{"id":13849,"date":"2017-10-31T12:52:34","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T16:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=13849"},"modified":"2017-10-31T18:43:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-31T22:43:00","slug":"halloween-trick-or-treat-eating-too-much-licorice-can-make-you-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/halloween-trick-or-treat-eating-too-much-licorice-can-make-you-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween Trick or Treat: Eating too much licorice can make you sick!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Halloween Trick or Treat: Eating too much licorice can make you sick!<\/h1>\n

It’s Halloween (well at least it is if you’re reading this on October 31st). So, we’re going to give you a different kind of tip today… a health tip. Hey! It’s Halloween, we have to do something to shake things up a bit today right?<\/p>\n

According to the U.S. FDA, eating too much licorice can land you in the hospital… and we’re not kidding.<\/p>\n

Here’s what the FDA has to say:<\/p>\n

…If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

FDA\u2019s Linda Katz, M.D., says last year 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.<\/p>\n

Katz says potassium levels are usually restored with no permanent health problems when consumption of black licorice stops.Licorice, or liquorice, is a low-growing shrub mostly grown for commercial use in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says the plant\u2019s root has a long history of use as a folk or traditional remedy in both Eastern and Western medicine. It has been used as a treatment for heartburn, stomach ulcers, bronchitis, sore throat, cough and some infections caused by viruses, such as hepatitis; however, NIH says there are insufficient data available to determine if licorice is effective in treating any medical condition….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Luckily for those of us the USA – the land of artificial flavors & colors – the licorice you eat may not be licorice at all. The FDA says:<\/p>\n

…Many \u201clicorice\u201d or \u201clicorice flavor\u201d products manufactured in the United States do not contain any licorice. Instead, they contain anise oil, which has the same smell and taste. Licorice root that is sold as a dietary supplement can be found with the glycyrrhizin removed, resulting in a product known as\u00a0deglycyrrhizinated licorice<\/a>, or DGL, NIH says….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, how do you know if you have the real stuff or the USA fake licorice? Read the ingredients label.<\/p>\n

The FDA offers the following advice if you gathered up a lot of real black licorice on your trick or treat adventures this year:<\/p>\n

\n