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Licorice was brought to my attention by Candy at Pacific Coast Greens, a great health food store in Malibu. I've done some research on it, using myself as a guinea pig. I found licorice to be
a wonderful herb, for it did away with all sorts of uncomfortable nuisances, e.g. high temperature, ulcers and arthritis.
Dan Mowrey states:
Licorice root is one of the most biologically active
herbs in the world. Licorice root is an effective treatment for the stomach ailments. Licorice exerts a soothing action on the muscosal surfaces of the GI tract, and is frequently used to
help these tissues heal. Licorice root derivatives, glycryuhetinic acid (GLA), deglycrihyinated licorice (DGL) and carbenoxolene sodium (CS) have all been proven as among the best anti ulcer
medications available. Whole licorice and its' derivatives appear to have the ability to inhibit gastric acid secretion with the advantage of being devoid of other adverse anlickolinergic
properties.
Licorice root helps prevent and heal skin problems. The conditions that increase the occurrence of acne-like symptoms during certain stages of the menstrual cycle may be affected by
the consumption of licorice root.
The anti-inflammatory properties of the root have been considered responsible for its effectiveness in the treatment of numerous skin disorders, including eczema,
dermatitis, impetigo and traumatized skin.
It should be mentioned that the antipyrelic (fever reducing) effects of GLA have been shown equal to those of the widely used sodium salicylate (41).
Fever reduction is important to Hepatitis C patients. My experience for several years was that I was always at about 99.8 degrees. My fever would rise after eating. It was extremely
uncomfortable to live day after day, year after year, just a little bit hot.
Every time a doctor would record my slightly elevated temperature, I would ask why it was high. The usual answer was,
you probably just have a bug. The licorice really helped this problem.
Licorice root is used to remove buildup of toxic metabolic substances in the body as it increases the liver's ability to
filter out these wastes.
In the treatment of liver diseases (e.g. hepatitis and cirrhosis), GLA has proven extremely promising. In Chinese medicine, licorice is often used as a remedy for
jaundice and is considered a great liver detoxifier.
"Experimental work has validated the usefulness of licorice in the treatment of Hepatitis, cirrhosis and related liver disorder.
Licorice is a good tonic for the adrenal glands and Addison's disease" (41). This is very important for the Hepatitis C patient because you need to support your adrenal gland in many ways in
order to conquer the virus.
Mowrey continues:
Licorice appears to both mimic and potentiate the action of the adrenal-caiticosteroids, though it also differs in action from these chemicals in
several important ways.
Licorice components have been found to exert a positive effect on the course of several adrenal insufficiencies, even in Addison's Disease, which is characterized by near total
adrenal exhaustion (41).
In later stages, the Hepatitis C patient may develop severe joint pain, which I did. This pain was compounded one hundred fold by Interferon.
Mowrey writes:
The anti-arthritic property of GLA and of aqueous extracts of licorice have also been shown. Comparisons of licorice root to hydrocortisone are frequently made in the medical literature in England,
China and countries other than the USA.
In relation to the immune system, [which Hepatitis C patients must become obsessed with boosting], licorice root and its derivatives have recently shown
extremely promising results as Interferon inducers, which is especially good news for the treatment of Hepatitis C. [When is the last time your Hepatitis C doctor told you that?]
Glycyrhezic
acid, at concentrations well tolerated by uninfected cells, inhibits both growth and cytopathic effect of vaccinia, as well as herpes simplex, Newcastle disease, and vesicular stomatits viruses while
being ineffective on polio virus (41).
It is suggested that glycyrhezic acid interacts with virus structures (conservable proteins) producing different effects according to the viral stage
affected: inactivation of free virus particles extracellularly; prevention of intercellular uncoating of infecting particles; impairment of the assembling ability of virus structural components.
"As a general cautionary measure persons with a history of hypertension, renal failure, or the current use of cardian glycosides may wish to avoid the use of licorice root altogether" (41).
During my treatment I took 500mg 2 times per day.
I prepare the following tea every few days and drink a few cups daily.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a full boil and remove from heat. Add
3/4 cup licorice root, brew for 30 to 45 minutes and enjoy!
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