By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

Easter baskets and candy will be here soon. The top three best selling Easter candies are Reese’s Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Egg, Kinder Joy Egg, and jelly beans. Besides the sugar and calorie content of these treats, what other dangers can lurk?

A bag of jelly beans is a wonderful array of colors, but the black jelly beans are often ignored. Why?

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According to a recently released poll of the most disliked foods by Americans, black licorice is ranked number 2 with 45% indicating a dislike for the candy. This is followed by the number one disliked food of anchovies at 50%. Oysters, beets and blue cheese rounded out the top 5. 

This may help to explain why black jelly beans containing licorice are left for last! However, some individuals prefer the black jelly beans and you can buy whole bags of just that color. Many may not realize the dangers of true black licorice derived from the root of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant. The natural sweetener of glycyrrhizin has been described as having a similar taste to saccharin. 

Black licorice or glycyrrhizin has been used for medical purposes for centuries. Licorice has been used to treat coughs, colds, sore throats and liver disorders. Glycyrrhizin can be found in several throat and cough remedies. Glycyrrhizin is considered a demulcent, which means a soothing and coating agent to protect mucous membranes. It is described as reducing irritation and inflammation. Glycyrrhizin has expectorant properties and can help get rid of mucous or phlegm. 

As with any medicine including natural products, there can be some side effects associated with them. Black licorice or glycyrrhizin has some significant consequences when used in excess. 

In September of 2020, the New England Journal of Medicine published a case report of a 54-year old man who went into cardiac arrest and died after eating a bag and ½ of black licorice daily for weeks. This does seem to be quite a bit of glycyrrhizin to consume. However, it takes much less than that to cause significant side effects. 

In October of 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to eat more than 2 ounces of black licorice each day for more than 2 weeks. Fifty jelly beans are equal to about 2 ounces (depending on the size of the bean). The World Health Organization also produced a similar statement about the dangers of black licorice. 

What is the danger?

True black licorice containing glycyrrhizin causes the body to retain salt (sodium) and water. When this happens, it increases blood pressure and can cause hypertension. The retention of water causes swelling primarily in the hands and feet and can be dangerous to those with congestive heart failure. In addition, glycyrrhizin causes the body to deplete its stores of potassium, which is necessary for the proper rhythm of the heart. 

The side effects of true black licorice prompted lawsuits against major candy producers in the United States for not warning the public about the health effects of the glycyrrhizin. The lawsuits were asking for warning labels to be placed on candies which contain licorice such as black jelly beans, Nips, and Good & Plenty.

It is important to read the label of products because not all black licorice is made with the active ingredient of glycyrrhizin. Some products use anise oil as a substitute or other flavorings. Other colors of licorice such as the popular red color do not contain the glycyrrhizin component. 

It is not just candy. Reading the labels for food products and medicines such as cough drops is vital as well. 

If you are part of the 55% that like black licorice, then eat it sparingly and enjoy. Follow the FDA warning of 2 ounces or less for a short period of time. Ask your pharmacist when selecting a cough or cold remedy to see if it contains glycyrrhizin. 

I guess I will stick to my chocolate and peanut butter eggs!

ONU Healthwise is offering the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at clinics Monday-Friday from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Please call for more information. 

ONU Healthwise Pharmacy
419-772-3784