Maintaining adequate level of potassium is essential for the heart. Reducing it can in fact alter the heart’s rhythm. And that’s what could happen with excessive, daily and constant consumption of liquorice. The association between its immoderate intake and cardio-vascular health has been known for years and is periodically pointed out by organizations in those countries where the consumption of liquorice is really strong, like the USA. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the pharmaceutical and food sectors, has in fact again warned against a possible “overdose” of liquorice, about 57 grams a day for at least two weeks in a row: «It is a kind of excessive consumption that does not concern – except in very rare cases – the eating habits of Italians», states Dr Maddalena Lettino from the Cardiovascular Department of Humanitas.
Liquorice and potassium
The warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aimed particularly at people over forty years of age. The agency cites the case of a man who had to turn to health care last year after having collected liquorice, and refers to the various scientific studies that have associated the consumption as the root to health problems in people over 40.
But how could liquorice have these effects? Because it contains glycyrrhizin: «This substance – explains Dr. Lettino – interferes with some processes and it can generate a loss of potassium and an increase in sodium levels. But to get to these effects the intake of glycyrrhizin, and therefore the consumption of liquorice, must be really high; it is not a consequence that can derive from an occasional and very contained consumption of liquorice».
«Potassium – continues the specialist – is essential for the proper functioning of cell membranes of all the tissues, including cardiac cells, and it is important for the transmission of electrical impulses. Therefore, its reduction can lead to the onset of arrhythmia as well as an increase in blood pressure values. For this reason, individuals with hypertension or cardiac arrhythmia must pay more attention to the consumption of liquorice. The potassium level of these patients is in fact constantly monitored», concludes the doctor.
In any case – the Food and Drugs Administration reminds us – the effect of liquorice abuse on potassium levels, and therefore on the heart rhythm, is not irreversible. It is enough to stop consumption to get them back to physiological levels, without long-term health consequences.
