The efficacy of drinking licorice in water

Licorice is a woody plant and is also a relatively common Chinese herbal medicine. It has very good efficacy and functions, and has the effects of clearing away heat and fire, relieving cough and reducing phlegm. And it is a natural herb. You can drink licorice tea to replenish lung qi and reduce the occurrence of symptoms. Drinking licorice in water can indeed treat some diseases, but before using licorice, it is best to first understand whether your body is healthy, and try to take it under the advice of a doctor.

1. The effect of drinking licorice in water

1. It is used for stomachache, abdominal pain and gastrocnemius spasm pain, etc. It is often used together with peony, which can significantly improve the efficacy of treating spasm pain, such as Peony and Licorice Decoction.

2. Used to adjust the potency of some medicines. For example, this product can be used to flavor Chengqi Decoction to alleviate the laxative effect of coptis root and mirabilite, as well as their irritation to the digestive tract. In addition, this product is often used to blend various medicines in many prescriptions.

3. Used for heart qi deficiency, palpitations, irregular pulse, spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue, etc. The former is often used with cinnamon twigs, such as Guizhi Gancao Decoction and Zhigancao Decoction. The latter is often used together with Codonopsis pilosula and Scutellaria baicalensis, such as Sijunzi Decoction and Lizhong Pills.

4. 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 tea, lotus forsythia, etc., which can work together to achieve the effect of clearing away heat and removing fire, like 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 fertilizer or food poisoning, it is often taken with mung beans or boiled in water with saposhnikovia divaricata.

5. Used for asthma and cough. It can be used alone or in combination with other medicines. For example, Erchen Decoction is used to treat cough caused by damp phlegm; Linggan Wuwei Jiangxin Decoction is used to treat cough caused by cold phlegm; Sangxing Decoction is used to treat cough caused by dry phlegm; Platycodon Decoction is used to treat cough with fishy smell and white foamy sputum caused by heat toxicity; and Gancao Ganjiang Decoction is used to treat cough with saliva. In addition, it is often used together for wind-heat cough, lung-heat cough, and hot phlegm cough.

2. Taboos of drinking licorice soaked in water

1. Cannot be used continuously

When treating diseases, many Chinese medicine practitioners recommend that patients use licorice soaked in water to drink. However, when drinking licorice soaked in water, you must be careful not to take it for a long time, otherwise it will damage the gastrointestinal function. And according to many years of research, licorice contains opium. Long-term consumption of licorice will cause people to become dependent on opium. Therefore, it is recommended that everyone consume it in moderation and not use it continuously.

2. Do not take with other medicines

As we all know, Chinese herbal medicines such as licorice have a very good effect on treating coughs caused by colds. When people cough persistently, they can use licorice to soak in water to relieve their discomfort. But you must remember that after drinking licorice soaked water, you must not take other cough medicines immediately, otherwise it will seriously affect the health of the respiratory center. In addition, it should not be taken together with heart treatment drugs and blood pressure lowering drugs to avoid causing irreparable damage to the body.