Licorice Oil Side Effects

Licorice oil extract has many benefits, but it may also have some side effects. Licorice oil is safe for many people when taken in the right dosage. Do not take more that what you should. You can find licorice oil in different dosages. In one study, 900 mg of licorice oil was taken daily and there were no major health issues. They also found out that 300 mg per day of licorice oil works just as good.

If you consume a large amount of licorice oil every day, you could experience many health issues including paralysis, high blood pressure, low potassium levels, and sometimes brain damage. You would have to be taking way more licorice than a human could take in one day.

Certain conditions can cause you to experience these health issues with a smaller dose of 5 grams per day. These conditions are kidney disease, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Of course, 5 grams equals 5,000 mg and no one takes that large of a dose per day.

Licorice can cause miscarriage in those who are pregnant. Do not take licorice if you are pregnant or nursing.

Licorice is said to cause bloating and water weight gain. Many supplements, like Swanson Vitamin's Licorice Oil, actually leave out the ingredient that causes bloating. If you are worried about this or if it becomes a problem, either discontinue use, take herbs like alfalfa and chickweed which reduce bloating, or find a brand that doesn't cause bloating.

You should not consume licorice if you have heart disease because the water weight gain may cause some issues. Overdose of licorice can cause issues with the kidney. If you have kidney disease and you can get the health benefits from another herb, do so.

Men should be cautious when taking licorice, because it lowers testosterone. This can mean issues with sex. The man may experience lack of interest in sex and also poor sexual performance.

Do not take licorice around the time of surgery.

Do not take more than the recommended dose of licorice if you have high blood pressure.

If you have hypokalemia or hypertonia, do not take licorice.

Licorice can bring balance to the female hormones. Some say to use caution if you have breast cancer, endometriosis, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, or uterine fibroids.

Licorice Oil Weight Loss

Licorice oil extract can help with weight loss if used as a supplement. I am not talking about the candy licorice. You can buy licorice extract supplements in most stores where you would find herbal supplements. Licorice has many benefits for those who want to lose weight. Here are the weight loss benefits of licorice:

• Decreases stress (if you are an emotional eater)
• Reduces body fat (especially around your belly)
• Regulates female hormones

Licorice oil extract can help to decrease stress. If you are one of those people who eat when you feel stressed, licorice can help you with that. Licorice has been proven in studies to reduce body fat. Also, licorice regulates female hormones. When your hormones are irregular, it can cause extra weight gain.

After 8 weeks in a study, participants who took licorice had lost body fat and weight. The only claim against licorice is that it increases water weight gain, which will cancel out the fat loss. Actually, that is just ridiculous. There are many herbs to get rid of water weight gain. Besides, most licorice supplements leave out the ingredient that would cause bloating.

Many people who report fat loss with licorice also state that exercising really helped. However, the study on licorice never mentioned exercise.

If you feel like you are gaining extra pounds around your stomach due to emotional eating or female hormonal imbalance, licorice oil extract may benefit you the best.