Did you know that Licorice is not only a favorite flavor for candies and sweets, but also a traditional Ayurvedic medicine? Indian Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), known in Sanskrit as yaṣṭi-madhu, or “sweet-stick”, is an ancient rejuvenative herb with amazing medicinal properties for health, well-being and long life.
A small herb native to regions of Western Asia, Southern Europe and Northern Africa, Licorice has a history of medicinal and culinary use going back thousands of years in many ancient cultures like Egypt, China and India. In modern scientific terms, the swollen roots or rhizomes of the plant contain a large concentration of glycyrrhizin, enoxolone & anethole (also found in Anise, Fennel and Dill). These compounds are thought to be in large part responsible for the plant’s medicinal properties and, interestingly, extracted glycyrrhizin is said to be 30-50 times sweeter than sugar!
Read on for the full list of Licorice’s medicinal properties, mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic texts like caraka saṃhita and bhāva prakāśa, and the Auromère body care products which containing this amazing herbal treasure.
