Licorice Root
甘草 · Gāncǎo
Glycyrrhiza uralensis
性味
Neutral
味
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.
🌿 功效
- •Tonifies spleen qi and moderates spasms
- •Moistens the lung and stops cough
- •Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- •Harmonizes and moderates other herbs
📖 用法用量
2–10 g in decoction. Raw (sheng gan cao) clears heat; honey-fried (zhi gan cao) tonifies the spleen.
🔬 现代研究
Glycyrrhizin is well documented for soothing mucous membranes and supporting adrenal function; deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) is widely studied for gastric comfort.
⚠️ 禁忌
Avoid long-term high doses in hypertension, edema, or low-potassium states — glycyrrhizin can cause sodium retention.
