Licorice (Glyrrhiza glabra) has been used for centuries in traditional herbal medicine to treat all kinds of digestive disorders, including heartburn, gastritis, stomach ulcers, and duodenal ulcers. In the West, licorice has been widely used in European herbal medicine as a treatment for gastric ulcers. Modern use began in 1946, when the Dutch physician F. E. Revers demonstrated that licorice was the active ingredient in a domestic medicine used in the Netherlands. When the substance was studied for this use, good results were obtained in the treatment of stomach ulcers in 32 patients.
In the 1950s, research showed that licorice-derived compounds can raise the concentration of prostaglandins in the digestive system that promote mucous secretion from the stomach, as well as produce new cells in the stomach lining. It was also shown that licorice prolongs the life span of surface cells in the stomach and has an antipepsin effect. The combination of these effects leads to the healing of ulcers.
The anti-ulcer activity of licorice is well-documented. It has been found to be as effective as the drugs Cimetidine and Pirenzapine in curing peptic ulcers. An Ayurvedic preparation containing licorice increased p-glucuronidase activity in the Brunner's glands, offering protection against duodenal ulcers.
Health care practitioners in Europe and Japan often prescribe a synthetic form of licorice to treat stomach ulcers. Although this drug is not available in the United States, many health care providers use deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) to treat gastric ulcers. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is a licorice supplement in which the component glycyrrhizin is removed. Glycyrrhizin has been reported to cause increases in blood pressure.
Research Supports Using Licorice for Digestive Disorders
Animal studies and early trials in humans support the value of licorice for stomach ulcers. One animal study found that aspirin coated with licorice reduced the number of ulcers in rats by 50%. (High doses of aspirin often cause ulcers in rats). Earlier studies in humans have found that preparations containing glycyrrhizin may be as effective as leading anti-ulcer medications in relieving the pain associated with stomach ulcers. The substance may also prevent the ulcers from recurring.
In one study, licorice root fluid extract was used to treat 100 patients with stomach ulcers (of which 86 had not improved using conventional medication) for six weeks. Ninety percent of the patients improved; ulcers totally disappeared in 22 of these patients.
References:
Blumenthal M 1997 German Commission E monographs: therapeutic monographs on medicinal plants for human use. American Botanical Council, Austin, Texas
Ross 12001 Medicinal plants of the world, vol 2. Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey
Morgan AG, McAdam WAF, Pacsoo C 1982 Comparison between cimetidine and Caved-S in the treatment of gastric ulceration, and subsequent maintenance therapy. Gut 23:545
Bianchi PG, Petrillo M, Lazzaroni M 1985 Comparison of pirenzepine and carbenoxolone in the treatment of chronic gastric ulcer: a double-blind endoscopic trial. Hepatogastroenterology 32:293
Nadar TS, Pillai MM 1989 Effect of Ayurvedic medicines on beta-glucuronidase activity of Brunner's glands during recovery from cysteamine induced duodenal ulcers in rats. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 27(11):959
Lucy Tashman - As a writer, I draw on my background in environmental studies, natural history, botany, and herbal medicine, combined with a lifelong ...
Join the Conversation