licorice and sex

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3852/is_200201/ai_n9035314 Ok y'all I found this article, about testosterone levels.. and it was interesting...they talk about licorice decreasing testosterone... I never knew about the connection...I guess it's true..it's printed on the WWW (so nelly guys eat licorice, girls who eat licorice have water retention...???) I;m serious that is how I read it....

I'm sorry I can't stop giggleing... "Oh no..I just ate some licorice jelly beans...there is no way I can help you move that sofa"

LOL I just skimmed the first page and that's what it looks like. And I can't stop laughing about the jelly bean comment.

I wonder how many people in the US really eat true licorice. Even the black "rope" candy is usually made using anise or other licorice-like flavorings, rather than true licorice. And that's a good thing, because licorice has a wide variety of potent steroid-like effects and side-effects that belie its apparently-innocuous use as as a flavoring and candy ingredient. Licorice itself contains glycyrrhizic acid and several related steroidal compounds. These compounds mimic the effects of the natural mineralocorticosteroid aldosterone, and licorice, when eaten in amounts not much greater than a usual "licorice habit", promotes sodium retention, potassium excretion, fluid retention and can lead to dangerous and uncontrollable increases in blood pressure and sometimes deadly hypokalemia (low serum potassium levels.) Discontinuing the ingestion of licorice is all that's needed to reverse this syndrome. Furthermore, licorice inhibits both 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17,20-lyase, which catalyze the conversion of 17-hydroxyprogesterone to androstenedione, the immediate precursor to the primary androgen, testosterone. This accounts for the well-documented (but unfortunately still not well-enough known) effect of licorice on serum testosterone levels. Interestingly enough, this very same week, a new "miracle drug" in the fight against aggressive, seemingly-incurable, castration-independent prostate cancer was reported in the press, the investigational drug abiraterone. Most cases of incurable prostate cancer result from tumor cells that have developed the ability to synthesize their own androgens that promote further growth, even in the face of androgen-blocking drugs. Abiraterone, by blocking the synthesis of such androgens, even outside of the testes, apparently has helped men with only a few weeks to live to survive for months or years, and even prosper. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7502238.stm Like glycyrrhizic acid, abiraterone is also an inhibitor of 17α-hydroxylase/17,20 lyase (though it may not have the undesirable mineralocorticoid effects of glycyrrhizic acid). So, an old favorite candy of your grandmother's may turn out to be a fountain of youth for men who had previously received a death sentence! /Steve

If I may take the liberty of adding my two cents to Steve's very informative post, powdered liquorice root is an effective expectorant, and has been used for this purpose since ancient times, especially in Ayurvedic medicine where it is also used in tooth powders. Modern cough syrups often include liquorice extract as an ingredient. Additionally, liquorice may be useful in conventional and naturopathic medicine for both mouth ulcers and peptic ulcers. Non-prescription aphthous ulcer treatment incorporates glycyrrhiza in a dissolving adherent troche. Liquorice is also a mild laxative and may be used as a topical antiviral agent for shingles, ophthalmic, oral or genital herpes. Liquorice affects the body's endocrine system as it contains isoflavones (phytoestrogens). Consuming licorice can prevent hyperkalemia. Large doses of glycyrrhizinic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid in liquorice extract can lead to hypokalemia and serious increases in blood pressure, a syndrome known as apparent mineralocorticoid excess. These side effects stem from the inhibition of the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (type 2) and subsequent increase in activity of cortisol on the kidney. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase normally inactivates cortisol in the kidney; thus, liquorice's inhibition of this enzyme makes the concentration of cortisol appear to increase. Cortisol acts at the same receptor as the hormone aldosterone in the kidney and the effects mimic aldosterone excess, although aldosterone remains low or normal during liquorice overdose. To decrease the chances of these serious side effects, deglycyrrhizinated liquorice preparations are available. The disabling of similar enzymes in the gut by glycyrrhizinic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid also causes increased mucus and decreased acid secretion. It inhibits Helicobacter pylori, is used as an aid for healing stomach and duodenal ulcers, and in moderate amounts may soothe an upset stomach. Liquorice is an adaptogen which helps reregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. It can also be used for auto-immune conditions including lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and animal dander allergies. In traditional Chinese medicine, liquorice is commonly used in herbal formulae to "harmonize" the other ingredients in the formula and to carry the formula into all 12 of the regular meridians and to relieve a spasmodic cough. Worth paying attention to guys: Some of that "old favorite candy of your grandmother's" can be used to treat ileitis, leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease as it is antispasmodic in the bowels. Something to keep in mind before that important date???!!! Even though licorice can lower the amount of serum testosterone, whether it affects the amount of free testosterone is unclear. Google "licorice" and see what YOU can come up with!!!