Pregnant women are warned not to eat liquorice during pregnancy. Glycyrrhizin, a component of liquorice, influences the amount of the stress hormones cortisol and glucocorticol in the blood. Cortisol and glucocorticol are released by the body in stressful situations and are associated with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. During pregnancy, the hormones pass through the placenta and enter the body of the unborn baby.

 

One study found that eight-year-old children whose mothers had eaten even small amounts of liquorice during pregnancy had a third higher level of cortisol in their bodies than children of the same age whose mothers had not eaten liquorice.

In another study in 2009, 321 eight-year-old children whose intake of liquorice during pregnancy was documented were tested. The children whose mothers had eaten large amounts of liquorice during pregnancy had less good cognitive results, had a shorter attention span and showed disturbed behaviour such as attention deficit disorder.

An intake of 500mg glycyrrhizin (about 100g liquorice) per week during pregnancy increases the likelihood that the child will become less intelligent and show behavioural disorders.

Liquorice root, an important ingredient in liquorice confectionery, has played an important role in Chinese medicine for more than 3000 years and is contained in many herbal remedies for coughs, colds and constipation.