Wild licorice plant
Licorice has been a favorite ingredient in making candies, beverages, and baked goods because it contains compounds that are fifty times sweeter than sugar. While this perennial “sweet root” delights people with a sweet tooth, it doesn’t bring much satisfaction to others who’d been battling a metabolic illness their entire lives. The plant’s unrefined extract has the sweet-tasting compound Glycyrrhizin, which has been linked to high blood pressure, edema, and disruption of aldosterone regulation as possible side effects of taking too much licorice. As a result, herbal supplements made from this plant must be processed to remove the offending compound and modify the extract into Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice or DGL.
Now, licorice extract known as DGL has been rendered effective and non-threatening for people with hypertension, diabetes,and other health problems. As an herbal supplement, DGL helps strengthen and protect the natural mucus lining of the intestines and the stomach wall from tearing and infection. It acts as a trigger in releasing hormones that stimulate the protective mechanisms of the digestive system.
Most of the research done, including a study published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that while acid-blocking drugs, such as Tagamet, offer immediate relief to the suffering individual, the regular use of Deglycyrrhizinated licorice in moderate doses is just as effective in reducing the symptoms of stomach ulcers and indigestion. More importantly, DGL doesn’t lead to undesirable complications with water retention and hormone regulation. Chewable DGL tablets or caps successfully treat the symptoms of gastric ulcers and dyspepsia only when mixed with saliva for activation.
Two controlled research studies revealed that frequent use of Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice can cure ulcers as effectively as Zantac family drugs. However, you must continuously take DGL or else the ulcer will return. In addition, DGL licorice facilitates the healing of agonizing canker sores on the lips and inside the mouth. Chew down the tablet into a paste, and then coat the sore with the masticated paste using your tongue. The paste will ultimately dissolve in your mouth. Do this four times each day. DGL works by thickening your mouth’s mucosal lining where the sores normally form.
Although lots of people have used the drug to treat their heartburn, it’s vital to note that no clinical trials have been carried out to support the effect of licorice on heartburn. You should consult your medical doctor prior to using licorice or any other heartburn treatment. Generally, DGL treats a heartburn through its soothing effects on the stomach and esophagus tissues that have been aggravated by refluxed stomach acid. However, it does not decrease acid reflux or reduce stomach acid itself, but offers some anti-inflammatory relief for the esophageal and stomach pains.
References
1. http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/licorice
2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/881.html
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-chen-md/dgl-supplements_b_2976260.html
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