A recent case study has revealed that consuming large quantities of licorice candy may result in seizures.
The case study involved a 10-year-old boy who experienced seizure after consuming excessive amounts of licorice candy. The parents of the boy said that their son had to be admitted to a hospital in Bologna, Italy following a two-minute tonic-clonic seizure.
Dr. Davide Tassinari at the University of Bologna in Italy said that the boy also suffered three more generalized seizures within a few hours after being admitted to the hospital. The blood pressure of the boy increased, and he also complained of headaches.
Various tests were conducted on the young boy, but they did not reveal any medical condition. It was not until the doctors checked the boy's teeth, which were stained black, that they discovered the clue. Doctors explained that licorice candy normally contains glycyrrhizic acid, which can cause blood pressure to go up and also cause hypertension if consumed in high quantities.
The doctors found that the boy was consuming about 20 pieces of licorice candy each day for the last four months.
"We concluded that the licorice intake could explain the boy's hypertension and we recommended he stop the excessive ingestion of licorice immediately," said Dr. Tassinari.
The doctors also noted that excess licorice consumption can be really harmful for people with low body weight.
Over-eating licorice can also result in other health issues. Medline Plus, an online information service developed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, suggests that excessive licorice consumption is unsafe for pregnant women. Consuming around 250 grams of licorice each week can increase the risk of early delivery in pregnant women.
Excessive licorice consumption can also lower potassium levels in the body, increase sexual problems in men and also worsen kidney disease.
"Licorice can cause the body to store water, and this can make congestive heart failure worse. Licorice can also increase the risk of irregular heartbeat. Don't consume licorice if you have heart disease," stated Medline Plus.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also reports that people over 40 years old who consume two ounces of black licorice each day for at least a couple of weeks are at elevated risks of getting arrhythmia or irregular heart rhythm.
Licorice-based lollipops, candies, sweets and other food items do not have any warning labels. Health officials suggest that licorice-based edibles should have a mandatory warning label on the package.
