Licorice Root
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is an herbal supplement traditionally used for digestive support, respiratory symptoms, and soothing mucosal irritation. It contains bioactive compounds such as glycyrrhizin, which influence cortisol metabolism and mineralocorticoid activity. Licorice root is commonly consumed as tea, capsules, or extracts, and is also used in traditional medicine systems worldwide. Excessive or prolonged intake can lead to side effects such as elevated blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances, and fluid retention in susceptible individuals.
-
This page summarizes anecdotal reports and community observations, not medical evidence. Reports may be incomplete, biased or inaccurate and are not medical advice or recommendations. “Risk” here refers to how frequently severe or prolonged symptom worsening is reported, not to proven causation or population-wide probability. Individual responses vary widely, and absence of issues in some users does not rule out significant reactions in others.
-
Within PFS/PSSD/PAS communities, licorice root is discussed in relation to its potential interactions with androgen/steroid pathways and cortisol-mineralocorticoid signaling. Licorice's main constituent glycyrrhizin (and metabolites such as glycyrrhetinic acid) can inhibit 11β-HSD2, allowing cortisol to overstimulate mineralocorticoid receptors. Licorice is also discussed as having anti-androgen potential: a clinical study in healthy women reported reduced serum testosterone, with proposed mechanisms involving inhibition of steroidogenic enzymes (e.g., 17,20-lyase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase). These mechanisms may interact with pathways involving androgen signaling, steroidogenic enzymes, or cortisol-mineralocorticoid regulation that are often discussed in relation to PFS / PSSD / PAS. (ncbi) (pubmed) (frontiersin)
-
Reports of Flares and Caution With Extracts (for PFS/PSSD/PAS):
Among individuals who already have PFS/PSSD/PAS, licorice is occasionally mentioned as preceding symptom flares, with concern highest around supplements and concentrated extracts rather than small culinary exposures. Reports that describe worsening often emphasize anxiety/sleep disruption, fatigue, emotional symptoms, and sexual symptoms, alongside the practical concern that licorice can also affect blood pressure and potassium in susceptible situations. While many reports describe improvement after stopping, a smaller number describe more prolonged destabilization, which contributes to a “better safe than sorry” stance during stabilization.
For individuals without these conditions, licorice is widely consumed in foods and teas, but medical literature still recognizes pseudoaldosteronism risk with higher or prolonged intake.
Evidence basis: Mechanistic and clinical literature on pseudoaldosteronism and hormone effects; anecdotal reports (online forums, self-reports); no controlled studies examining PFS/PSSD/PAS-specific outcomes.
-
Crash / Baseline Drop (Reported)
Public comments reflect individual experiences and opinions. They are not medical advice and may not be accurate or representative.