How to take licorice tablets for best effect

Licorice is a common Chinese herbal medicine in our lives and has a good therapeutic effect on the prevention and treatment of diseases. It is very helpful for common colds, coughs, asthma, palpitations, etc. In addition to being used as a medicine in life, it can also be cooked with other foods to make soup, and it has many effects. In addition to these methods and uses, how can licorice tablets be taken for better results?

The efficacy and effects of licorice

1. It is 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.

Licorice has many functions and effects. For many people, eating licorice is a common thing. Below, the editor has compiled some ways to eat fresh licorice, let’s learn together.

How to eat fresh licorice for good effect

Licorice Lotus Leaf Drink

Ingredients: licorice, fresh lotus leaves, and water.

Method: Wash the vegetables in a clean pot, then add water and bring to a boil. Wash the lotus leaves and tear them into pieces. Wash the licorice and set aside. Put lotus leaves and licorice into boiling water and boil over high heat for ten minutes, then filter and keep the liquid for consumption.

Efficacy: This tea can clear away heat, detoxify, cool down and reduce inflammation after drinking.

Note: Many people believe that drinking this tea can improve health, so they usually drink it constantly, even instead of tea. In fact, this method is very wrong. After all, licorice is a medicinal material, and lotus leaves are cold in nature. Long-term use can easily damage the stomach and intestines, so it is recommended that you do not take it in large quantities or frequently.