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Licorice and energy

Does taking licorice 3x/day increase your energy level?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 50.0%
  • No

    Votes: 2 50.0%

  • Total voters
    4
  • Poll closed .

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I'm wondering if licorice may be able to partially reduce the viral triggers of some mitochondrial fragmentation. I seem to be noticing increased energy when I dose it around 3/4 cup at 3x/day religiously. If you want to make a week's worth of licorice tea fill a fine meshed tea ball with one teaspoon of licorice powder and steep in 0.75 L of boiling hot water for 5 minutes, remove the ball and give four squirts of lemon juice to stabilize. Cool and transfer to a bottle. Make sure you supplement potassium as it is depleting. I recommend V8, light salt and bananas as good sources.
 
Last edited:

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,444
Location
Great Lakes
This is a hard one for me because nothing really gives me any energy. Instead what I get from some things is a lessening of the symptoms that make it hard to get things done...primarily what I call my faint/tinglies.

So I used it for that for about 3-4 years daily. However, I've also been noticing that it also makes my tachycardia worse (probably related to the potassium depletion) so I've had to skip a lot of days lately.

Potassium supplementation does help but I'm on so many pills right now that I hate to have to swallow much more on a regular basis. Rotational is okay so that's why I've lowered my usage of the licorice. Sometimes I will also eat some real licorice candy (not just the anise flavored ones).

Ken Lassesen also talks about using licorice for ME/CFS: https://cfsremission.com/2012/11/26/licorice-glycyrrhiza/
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
This is a hard one for me because nothing really gives me any energy. Instead what I get from some things is a lessening of the symptoms that make it hard to get things done...primarily what I call my faint/tinglies.

So I used it for that for about 3-4 years daily. However, I've also been noticing that it also makes my tachycardia worse (probably related to the potassium depletion) so I've had to skip a lot of days lately.

Potassium supplementation does help but I'm on so many pills right now that I hate to have to swallow much more on a regular basis. Rotational is okay so that's why I've lowered my usage of the licorice. Sometimes I will also eat some real licorice candy (not just the anise flavored ones).

Ken Lassesen also talks about using licorice for ME/CFS: https://cfsremission.com/2012/11/26/licorice-glycyrrhiza/

Have you tried d-ribose and nicotinamide riboside to boost ATP and NAD?
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,444
Location
Great Lakes
I have tried d-ribose and ended up in the ER. Tachy again. :(

I still try it once in a while in much smaller amounts now in a mag, coq10, l-carnitine mix when I have heart pain but even that mixture doesn't help with energy.

I have not tried the nicotinamide riboside but years ago I tried Enada NADH on two different occasions with no boost.

Are they somewhat related, do you know?
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I have tried d-ribose and ended up in the ER. Tachy again. :(

I still try it once in a while in much smaller amounts now in a mag, coq10, l-carnitine mix when I have heart pain but even that mixture doesn't help with energy.

I have not tried the nicotinamide riboside but years ago I tried Enada NADH on two different occasions with no boost.

Are they somewhat related, do you know?

It's hard to know what's causing what when you don't eliminate things one by one. I use appetite sensing for D-ribose and never had that problem but my sensing levels are nowhere near what Dr. Tietelbaum recommends people take.

No Enada is not the same as riboside. Riboside is a NADH precursor with excellent absorption (better than Niacin and other forms). Give it a try, all adults need some as our bodies stop making it.

It also is a good idea to take reduced glutathione for the same reason (it is the master antioxidant). Other good ones for adults that aren't made as well over 40 are L-carnosine and ubiquinol. I also like shalijit because it extends ubiquonol so you need less.
 

perrier

Senior Member
Messages
1,254
I'm wondering if licorice may be able to partially reduce the viral triggers of some mitochondrial fragmentation. I seem to be noticing increased energy when I dose it around 3/4 cup at 3x/day religiously. If you want to make a week's worth of licorice tea fill a fine meshed tea ball with one teaspoon of licorice powder and steep in 0.75 L of boiling hot water for 5 minutes, remove the ball and give four squirts of lemon juice to stabilize. Cool and transfer to a bottle. Make sure you supplement potassium as it is depleting. I recommend V8, light salt and bananas as good sources.
Thanks for bringing up licorice again. I read a number of articles where folks ended up in hospital with high BP and it was discovered they over consumed licorice. Well, our family member has dreadful BP: 91/43, and we are hoping to make it go up with licorice. Ken Lassesen indicated that using 2.5 grams per day is the dose. I am not sure how you determine that with tea. I have been boiling licorice root and making 2 litres of tea and storing it. I am not sure this is effective at this point. Any suggestions welcome.
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I am not sure how you determine that with tea.

I go by appetite. I can tell blood level from that. I do the same with potassium. Haven't run into any problems at 4 cups of locorice tea per day. No BP issues from it.

I tried extract power raw and tea. Raw is very wasteful. Better off making tea with four squirts of lemon juice as a preservative and keeping in fridge. 1 tsp makes 1 L.
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
Licorice is similar to steroids. Will increase energy at a cost

It’s nothing like steroids. Worst case scenario is that it raises your blood pressure too high. Not so likely with an illness known to result in ridiculously low blood pressure levels.

I can stand up now, and I can get angry and experience blood pressure expected for my age.

I love this problem :D
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
It’s nothing like steroids. Worst case scenario is that it raises your blood pressure too high. Not so likely with an illness known to result in ridiculously low blood pressure levels.

I can stand up now, and I can get angry and experience blood pressure expected for my age.

I love this problem :D
It is quite literally pharmacologically similar to steroids. Like corticosteroids specifically

It reducesinflammation, but can cause overstimulation, mania., high blood pressure, and edema or electrolyte imbalance.

Dexamethasone or cortisone can reduce symptoms in me/cfs patients too.


Here's a quote about licorice: "Glycyrrhetic acid, the active metabolite in licorice, inhibits the enzyme 11-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme type 2 with a resultant cortisol-induced mineralocorticoid effect and the tendency towards the elevation of sodium and reduction of potassium levels. This aldosterone-like action is the fundamental basis for understanding its health benefits and the wide spectrum of adverse effects"
Form here
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498851/
Anyway, I tend to not think much of the risks of temporarily raising ones blood pressure, but licorice can cause such extreme mineralcorticoid effects and long term down regulation of an important BP and fluid regulating enzyme that it seems it's not as simple as stopping and starting it, it may have long term. Lagging effects on blood pressure.

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/21/E581
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
I'm wondering if licorice may be able to partially reduce the viral triggers of some mitochondrial fragmentation. I seem to be noticing increased energy when I dose it around 3/4 cup at 3x/day religiously. If you want to make a week's worth of licorice tea fill a fine meshed tea ball with one teaspoon of licorice powder and steep in 0.75 L of boiling hot water for 5 minutes, remove the ball and give four squirts of lemon juice to stabilize. Cool and transfer to a bottle. Make sure you supplement potassium as it is depleting. I recommend V8, light salt and bananas as good sources.
I have to wonder what makes you think it would reduce the viral triggers of mito fragmentation. It seems like it may be immune suppressive and help with inflammation. But of anythingsteroids similar to licorice are known to let viruses spread
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,444
Location
Great Lakes
Well, our family member has dreadful BP: 91/43, and we are hoping to make it go up with licorice.

I was on licorice capsules daily for a couple of years up until about 2 months ago. I did not find it moved my bp really that much. My normal was about 86/58. However, Mutaflor probiotic did so if you do not have success with licorice for your family member, you could try that.

Also Ken talks about taking the pure licorice candy. He said the capsules don't seem to have the same effect so I recently got some similar to those he recommends and they are very potent.

Only using 3 pieces of candy through the day and even though they do seem to help a bit more with my energy, my heart starts to hurt after I take them. I am trying to balance that out with high potassium foods and the foods do seem to help with the heart pain. Just something to be aware of and be careful of.

Someone did ask him here about the possibility of licorice affecting aldosterone and potassium levels on this post but he pointed out that the study they were quoting was done using much higher amounts than he was recommending.

I go by appetite. I can tell blood level from that. I do the same with potassium. Haven't run into any problems at 4 cups of locorice tea per day. No BP issues from it.

@gbells, could you explain what you mean by going "by appetite" or "using appetite sensing?"
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
It is quite literally pharmacologically similar to steroids. Like corticosteroids specifically

It reducesinflammation, but can cause overstimulation, mania., high blood pressure, and edema or electrolyte imbalance.

Dexamethasone or cortisone can reduce symptoms in me/cfs patients too.


Here's a quote about licorice: "Glycyrrhetic acid, the active metabolite in licorice, inhibits the enzyme 11-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme type 2 with a resultant cortisol-induced mineralocorticoid effect and the tendency towards the elevation of sodium and reduction of potassium levels. This aldosterone-like action is the fundamental basis for understanding its health benefits and the wide spectrum of adverse effects"
Form here
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498851/
Anyway, I tend to not think much of the risks of temporarily raising ones blood pressure, but licorice can cause such extreme mineralcorticoid effects and long term down regulation of an important BP and fluid regulating enzyme that it seems it's not as simple as stopping and starting it, it may have long term. Lagging effects on blood pressure.

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/21/E581

According to the article the molecule which causes that effect, glycyrrhetic acid, is only produced by intestinal bacteria and it is noted that the absorption is only an issue if you have slow fecal transit time or eat a very large amount of it. I'm only recommending up to 4 cups of tea per day. That's probably about 0.25 lb candy equivalent.

"The dose makes the poison" -Toxicology

Chubbyemu documented this overdose case. He had to eat 2 lbs of licorice candy daily for three weeks to get a bad reaction.


Anyway, since the raw powder poorly releases the glyrrizin more of it makes it to the gut to be transformed into the toxic glycyrrhetic acid. That is why the tea form is probably much less toxic, less glycyrrhetic acid is produced because more is absorbed and utilized before it gets to the bacteria.
 
Last edited:

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I have to wonder what makes you think it would reduce the viral triggers of mito fragmentation.

The effect is different. I use licorice early with immunotherapy and it decreases the energy drain speed that I normally get during active apoptosis. Mitochondral fragmentation comes from infected cells and licorice is known to bind to viruses so I theorize that the fragmentation trigger might be a viral component that is bound up in the licorice.

@gbells, could you explain what you mean by going "by appetite" or "using appetite sensing?"

The human gut contains neurons termed the enteric brain that relate nutrient composition in the digestive system which is then compared to the blood. In most people it is a vestigial ability due to our modern lifestyles but people can be retrained to restore it which allows precise nutrient and drug sensing.
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,444
Location
Great Lakes
Okay, something I learned today is that licorice can lower testosterone and even women need some testosterone for red blood cell production and muscle mass and fat distribution.

As I said, above I have probably been on it daily except for one occasion where I had to wean off of it for about 4-6 (?) weeks because of some upcoming endocrine/adrenal testing and in January-February of this year where I started skipping some days because it seemed to make my heart racing worse.

So about March 10th, I switched from the capsules to the pure extract candy like this. Now I just take 3-8 pieces of that a day. I actually think it helps me more than the capsules.

So one thing I've noticed is that I have been gaining weight in the last 10 days rapidly--about 6 lbs (2.7Kg). I suspected water weight gain but honestly, I can usually tell when that is happening. Some of this might be water weight, but I'm beginning to wonder if most of the rest is not an increase in muscle mass.

I have added more calories to my daily intake because I've lost too much weight since November and am actually looking kind of emaciated but not that many calories. Honestly, I don't think my size is changing at all.
Anyway an increase in muscle would be awesome as I have grown so weak over the years.

Here's the thing though, looking back I am wondering if my extreme muscle weakness and slight anemia started back when I started on the licorice caps.

And although, I'm still taking the licorice I'm wondering if the form and the fact that I take just a tiny few of these candies a day is making a difference. I still get the slight boost I need from the candies so I do need to keep taking it but IF there was a shift in the other, I would be so excited too.

This website says that, "In one study, 25 men consumed 7 grams of licorice root daily, which caused a 26% drop in testosterone levels after just one week."

I know that 7 grams is a lot (most people don't take that much) but thought I'd mention this for those like me who find licorice helpful with some symptoms. Just something to be aware of especially if you are low on testosterone already.

So maybe this won't be related to the licorice at all since I just switched forms but Ken Lassesen even says on his website that people who got some kind of remission with the licorice extract didn't get remission on the caps even in massive amounts so that makes me think there is something different between the two. IDK
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,216
I'm wondering if licorice may be able to partially reduce the viral triggers of some mitochondrial fragmentation.

I take licorice as part of a custom formula Chinese Traditional

Never take it alone. it must be balanced out with other appropriate herbs.

Not so likely with an illness known to result in ridiculously low blood pressure levels.

somehow- I am a high blood pressure version of ME. So that does exist.
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,484
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
I take licorice as part of a custom formula Chinese Traditional

Never take it alone. it must be balanced out with other appropriate herbs.

I don't care about Traditional Chinese Medicine rules. The main problem I've found with licorice is that it increases the need for potassium.
 

Booble

Senior Member
Messages
1,359
Quick warning for women -- licorice consumption has been shown to stimulate estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells and is not recommended for those with estrogen related risk for breast, uterine and ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
 

Judee

Psalm 46:1-3
Messages
4,444
Location
Great Lakes
So I thought it was muscle gain when I posted above but it turned out it is water weight because I lost most of it overnight again :(

Still it might be good for people to know that it can suppress testosterone as well as what Booble said above too with estrogen.

Unfortunately, I still need to take it. It's one of those things that for me helps to move some disabling symptoms out of the way. However, as I said this extract form seems better.

Plus, Ken Lassesen did say that most of the study done on it showing it affecting hormones like aldosterone were massive amounts 108gm for 6 years vs the 2.5gm that he recommends.