Liquorice Root

An old apothecary root used two ways — whole, and with the glycyrrhizin removed

All articles checked for accuracy against the GB NHC Register and all sources have citations with verified links to their relevant studies.

Liquorice has been used for millennia. Its sweetness comes from a single compound that also explains why some forms are chosen over others.

This article explains what glycyrrhizin is, why it matters for safety, and how WellsparQ uses liquorice in two distinct forms: whole root (glycyrrhizin intact) and deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (DGL). It clarifies regulatory limits, product choices and sensible use guidance without making unauthorised health claims.

Ingredient Snapshot

What it is

A sweet, fibrous root used as a botanical ingredient and flavouring.

Where from

Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice root) or close Glycyrrhiza species.

Known for

Contains glycyrrhizin (very sweet) and other compounds; some preparations have glycyrrhizin removed.

In WellsparQ

• HepaHerb Support200 mg
• CalmaRoot Blend100 mg

For reference

• EU Scientific Committee on FoodRegular intake above ~100 mg/day of glycyrrhizin may cause adverse effects in some people ^¹

Liquorice is one of the oldest medicinal roots in continuous use, found in Egyptian, Greek, Chinese and Ayurvedic traditions alike. The plant is Glycyrrhiza glabra (and close relatives) — the name comes from the Greek glykys rhiza, "sweet root." That sweetness is the key to understanding it, because it comes from a single compound that also explains liquorice's one real safety concern. WellsparQ uses the root in two deliberately different forms, and the difference is worth explaining carefully.

The sweet compound — and why it matters

The characteristic sweetness of liquorice comes from glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid), a saponin many times sweeter than sugar ^¹. Glycyrrhizin is also the reason liquorice cannot be treated as a casual ingredient at high intakes. In the body it is broken down to glycyrrhetinic acid, which inhibits an enzyme (11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2) that normally protects the kidney from cortisol. The result of a lot of glycyrrhizin, over time, can be a mineralocorticoid-like effect: sodium and water retention, potassium loss, and raised blood pressure — a recognised condition sometimes called liquorice-induced pseudohyperaldosteronism ^²³.

This is well documented, so the guidance is concrete rather than vague:

Reviews of the toxicology of Glycyrrhiza glabra make the same point: the plant is useful and food-familiar, but glycyrrhizin has a genuine dose ceiling and is not for unlimited use ^².

Two forms, one honest choice

This is where WellsparQ's approach is worth reading closely. The range uses liquorice both ways:

• Whole liquorice root — glycyrrhizin intact — where the traditional character of the root is wanted, at modest declared amounts.
• Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (DGL) — the glycyrrhizin largely removed — where the aim is to keep the rest of the root without the compound that carries the blood-pressure caution.

The factsheet card puts it plainly: "Liquorice with the glycyrrhizin removed — a precise choice, plainly declared." Choosing DGL for a colon/gut-directed product, and stating so on the label, is exactly the sort of quiet, honest decision the range is built on. It is not a marketing flourish; it is a formulation choice made for a reason and then disclosed.

What the research examines

Beyond glycyrrhizin, the root contains flavonoids (such as liquiritigenin and glabridin) and polysaccharides, and pharmacological reviews describe a broad range of laboratory activities that have been studied ^¹. As with all botanicals, we report this as research interest, not as proof of benefit — and no health claim for liquorice is authorised under GB/EU food law. Much of the most robust human literature is, in fact, about the safety side: mapping how much glycyrrhizin is too much, and identifying who is most sensitive ^³.

How WellsparQ uses it

Source: WellsparQ Supplements Database. The pattern is deliberate: whole root at modest amounts in some blends, DGL where the glycyrrhizin is best left out. The card notes liquorice-with-dandelion as "the last pair on the ten-name roster" — a supporting botanical, clearly listed, not a headline act.

Suitability and sensible use

Liquorice root is plant-derived and suits vegan, vegetarian, kosher and halal diets (check the finished product). The important, non-negotiable caution is glycyrrhizin: anyone with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, low potassium, or who is pregnant, and anyone taking blood-pressure medicines, diuretics or corticosteroids, should avoid glycyrrhizin-containing liquorice or use it only on the advice of a GP or pharmacist ^¹². DGL products remove most of this concern, which is precisely why they exist.