Individual response varies based on factors that change exposure at the enzyme site: gut transit time (constipation prolongs metabolite formation), liver transporters, albumin levels, age, and interacting medications. Two people can take the same tea and have very different blood levels of active metabolites.

Glycyrrhizic acid is also used topically and in oral care. Its salts (for example, dipotassium glycyrrhizate) are found in skin-soothing serums and gels for visible redness and in toothpaste or mouthwashes intended to reduce stinging or irritation. Topical exposure yields far lower systemic levels than oral ingestion, but patch testing is prudent for reactive skin.

One additional term to recognize is DGL—deglycyrrhizinated licorice. DGL products remove most glycyrrhizic acid while retaining other licorice constituents such as flavonoids. People choose DGL when they want digestive comfort with minimal risk of mineralocorticoid-like effects. DGL makes sense when you need a longer runway, though product quality still matters and medical evaluation is important if symptoms persist.

In short, glycyrrhizic acid is a potent, well-characterized natural molecule. Knowing how it works—and why dose and duration matter—lets you use it confidently without stepping over safety lines.

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Evidence-based benefits and where it helps

Throat and upper-airway soothing. Traditional cough syrups, lozenges, and demulcent teas use licorice to ease scratchy throats and loosen secretions. Glycyrrhizic acid contributes sweet taste and mucosal comfort. Most people notice relief within hours to a few days. The right way to think about this effect is “symptom support during a short illness,” not treatment of bacterial infection or persistent respiratory disease. If fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, or a cough longer than a week occurs, seek medical care.

Digestive comfort for functional symptoms. Herbal monographs in Europe recognize licorice root as a traditional remedy for dyspepsia—burning sensations and upper-abdominal discomfort. Teas or soft/dry extracts taken after meals can reduce irritation and perceived acidity. Historical trials and more recent evaluations show mixed results for ulcer healing and Helicobacter pylori eradication, so licorice should be viewed as supportive rather than curative. If you have alarm features such as unintentional weight loss, anemia, black stools, severe pain, or persistent symptoms beyond two weeks, medical evaluation is necessary.

Adjunctive roles in liver and inflammatory pathways (specialist care only). In some countries, glycyrrhizin-containing injectables have been used under specialist supervision for chronic viral hepatitis to help normalize liver enzymes. While these products are prescription medicines and not over-the-counter supplements, they illustrate that glycyrrhizic acid interacts with immune and oxidative-stress pathways. Self-directed oral licorice is not a substitute for hepatitis treatment and should not be used with chronic liver disease without clinician guidance.

Dermatologic and oral-care support (topical). In leave-on skin products, glycyrrhizic acid salts and glycyrrhetinate esters are used to calm visible redness and stinging, often alongside barrier lipids and niacinamide. People with easily irritated skin may observe a more even, less blotchy appearance within one to two weeks, with better comfort at four to eight weeks. In oral care, glycyrrhizic acid salts contribute taste and soothing; again, systemic exposure from topical use is far lower than from ingestion.

Who is most likely to notice benefits?

  • Adults looking for short-term relief of throat scratchiness or simple cough during a cold.
  • People with functional dyspepsia seeking a brief demulcent trial after meals.
  • Individuals with reactive, redness-prone skin integrating a calming serum or moisturizer.

What to expect—and how to decide if it is working.

  • Cough/throat: Relief within 1–3 days. If symptoms escalate, stop and seek care.
  • Digestive: Comfort within several days; reassess at 2 weeks. If symptoms persist, stop and arrange evaluation.
  • Topical: Calmer appearance in 1–2 weeks; better stability by 4–8 weeks.

The common thread is thoughtful, time-limited use. Glycyrrhizic acid can be a helpful adjunct when you match the form to the goal, avoid stacking multiple sources, and respect conservative daily limits.

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How to use and dosage for adults

Core rule: Keep total daily glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) from all sources ≤100 mg/day during regular use. This ceiling includes teas, lozenges, syrups, candies, capsules, and traditional blends—and it is a practical line designed to protect most people. Sensitive individuals may react at lower intakes, so always listen to early signals from your body.

Digestive support (traditional use).

  • Herbal tea (infusion/decoction): Steep 1.5–2 g comminuted licorice root in 150 ml hot water for 10–15 minutes; take 2–4 times daily, one cup after meals. Limit self-care to ≤4 weeks without medical advice.
  • Soft extract (DER 1:0.4–0.5, water): 32 mg per dose 2–3 times daily, with a maximum of 160 mg/day (for example, 32 mg up to 5 times daily).
  • Soft extract (DER 3:1, water): 1.2–1.5 g 3–4 times daily.
  • Dry extracts equivalent to the above: follow the label for extract ratio and per-dose amounts.

Cough and throat soothing.

  • Herbal tea: 1.5 g comminuted root in 150 ml boiling water, 2 times daily.
  • Lozenges and syrups: Use as directed, and count glycyrrhizin per piece or teaspoon toward your ≤100 mg/day total. Limit self-care to about 1 week for simple colds.

DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice).

  • If you seek longer-term digestive comfort, consider DGL products with most glycyrrhizic acid removed. Chewable tablets are usually taken shortly before meals. Even with DGL, avoid indefinite self-treatment of chronic symptoms.

Topical use.

  • Look for leave-on products with dipotassium glycyrrhizate (~0.5–1%), glycyrrhetinic acid esters (up to ~1–2%), or similar. Apply once daily for several days, then increase to twice daily if well tolerated. Patch-test new formulas on a small area for 3 days before first facial use.

Duration and stop rules.

  • Stop immediately and seek advice if you notice ankle swelling, rising home blood pressure, persistent headache, muscle weakness or cramps, palpitations, or unusual fatigue.
  • For digestive indications, limit to ≤4 weeks; for cough, about 1 week; for topical products, continue if skin remains calm and irritation does not develop.

Putting numbers into practice—two quick examples.

  1. Your lozenge provides 20 mg glycyrrhizin each. Two lozenges = 40 mg; if you also drink two cups of strong licorice tea that day, you may exceed 100 mg depending on brew strength.
  2. A 50 g portion of strong licorice candy can contain >75–100 mg glycyrrhizin depending on brand. If you eat that much, skip other licorice sources that day.

Used this way—short courses, explicit doses, and total daily tallying—glycyrrhizic acid can be both effective and conservative.

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How to choose and read labels

Match the form to the job.

  • Soothing cough or throat: Lozenges or syrups that disclose glycyrrhizin per serving.
  • Digestive comfort: Teas or standardized extracts with clear dosing; DGL if you want to minimize glycyrrhizin exposure.
  • Skin support: Leave-on serums or creams listing dipotassium glycyrrhizate or glycyrrhetinate derivatives at typical cosmetic levels.

Look for clarity on actives.

  • The most transparent labels state the extract ratio (DER), the solvent (water or hydroalcoholic), and either the root-equivalent per dose or glycyrrhizin mg per serving. This lets you track your ≤100 mg/day total.
  • DGL labels should explicitly say “deglycyrrhizinated” and ideally quantify residual glycyrrhizin (for example, “<1%”).
  • For blends, avoid proprietary mixtures that do not quantify licorice content; safe use depends on knowing the numbers.

Quality cues that matter.

  • Choose brands that publish testing summaries (heavy metals, microbes), list lot numbers and expiry dates, and source pharmacopoeial-grade raw materials.
  • Teas should specify gram amounts per cup. Whole-cut pieces are easier to measure and generally cleaner than dusty powders.

Serving math and hidden sources.

  • Teas: Glycyrrhizin in prepared beverages varies widely. If a product does not quantify it, assume meaningful exposure and avoid other licorice that day.
  • Candies and beverages: Strong licorice candies, herbal liqueurs, and some sodas can deliver dozens of milligrams per serving.
  • Oral care and tobacco: Some chewing tobacco and specialty gums include licorice extract; while exposure differs from ingestion, frequent use can add up.

Topical formulas.

  • Ingredient lists may show “dipotassium glycyrrhizate,” “glycyrrhetinic acid,” or “stearyl glycyrrhetinate.” Pairings with niacinamide, panthenol, and ceramides are common and sensible for barrier support. If your skin is sensitive, avoid added fragrance and start slowly.

When you cannot verify content, default to caution.

  • If the label does not quantify glycyrrhizin, limit duration and do not stack multiple licorice sources the same day.
  • For complex medication lists, ask your pharmacist to check for interactions before you start.

Clarity and counting are your allies: know what you are taking, track your daily total, and use short-term.

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Common mistakes and troubleshooting

Mistake 1: Treating “natural” as “risk-free.”
Glycyrrhizic acid is plant-derived but pharmacologically strong. High intake can raise blood pressure and lower potassium.

Fix: Respect dose and time. Keep daily glycyrrhizin ≤100 mg/day and courses brief. If you are on interacting medications or have cardiovascular, kidney, or liver issues, consider a lower threshold or avoid oral use.

Mistake 2: Stacking multiple licorice sources.
It is easy to combine lozenges, tea, candies, and cough syrup in the same day without realizing it.

Fix: During any licorice course, avoid candies and other licorice-containing products. Tally per-serving glycyrrhizin across everything you use.

Mistake 3: Confusing glycyrrhizic acid with glycyrrhetinic acid or DGL.
They are related but not interchangeable. DGL removes most glycyrrhizic acid; glycyrrhetinic acid is a metabolite and a topical active. Only glycyrrhizic acid counts toward your daily oral total.

Fix: Read labels closely. For oral products, verify whether glycyrrhizin is present and in what amount. For topical products, look for glycyrrhizate salts or glycyrrhetinates and patch-test.

Mistake 4: Long-term self-treatment of chronic symptoms.
Weeks to months of “digestive support” without evaluation can delay diagnosis of ulcer disease, reflux complications, gallbladder disease, or other conditions.

Fix: If digestive symptoms persist beyond 2 weeks, pause licorice and arrange medical evaluation. For cough, seek care if symptoms last more than 1 week or are severe.

Mistake 5: Missing early warning signs.
Swelling at the ankles, new headaches, rising home blood pressure, muscle cramps, weakness, and palpitations can signal electrolyte shifts.

Fix: Stop oral licorice immediately if any warning sign appears. Hydrate, avoid further licorice, and seek care—especially if you are older, on diuretics, or have heart disease.

Mistake 6: Assuming potassium-sparing drugs “cancel out” licorice.
Some medicines blunt hypokalemia but can mask early clues that intake is too high.

Fix: Do not rely on combinations to neutralize risk. Prevention—short duration and conservative dosing—is safer than trying to balance one drug with another.

Troubleshooting quick list.

  • Feeling puffy or light-headed? Stop, check blood pressure, increase dietary potassium (if safe), and call your clinician.
  • No benefit after 1–2 weeks for digestive symptoms? Reassess and get evaluated.
  • Sensitive skin reacting to a new serum? Discontinue, simplify your routine, and try patch-testing before any re-trial.

Handled with these guardrails, glycyrrhizic acid can be useful—without unwanted surprises.

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Safety, interactions, and who should avoid

Primary risk: pseudoaldosteronism. Excess glycyrrhizic acid exposure leads to active metabolites that inhibit 11β-HSD2. Cortisol then activates mineralocorticoid receptors, causing sodium and water retention, potassium loss, hypertension, edema, and metabolic alkalosis. The laboratory pattern often includes low renin and low aldosterone. Symptoms may appear within days to weeks and typically resolve after stopping licorice and correcting electrolytes.

Who should avoid oral glycyrrhizic acid or use only under clinician guidance.

  • Hypertension, heart failure, coronary disease, or arrhythmias.
  • Chronic kidney disease or a history of low potassium.
  • Liver disease or low serum albumin.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding (safety not established; potential reproductive concerns).
  • Endocrine conditions affecting cortisol or aldosterone pathways.
  • Older adults taking multiple medications.

Medication interactions (high-value list).

  • Loop or thiazide diuretics: additive potassium loss and blood pressure elevation.
  • Digoxin: hypokalemia raises toxicity risk—avoid the combination.
  • Corticosteroids (systemic or potent topical used extensively): overlapping mineralocorticoid-like effects.
  • ACE inhibitors, ARBs, potassium-sparing diuretics, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: may blunt hypokalemia and mask early warning signs; do not rely on them to make licorice “safe.”
  • Stimulant laxatives: can worsen electrolyte imbalance.
  • Certain antihypertensives and oral contraceptives: review case-by-case with a clinician or pharmacist.

Topical safety.
Cosmetic concentrations of glycyrrhizic acid salts and glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives are generally well tolerated. Rarely, users may experience irritation or allergy. Patch-test first if you have reactive skin. Systemic effects from topical leave-ons are highly unlikely when used as directed.

When to seek urgent care (oral use).

  • Severe weakness or cramps, palpitations, or new irregular heartbeat.
  • Markedly elevated blood pressure with severe headache or chest pain.
  • Confusion, persistent vomiting, or fainting.

Practical safety rules.

  • Keep regular daily glycyrrhizin ≤100 mg/day from all sources.
  • Use short courses (digestive ≤4 weeks; cough ~1 week).
  • Prefer DGL when long-term digestive comfort is the goal.
  • If you take multiple medications, have a clinician or pharmacist review your product before you start.

These precautions let you retain the benefits of glycyrrhizic acid while minimizing the risks that most often lead to emergency visits.

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What the evidence says today

Mechanism and risk are firmly established. Multiple human observations and pharmacologic studies converge on the same mechanism: glycyrrhetinic acid–type metabolites inhibit renal 11β-HSD2, allowing cortisol to act on mineralocorticoid receptors and drive sodium retention with potassium loss. The clinical picture—hypertension, edema, hypokalemia, suppressed renin and aldosterone—reverses after stopping exposure and correcting electrolytes. This is why guidance centers on conservative intake and limited duration.

Dose and duration matter—and vary by person. Interindividual differences in gut flora, constipation, albumin levels, biliary transporters, and age can change metabolite exposure dramatically. Co-medications (especially diuretics and corticosteroids) amplify risk. That variability explains why a modest intake is enough to trigger problems in some but not others—and why universal, easy-to-remember guardrails (like ≤100 mg/day and brief courses) are emphasized.

Traditional approvals provide practical guardrails. Herbal monographs set dosing for teas and extracts, define indications as traditional (dyspepsia and cough), and state clear duration limits and cautions about at-risk populations and interactions. Those guardrails align well with modern case reviews and pharmacology.

Topical use is supported by practice, with low systemic exposure. Glycyrrhizic acid salts and glycyrrhetinate esters in skincare are widely used for visible redness and stinging. Most reports note good tolerability at cosmetic concentrations, especially when paired with barrier-supporting ingredients. As with any leave-on active, patch-testing reduces the odds of irritation.

Evidence gaps and priorities.

  • Better exposure labeling across food, candy, and multi-ingredient products to help consumers stay under daily thresholds.
  • Comparative trials testing DGL versus whole-root preparations for symptom relief and safety endpoints using standardized, transparent products.
  • Simple monitoring strategies (for example, potassium checks in high-risk users) to catch problems early during necessary short courses.

Bottom line. Glycyrrhizic acid can be helpful for short-term throat and digestive comfort and in topical soothing routines. The safest path is to match the form to the goal, count your total daily glycyrrhizin, and limit duration—simple steps with strong support from decades of clinical experience.

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References

Disclaimer

This article is educational and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Glycyrrhizic acid can raise blood pressure and lower potassium when overused. Do not use oral licorice if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have heart, kidney, or liver disease, unless a qualified clinician advises you. Seek prompt care for swelling, severe weakness or cramps, palpitations, severe headache, or rising blood pressure.

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