Licorice root, a food flavoring sold as a digestive supplement, acts as a drug. Clearest benefits are short-term: soothing sore throats and mouth sores, and easing indigestion and reflux with forms lacking the sweet compound. Evidence for slower aging comes only from animal and cell studies. Regular intake of the sweet compound raises blood pressure and lowers potassium, outweighing its modest benefits for longevity; forms without it are safer. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home blood pressure | No established target; track change from own pre-licorice average | Safety check: a sustained rise stops or changes use |
| Serum potassium | 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L | Safety check: a fall stops use |
| Plasma renin and aldosterone | Within laboratory limits; track suppression from own baseline | Expected to change: suppression confirms glycyrrhizin effect |
| Creatinine and eGFR | Within laboratory limits | Safety check: impaired kidney function excludes glycyrrhizin forms |
| ALT | Below the laboratory upper limit | Expected to change: falls in fatty liver |
| H. pylori breath or stool antigen test | No established target; track conversion from a positive to a negative test | Expected to change: clearance confirms effect |
| Total testosterone (men) | Within laboratory limits | Expected to change: a fall at high doses changes use |
Cadence: Baseline before starting; home blood pressure daily for the first 2 weeks, then weekly; potassium at 2 to 4 weeks, then every 3 months while use continues; condition-specific markers at 8 to 12 weeks