What are the benefits of drinking water infused with licorice root?
Nov 26, 2024
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
In general, drinking licorice root tea offers various health benefits, primarily including clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs and relieving cough, alleviating spasms and pain, harmonizing medicinal properties, and strengthening the spleen and vital energy. Although drinking licorice tea has many benefits, it is not suitable for everyone. Excessive consumption of licorice may cause adverse reactions such as edema, elevated blood pressure, and muscle weakness. Pregnant women, individuals with hypertension, and those with allergies should consume it only under a doctor's guidance.
Generally speaking, drinking licorice root soaked in water offers various health benefits, mainly including clearing heat and detoxifying, moistening the lungs and relieving cough, alleviating spasms and pain, harmonizing medicinal properties, and strengthening the spleen and vital energy. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Clearing Heat and Detoxifying
Licorice has slightly cold medicinal properties and functions to clear heat and detoxify. Drinking an appropriate amount of licorice-infused water can help eliminate internal heat and promote the removal of toxins from the body. It can also help alleviate symptoms such as heat-induced sores, sore throat, and swelling.
2. Moistening the Lungs and Relieving Cough
Licorice affects the lung meridian and has effects of relieving cough, removing phlegm, and alleviating asthma. Licorice water usually helps relieve coughing and phlegm caused by cold, heat, deficiency, or excess conditions, and also has a good adjuvant therapeutic effect on throat discomfort and respiratory tract inflammation.
3. Alleviating Spasms and Pain
Licorice can relieve bodily pain and is commonly used to treat abdominal pain caused by spleen deficiency and liver hyperactivity or limb spasms caused by qi and blood deficiency. Drinking licorice water can also help relieve muscle spasms and neuralgia.
4. Harmonizing Medicinal Properties
Licorice has a mild medicinal nature and can reduce the toxicity and strong properties of certain herbs in a formula, such as Aconite (Fuzi) and Rhubarb (Dahuang). Additionally, licorice can alleviate abdominal pain caused by certain medicinal ingredients irritating the gastrointestinal tract, thus harmonizing the overall properties of the formula.
5. Strengthening the Spleen and Vital Energy
Licorice has a sweet taste and enters the middle jiao, offering the effect of strengthening the spleen's qi. Drinking licorice water appropriately can assist in relieving symptoms of spleen qi deficiency, such as poor appetite, indigestion, fatigue, and weakness. Licorice water can also promote gastrointestinal motility, aid digestion, and improve appetite.
Although drinking licorice water offers many benefits, it is not suitable for everyone. Overconsumption of licorice may cause adverse reactions such as edema, elevated blood pressure, and muscle weakness. Special populations such as pregnant women, individuals with hypertension, and those with allergies should consume it cautiously under the guidance of a physician. Licorice should not be used together with certain other herbs such as seaweed (Laminaria), Euphorbia (Jingdajie), Red Euphorbia (Hondajie), Kansui (Gan Sui), and Genkwa (Yuanhua) to avoid potential drug interactions.
