Compound Monograph
Glycyrrhizic acid
The intensely sweet triterpenoid saponin of licorice root, responsible for both its sweetness and its blood-pressure effects.
Classification
Glycyrrhizic acid is a triterpenoid saponin, part of the terpenoids class. The largest class of plant compounds, built from five-carbon isoprene units — the essential-oil aromatics, resins, bitter principles, saponins, and plant sterols.
Where Does It Come From? (1)
Glycyrrhizic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid saponin, found in Licorice. It is flagged as moderately toxic.
Research & Evidence
Glycyrrhizic acid, also called glycyrrhizin, is the principal sweet-tasting saponin of licorice root and is many times sweeter than sugar. In the body it is hydrolysed to glycyrrhetinic acid, the form responsible for most of its systemic activity, including inhibition of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and the resulting mineralocorticoid-like effects. It has been studied for anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity and is used as a sweetener and flavour in confectionery and tobacco.
Toxicity & Safety
Regular consumption of licorice containing glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure and lower potassium, sometimes causing a recognised condition of pseudohyperaldosteronism, with effects accumulating over days to weeks. Food-safety bodies have set advisory limits on regular glycyrrhizin intake. People with hypertension, heart or kidney disease, low potassium, or who are pregnant should be especially cautious, as should anyone consuming licorice in large or sustained amounts.