The role of Chinese medicinal licorice

When it comes to the traditional Chinese medicine licorice, I believe many people feel unfamiliar with it. In fact, licorice is a relatively common Chinese herbal medicine that can replenish the middle and invigorate the qi. It mainly grows in arid grasslands, deserts and other places. Its roots and stems have good medicinal value. It can treat symptoms and diseases such as spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue, and sore throat. So what are the functions and effects of the traditional Chinese medicine licorice?

In fact, the Chinese medicine licorice also has many functions and effects, especially it has a good medical auxiliary effect on the digestive system, immune function, etc. Below I will give you a detailed introduction to the functions and effects of the traditional Chinese medicine licorice for your study and reference.

Licorice, also known as guolao, sweet grass, and sweet root, is a perennial herb of the leguminosae family and the genus Glycyrrhiza. The roots and rhizomes are thick and it is a tonic Chinese herbal medicine. The medicinal parts are the roots and rhizomes. The roots are cylindrical, 25 to 100 cm long and 0.6 to 3.5 cm in diameter. The skin has varying degrees of tightness and the surface is reddish brown or grayish brown. The rhizome is cylindrical, with bud scars on the surface and pith in the middle of the cross section. It has a slight odor and a sweet and special taste. Functions and indications: clearing away heat and detoxifying, removing phlegm and relieving cough, and relieving abdominal pain, etc. It likes a dark, humid, dry climate with long sunshine and low temperature. Licorice grows mostly in arid and semi-arid desert steppes, desert edges and loess hilly areas. The roots and rhizomes are used for medicinal purposes.

The role of Chinese medicinal licorice

Medicinal value

Indications: 1. Used for heart qi deficiency, palpitations, irregular pulse, spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue, etc. The former is often used in combination with cinnamon twig, such as Guizhi Gancao Decoction and Zhigancao Decoction. The latter is often used together with Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, etc., such as Sijunzi Decoction and Lizhong Pills. 2. Used for carbuncle, sore throat, etc. It can be used alone, orally or topically, or in combination. For carbuncles and ulcers, it is often used together with honeysuckle, forsythia, etc., which can work together to achieve the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying, such as the immortal prescription life-saving drink. For sore throat, it is often used together with Platycodon grandiflorum, such as Platycodon grandiflorum soup. In case of pesticide or food poisoning, it is often taken with mung beans or boiled in water with saposhnikovia divaricata. 3. Used for asthma and cough. It can be used alone or in combination with other drugs. For example, Erchen Decoction is used to treat cough caused by damp phlegm; Linggan Wuwei Jiangxin Decoction is used to treat cough and asthma caused by cold phlegm; Sangxing Decoction is used to treat cough caused by dry phlegm; Platycodon Decoction is used to treat cough and spit of fishy and purulent phlegm caused by heat toxicity; and Gancao Ganjiang Decoction is used to treat cough and spit of saliva. In addition, it is often used in combination for wind-heat cough, wind-cold cough, and hot phlegm cough. 4. It is used for stomachache, abdominal pain and gastrocnemius spasm pain, etc. It is often used together with peony, which can significantly enhance the efficacy of treating spasm pain, such as Peony and Licorice Decoction. 5. Used to moderate the potency of certain medicines. For example, this product is used in the Chengqi Decoction to alleviate the laxative effect of rhubarb and Glauber's salt and their irritation to the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, this product is often used to harmonize various medicines in many prescriptions. In addition, it is used in modern times for gastric and duodenal ulcers, often together with cuttlefish bones, corrugated seeds, verbena, etc. This product also has a diuretic effect, so the hay tips are often used as an auxiliary medicine for treating hot stranguria and painful urination. It has a detoxifying effect when used together with soybeans, but it should not be used when dysentery first occurs.

Pharmacological Action

Western medicine pharmacology has found that licorice has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic functions, so it is mainly used as a palliative agent in Western medicine clinical practice. Relieve cough, eliminate phlegm, treat sore throat and laryngitis; licorice or glycyrrhetinic acid has deoxycorticosterone-like effects and has good effects on chronic adrenocortical insufficiency; licorice preparations can promote the formation and secretion of gastric mucus, prolong the life of epithelial cells, have anti-inflammatory activity, and are often used in the treatment of chronic ulcers and duodenal ulcers; licorice flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antacid effects; licorice is also one of the main raw materials of Ren Dan. Licorice is also widely used in the food industry to make candies, preserves and chewing gum. Licorice extract is an emulsifier for making chocolate. It can also increase the taste and aroma of beer, improve the consistency and color of dark beer, make certain soft drinks and liqueurs, and correct the flavor of cigarettes. Licorice is also widely used in the chemical and printing and dyeing industries.

1. Effect on the digestive system: The extract without glycyrrhizin and the flavonoids in licorice have a significant protective effect on experimental ulcers in rats. 2. Adrenal cortex hormone-like effect: Licorice extract, glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid can promote sodium and water retention in healthy humans and animals. 3. Detoxification effect: Licorice extract and glycyrrhizin have certain detoxification abilities for certain drug poisoning, food poisoning, and poisoning by metabolites in the body. The effective ingredient for detoxification is glycyrrhizin, and the detoxification mechanism is that glycyrrhizin has an adsorption effect on poisons. 4. Antitussive and antiasthmatic effects Glycyrrhetinic acid has a significant central antitussive effect. Large doses of glycyrrhetinic acid can cause respiratory depression in mice. In addition, glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizinate have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-liver damage, and anti-cancer effects. 5. Regulate the body's immune function and resist arrhythmia. 8. Used for asthma and cough. It can be used alone or in combination with other drugs.

Medicinal properties: [Functions and indications]: Nourishes the spleen and replenishes qi, clears away heat and detoxifies, removes phlegm and relieves cough, relieves pain, and harmonizes various medicines. It is used for spleen and stomach weakness, fatigue, palpitations and shortness of breath, cough with excessive sputum, cramps and pain in the abdomen and limbs, carbuncles and sores, and to relieve the toxicity and potency of drugs. [Precautions for use]: It should not be used together with Euphorbia pekinensis, Daphne genkwa, Gelsemium elegans, and Sargassum.

Other medicinal effects: 1. Licorice has effects similar to adrenal cortex hormones. It has an inhibitory effect on excessive gastric acid secretion caused by histamine; it also has antacid and gastrointestinal smooth muscle spasm-relieving effects. 2. Licorice flavonoids, licorice extract and glycyrrhetinic acid all have obvious antitussive effects; the expectorant effect is also quite significant. 3. Licorice also has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, and can protect the inflamed throat and tracheal mucosa. 4. Licorice is often used to treat symptoms that accompany menopause. 5. The subcitonic acid contained in licorice can block the effect of carcinogens in inducing tumor growth.

Contraindications: 1. It is not suitable for patients with excessive distension and edema. 2. Do not eat it with carp, as it will cause poisoning.

Toxic side effects: In traditional medicine, licorice is mostly used as a herbal medicine. It has the function of harmonizing various medicines, and many traditional prescriptions use licorice in combination. Licorice contains many chemical components, but glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid are the main ones. Some snacks sold on the market, such as candy, sour plums, and olives, are made with or mixed with licorice. However, if you eat licorice for a long time or eat a large amount of licorice, there may be adverse consequences. The pharmacological effect of licorice is similar to that of adrenal cortex hormone (hormone). Many people who are familiar with licorice know that excessive licorice will reduce urine volume and sodium excretion, and the body will accumulate excessive sodium (salt) and cause high blood pressure; the water storage will increase, leading to edema. At the same time, hypokalemia caused by excessive loss of blood potassium can lead to arrhythmia and muscle weakness. Electron microscopy observations showed that licorice can cause myocardial damage. These research results have long been published in Western medical literature. There are also reports that it can affect the brain and patients will experience symptoms of drowsiness.

After reading the above detailed introduction about the functions and effects of the traditional Chinese medicine licorice, I believe that you all have a general understanding of licorice. Licorice is a traditional Chinese medicine with very significant effects, but it also has certain toxic side effects. Therefore, it is best to consult a doctor in advance before taking it, otherwise it may easily lead to edema, poisoning and other signs.