Licorice Root: Healer or Harmer?

Licorice Root is a very powerful herb. It's ability to heal illness has been well documented in almost 200 clinical trials. Although it's commonly used to treat everyday ailments, licorice root has also been found to help major illnesses like cancer and HIV. Most studies show that it heals better than the pharmaceutical drugs because in most cases, it only affects what it's treating. For example: Chemotherapy kills everything in it's path. But the polyphenols in licorice root have the ability to kill cancer cells without having any negative affect on the bodies healthy cells.

But power isn't always a good thing. Licorice root has just as much ability to harm as it does to heal. Glycyrrhizin is the active compound responsible for a lot of the healing abilities in licorice root. But ingesting too much of it can cause major health problems ranging from fatigue to death. Here are almost 200 documented cases of death and other adverse affects of licorice root.

Because glycyrrhizin is the only compound in licorice root that causes these side effects, doctors figured out how to remove it. DGL, short for deglycyrrhizinated licorice, can be used without fear of causing additional health problems. But it won't treat as many ailments as whole licorice root. For instance, DGL is almost useless in treating hepatitis, herpes, arthritis, fibromylagia and asthma because they all require the anti-inflammatory properties from the glycyrrihizin. In those cases, ingesting less than 500 mg of glycyrrihizin a day lessens the chance of unwanted side effects.

In conclusion, as long as you're careful about the amount and type you use, licorice root will be a powerful and effective healer.

Herbs for cancer treatment

I don't understand why there isn't more research being done on treating cancer with herbs. There has been study after study that's shown that certain herbs can shrink tumors, stop cancer cell growth, and even kill cancer cells. But it seems like every time they reach that conclusion, they stop researching. Keep going!


I have a 7 year old niece that has multiple tumors growing in her heart and brain. Conventional medicine hasn't helped. Maybe herbs could. I mean, just look at this list!

Alfalfa

Black Cohosh

Cascarsa Sagrada

Dandelion

Garlic

Goldenseal

Parsley

Tumeric

Anise

Buckthorn

Celery Seed

Echinacea

Ginger

Licorice

Psyllium

Valerian

Apple

Burdock

Chaparral

Fenugreek

Ginseng

Mistletoe

Red Clover

Every single one of these herbs has been shown to have some kind of tumor shrinking or cancer fighting abilities. Any one of them could potentially be "the cure". But, until someone figures out that these herbs are killing cancer cells because they are meant to kill cancer, we'll just have to sit around and watch more people die.

Sorry. I didn't mean to go on a rampage, but......

Chamomile: A healing herb

As a healing herb, chamomile is invaluable. I drink chamomile tea every night to help me sleep and, in the past, I've used chamomile oil as an antiseptic to prevent infection on a burn. Those are just two things on a very long list of health benefits of chamomile.

Since the time of ancient Egyptions, chamomile has been a very effective treatment for many ailments. Right now chamomile is listed as a treatment for over 100 different health conditions. Of course very few studies have been done on chamomile, so the only proof we have to rely on is the fact that it's been used for thousands of years.

Recent studies have shown that chamomile could be useful in preventing and treating cancer. One study showed that women who increased their intake of the flavones and flavonols found in chamomile could lower their risk of getting breast cancer. Another study showed that chamomile extracts slowed the growth of cancer cells and promoted cancer cell death while leaving healthy cells untouched. The same study showed that our body's natural digestive process converts the active ingredient in chamomile into a powerful cancer fighter.

Chamomile can also help with normal everyday health conditions like acne, dandruff, menstrual cramps and headaches. It's safe to use at home and has very few side effects. The only precaution I've heard of is not to use it if you're pregnant or nursing.

If you would like to learn more about the many uses of chamomile, please read Natural Remedies using Chamomile. It explains the difference between chamomile German and chamomile Roman and details what each is used for. Plus there are some great herbal recipes!