Black Licorice is the Devil

It can kill you!

No really it can kill you.

A man in Massachusetts died from eating too much black licorice. How much did he eat? He had a bag and half every day for two weeks.

The problem is glycyrrhizic acid, found in black licorice and in many other foods and dietary supplements containing licorice root extract. It can cause dangerously low potassium and imbalances in other minerals called electrolytes.

Eating as little as 2 ounces of black licorice a day for two weeks could cause a heart rhythm problem, especially for folks over 40, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

So if you overload on it, it crashes out your potassium and can disrupt your heart function. That's tough. There was a tea blend I liked that had licorice root in it. Maybe that's why I can't find it anymore.

The death was clearly an extreme case. The man had switched from red, fruit-flavored twists to the black licorice version of the candy a few weeks before his death last year. He collapsed while having lunch at a fast-food restaurant. Doctors found he had dangerously low potassium, which led to heart rhythm and other problems. Emergency responders did CPR and he revived but died the next day.

So it's clear -- if you enjoy your black licorice, or something containing licorice root, make sure you are keeping up on your potassium intake as well.

All foods are psychotropic, all foods if eaten out of moderation can be toxic. Don't be eating megadoses of cinnamon or celery, it can kill you. Some of the chemicals in licorice have medicinal properties and consuming too much medicine is not good for you. It can upset the balance of homeostasis in our bodies if we consume too much of any foods that share similar properties.

a reply to: rickymouse

To be honest, this story reminded of this video:



But I decided to post it - the licorice one - as we are getting into October, the Halloween candy season -- where black licorice seems to be abundant.

If you like the taste of black licorice you should probably die anyway, we don’t need your genes getting passed down.

And while we’re at it toss those cilantro lovers into a wood chipper as well.

a reply to: ketsuko

There is a safer form of licorice out there....DGL.
I used to use some chews for stomach issues....they were pretty darn tasty.

www.healthline.com/

a reply to: ketsuko

Real licorice root has many medicinal benefits. I'm not going to list them here but there are very easy to research, and some of them are quite significant. In the olden days, licorice was consumed a lot.

I've noticed in the last decade that cheap, natural remedies are often downplayed, or stories like the above make the mainstream. There is only one reason why. It benefits a lot of people to keep people sick, to keep people on expensive meds

a reply to: JAGStorm

This was eating it to excess. Most everything is bad for you in excess.

Enjoy the story and enjoy small amounts of black licorice or licorice root.

Honestly, since most people hate it, I thought it was sort of funny in a macabre way.

"Ha, ha! That thing I hate actually can kill me if you make me eat it ..." (sort of like the little kid whining over his Brussels sprouts)

Black licorice is disgusting and dangerous. This substance needs to be sent back to hell!

I love black licorice! A few years back I noticed that it didn’t taste the same anymore. It’s hard to even find it with natural flavoring now. So probably no worries! I would bet that it’s probably much cheaper to make with artificial flavoring too!

Can’t find real sarsaparilla here anymore either. There were some kind of warnings about that too. Liver problems maybe?
Next it will be Maple syrup & honey!

Natural=bad. Man made chemicals=good! 🤬

WOQ

originally posted by: Quantumgamer1776
If you like the taste of black licorice you should probably die anyway, we don’t need your genes getting passed down.

And while we’re at it toss those cilantro lovers into a wood chipper as well.

Muhuahahah! Now we now how to torture you, should the need ever arise!

"Your choice: gsrgle an ounce of dish soap, or chew an ounce of cilantro."

On the food-taste-genetics thing, the one oddball one I wish I had was the inability to smell the foul stench of asparagus pee. I'll never forget one time peeing after an especially large side of asparagus with dinner and spraying the bathroom air freshener (which I alnost never do, even for Numero Dos!) It wasn't enough, I hurried out, left the fan on, closed the door and washed my hands downstairs.

Sorry, tangents...tangents.

I personally love black licorice - the old-school "real" kind, but I don't ever want more than a small piece or two!

originally posted by: ManSizedSquirrel
Black licorice is disgusting and dangerous. This substance needs to be sent back to hell!

People who love Black licorice are Demons then? It reminds them of Home? I dislike the taste myself.

hey now....that a little harsh!!!!! I LOVE black licorice!!!!!

originally posted by: Quantumgamer1776
If you like the taste of black licorice you should probably die anyway, we don’t need your genes getting passed down.

And while we’re at it toss those cilantro lovers into a wood chipper as well.

The best is the stuff imported from Australia. Strong licorice flavor, soft and chewy...yum.
I've eaten waaaay past the lethal dose more than once. The 99 cent store had decent sized bags of Australian licorice a couple of years ago and I made the rounds to all the stores and bought it all. I'm telling you I ate more than the dead guy.

Yeah, lucky me... no heart attack. I think I once read it can cause temporary erectile dysfunction too if over eaten... nah, that didn't happen either.

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: ManSizedSquirrel
Black licorice is disgusting and dangerous. This substance needs to be sent back to hell!

People who love Black licorice are Demons then? It reminds them of Home? I dislike the taste myself.

Well, let me put it to you like this. I heard that Hitler liked black licorice...Hitler.

I used to like the red licorice when I was young. I still have a piece now and then when I want to get nostalgic.

I suppose I am racist since I do not like black Licorice.

a reply to: ketsuko

I just put in a call to Black Licorice Matters, you're screwed.

a reply to: ketsuko


I’ve heard that too, but I Love black licorice. I also have Egyptian licorice tea by Yogi (stop & shop) carries it locally.

Off to get my good & plenty 😁