Hyperacidity, arrhythmia treated with TCM licorice root

What is licorice root(Gan Cao)?
Medicinally it means the roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., G.inflata Bat., and G.glabra L. In China it is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and other places. It is usually harvested during spring and autumn. Typically the one in autumn is preferred. After harvesting, remove its fibrous roots, dry it in the sun, and slice it thickly. And it is used raw or honey fried.

It is a perennial herb, 30 to 100cm high. Root is stout, cylindrical, sweet, and with red-brown or dark brown skin. Stems are erect, and with xylon base, which is covered with white short hairs and bristle-like glands. Leaves are odd pinnate, alternate, and with about 6cm petiole. Leaflets are 7 to 17, ovate-elliptic, 2 to 2.5cm long, 1 to 3cm wide, and with obtuse tip, rounded base, and surfaces covered with glands and short hairs. Raceme, densely flowered, grows from leaf axil in summer. Bell-shaped calyx is covered with short hairs and bristle-like glands. Legume, in the shape of bar and oblong, grows densely, and sometimes it looks like from falciform to ring, 6 to 9mm, , and densely covered with brown bristle-like glands. Seeds, 2 to 8, are disciform or slightly kidney-shaped.

Main chemical constituents of licorice root and rhizome are glycyrrhizin, which is the sylvite and calcium salt of glycyrrhizic acid. It also contains liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, isoliquritigenin, neo-liquiritin, neoiso-liquiritin, and so on.

Licorice root benefits
This is not only one of the most common Chinese herbs, but also an indispensable one in many herbal formulas. This is simply because it is able to harmonize the efficacies of a variety of other herbs. However, the health benefits of licorice are far from that. Today, its ready-made products, including licorice root tea, chew sticks, extract, powder, supplement, are so popular. Western Pharmacology found that licorice has the anti-inflammatory and antiallergic functions.

Modern pharmacological actions of licorice herb
1. It fights arrhythmia;
2. It prevents ulcers, inhibits gastric acid secretion, relieves gastrointestinal smooth muscle spasm, eases pain, and works in coordination with Paeoniflorin, which is the active ingredient of peony;
3. It promotes the secretion of pancreatic juice;
4. It relieves cough significantly, makes expectoration easy, and prevents asthma to a certain extent;
5. It has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic effects;
6. It protects the inflamed mucous membranes of the throat and trachea;
7. It has a certain toxic glucuronide-like detoxification;
8. It has an effect similar to the adrenocortical hormone;
9. It counteracts diuresis, lowers lipid level, protects liver, and so on.