Black licorice seems like it should be one of the healthiest treats around. Since many candies are packed full of calories and fat, licorice should be no different. After all, licorice seems to be on the healthier side. As sugary candies go, black licorice isn’t very nutritious by any means. That being said, licorice can still be beneficial as a sweet treat.
First, licorice does have plenty of health benefits. Even if it’s only in liquid form, licorice contains dozens of essential minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, niacin, and iron. These are essential to your overall health and should be incorporated into your diet regularly. For this reason, black licorice should be eaten in moderation.
Second, licorice can actually help treat a sore throat or cough. While licorice won’t cure these ailments directly, it can help alleviate their symptoms, thus allowing you to more fully enjoy other parts of your life. And it has a high nutritional value, which can ensure that you get all of the vitamins and minerals that you need. Since licorice tends to be somewhat bland, its inclusion in your regular diet can help bring out the flavor in your other food selections.
Third, licorice does have a number of medicinal properties. While it’s certainly true that licorice won’t heal anything, it can relieve coughs and colds to a great degree. Black licorice also acts as an anti-inflammatory, meaning that it can reduce the pain of inflamed gums and lips. Licorice also helps to treat toothaches and dental cavities, as well as help to relieve muscle spasms and cramps.
Finally, licorice can offer some great health benefits on their own. Because licorice tends to reduce appetite, it can effectively help to control your weight if used regularly. And licorice root extract has even been shown to increase energy, improve concentration, and increase mental clarity. Add to this the fact that licorice also has a number of diuretic properties and you can see why it can be a great addition to any diet.
As you can see, licorice does a lot more than just make a sweet dessert. In addition to the health benefits that it offers, it also has a number of nutritional values that are important for our overall health. Because licorice contains so many different nutrients and compounds, it’s important to read the label when buying licorice products. Make sure that you are getting true licorice and not “artificial” licorice (which are nothing but sugar disguised as licorice). This will ensure that you get true licorice root extract and not an unhealthy sweetener.