From the Breast Growing Notes Thread:
Use with extreme caution
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)-Anti-androgenic and activates alpha and beta estrogen receptors and blocks 5-ar - Strong, but take in moderation!
Licorice is a flavorful substance that has been used in food and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. It is also known as “sweet root,” licorice root contains a compound that is about 50 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to liver disease. Licorice affects the endocrine system because it contains isoflavones (phytoestrogens), which are chemicals found in plants that may mimic the effects of estrogen and relieve menopausal symptoms and menstrual disorders. Licorice may also reduce testosterone levels, which can contribute to hirsutism in women.
A small clinical trial published in 2004 by Armanini and colleagues found that licorice root significantly decreases testosterone levels in healthy female volunteers. Women taking daily licorice root experienced a drop in total testosterone levels after 1 month and testosterone levels returned to normal after discontinuation. It is unclear as to whether licorice root affects free testosterone levels. The endocrine effect is thought to be due to phytoestrogens and other chemicals found in licorice root, including the steroid glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid, which also have a weak anti-androgen effect
http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=5250
-Licorice root is the only herb that balances estrogen, stimulates prolactin, and blocks testosterone all at the same time. Licorice contains numerous phytoestrogenic compounds such as glabridin, glaberine, and 3-hydroxyglabrol.
Additional info on licorice root
Quote:
-Beneficial for hypoglycemia, bronchitis, colitis, diverticulosis, gastritis, stress, colds, nausea, and inflammation. Cleanses the colon, promotes adrenal gland function, decreases muscle or skeletal spasms, and increases the fluidity of mucus from the lungs and bronchial tubes. Has estrogen-like hormone effects; changes the voice. Studies show licorice root stimulates the production of interferon. Warning: Do not use if you have high blood pressure."
-Lessen symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. By enhancing cortisol activity, glycyrrhizin helps to increase energy, ease stress, and reduce the symptoms of ailments sensitive to cortisol levels, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromylagia. In the 1800s, licorice extract was a common remedy for a type of persistent fatigue known as neurasthenia, the condition now known as chronic fatigue syndrome
-For most disorders: Take 200 mg standardized extract in pill form three times a day, or 20 to 45 drops, three times a day, of a 1:5 tincture. (The 1:5 tincture represents one part herb is soaked in five parts liquid
-Don't use licorice candy in place of supplements. Most red or black licorice candy sold in the United States contains anise oil as a flavoring rather than licorice. Candy made in Europe may contain licorice, but the quantities are not standardized.
-Licorice can raise blood pressure--a function of glycyrrhizin's action on the adrenal glands--so avoid taking more than the recommended dosage. If you take licorice for more than four weeks, have your blood pressure checked. (Stop taking the herb at the first sign of high blood pressure; this side effect is reversible.)
-At high doses taken over long periods of time, licorice can result in excessive salt loss from the blood, heart irregularities, and other serious health problems. Symptoms of this type of overdose may include headache, swelling, stiffness, shortness of breath, upper abdominal pain, and lethargy, among others.
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