Licorice Root
甘草 · Gāncǎo
Glycyrrhiza uralensis
Family: Fabaceae · Part used: Root & stolon · Origin: Inner Mongolia & Gansu, China
Nature
Neutral
Flavor
Sweet
Meridian
All 12 meridians
Called the 'Great Harmonizer' (Guo Lao — 'respecter of the elderly' for its gentle longevity), licorice enters all twelve meridians and moderates the nature of every formula it joins. Present in the majority of classical Chinese prescriptions, it also stands alone as a spleen tonic, lung soother, and natural sweetener.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Tonifies spleen qi and moderates spasms
- •Moistens the lung and stops cough
- •Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- •Harmonizes and moderates other herbs
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Fatigue and poor appetite
- •Sore throat and dry cough
- •Palpitations
- •Gastric discomfort
- •Ulcers and sores
- •Food and herb toxicity (traditional use)
📖 Usage & Dosage
2–10 g in decoction. Raw (sheng gan cao) clears heat; honey-fried (zhi gan cao) tonifies the spleen.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Licorice & Chrysanthemum Tea
Licorice 3 g + chrysanthemum 5 g, steeped 10 minutes. A gentle throat-soothing drink.
Zhi Gan Cao Decoction Base
Honey-fried licorice 9 g decocted with dang gui and cinnamon twig — the classic heart-qi tonic.
🔬 Modern Research
Glycyrrhizin is well documented for soothing mucous membranes and supporting adrenal function; deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is widely studied for gastric comfort.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid long-term high doses in hypertension, edema, or low-potassium states — glycyrrhizin can cause sodium retention.
