Tag Archives: licorice

Spare Your Children—Stay Away From Licorice

Do your children struggle in school? Are you sick of teachers categorizing your son or daughter as “test challenged?” Yes? Blame licorice. No kidding. The next time your child complains about failing yet another exam, consider how much licorice you consumed while you were pregnant. A new study published in the Journal of Epedimiology found that women, who consumed about 100 grams of pure licorice a week during their pregnancy, have children who perform poorly on tests. So, pregnant women + licorice = dumb kids? Kind of. According to researchers, glycyrrhizic acid found in licorice root is about 50 times … Continue reading →

Licorice

That black licorice candy some people enjoy? May not actually be licorice. Many licorice candies made in the United States actually get their flavor from anise! Other countries still use the real thing in candies; licorice also has some history as a healing herb. Licorice is seen in ancient medical writings from around the world. Chinese herbalists suggested licorice to soothe sore throats and ease thirst. Native Americans used wild licorice to treat earaches. Many people ate the root fresh! A Greek historian wrote of licorice as a treatment for asthma and other respiratory ailments, but was most taken with … Continue reading →

Anise

Anise looks a lot like Queen Anne’s lace with one important difference. Anise has some popularity as a folk remedy through the ages. Pythagoras — the mathematician who came up with the well-known Pythagorean Theorem — believed that anise could prevent seizures in epileptics. He thought that all a person had to do was hold an anise plant to prevent seizures. (Math was obviously more of a strong suit for Pythagoras.) Legendary healer Hippocrates suggested anise seed tea for cough; Roman scholar Pliny recommended chewing anise seeds for fresh breath. Pliny also thought anise could ward off bad dreams and … Continue reading →