licorice can be bad for potassium levels, etc

J G.
on 10/28/11 9:31 am, edited 10/28/11 7:41 pm

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/28/8509131-scary-t reat-black-licorice-can-harm-heart-warns-the-fda

In Black Licorice, Glycyrrhizin causes the kidneys to excrete potassium. And low levels of potassium can make the heart beat dangerously fast or out of sync, says Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine.

The compound also leads to salt and water retention which can be a problem for people with heart failure or high blood pressure, Fonarow said.

It’s long been known in some cultures that licorice was more than just a sweet indulgence. In certain parts of the world, the chewy stuff is prescribed to treat everything from heartburn to bronchitis to viral infections. So far, though, there hasn’t been a study proving that licorice can cure anything, the FDA alert noted.

Because licorice is a bioactive food, which means it can tweak metabolic processes in the body, you also have to worry about interactions with medications, Fonarow said.

“Licorice can be a problem for people taking diuretics, digoxin and laxatives,Â" Fonarow said, explaining that the combination of the candy with these medications can also drive potassium down to dangerously low levels. “It can also interfere with normal cortisol metabolism.Â"

Some studies have suggested that licorice can drive up blood pressure in women taking oral contraceptives because of the potassium effect.

The FDA suggests that everyone, young and old, be careful about how much black licorice they consume at one time.

LuckyLibrarian
on 10/28/11 11:14 am - Plumerville, AR
My Nanny (grandmother) had an interaction from too much of the black stuff with her prescription Meds. Thanks for reminding us!
Kristen
"Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation." - Walter Cronkite

J G.
on 10/28/11 2:18 pm
Oh, gosh, hope she is okay.  Potassium is something you really have to be careful with and get regular labs.
nightowl
on 10/28/11 2:41 pm - Topeka, KS
I knew about real licorice raising blood pressure, but I didn't know about the potassium part.  My dad was an expert in high blood pressure, and said he knew (I don't know if personally or just knew of) a man who got out of going to Viet Nam by eating loads of it before his physical, and it caused him to be declined due to hypertension. 
J G.
on 10/29/11 7:57 am
Interesting sorry. I guess the man knew what he was doing and took the risk with his blood pressure...
Renee2007
on 10/29/11 12:00 am - Central, FL
 I never cared for black licorice but since surgery I CANNOT eat the Twizzlers. They blow me up like a balloon in just a few minutes!

Renee
 My DS   
SW/263  CW/136 GW/150



J G.
on 10/29/11 7:44 am
Apparently the 2nd ingredient in Twizzlers is wheat flour 
Amy Farrah Fowler
on 10/29/11 4:31 am
 LALALA   I can't hear you!!!!

Cuz I love licorice way too much to let this be true. 
J G.
on 10/29/11 7:47 am
Okay, I'm gentlly pulling your fingers out of your ears, 'cause you are my expert on all things "kidney."  LOL, Jenny
(deactivated member)
on 10/29/11 6:38 am - MN
DS on 03/13/12
Good thing I dont like black licorice
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