What should not be eaten with licorice?
Licorice is a common Chinese medicinal material that has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, moistening the lungs and relieving cough, and is widely used in clinical TCM. However, licorice is not suitable for consumption with all foods or medicines. Improper combination may cause adverse reactions or even harm health. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days, analyze the taboo combinations of licorice in detail, and provide structured data for readers' reference.
1. Overview of pharmacological effects and contraindications of licorice

The main active ingredients of licorice are glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid, which have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and liver-protective effects. However, excessive or long-term use of licorice may cause side effects such as water and sodium retention and increased blood pressure. In addition, when licorice is consumed with certain foods or drugs, it may interact, affecting the efficacy of the drug or aggravating adverse reactions.
2. List of foods and medicines that cannot be eaten with licorice
| Category | Name | Reasons for adverse reactions or contraindications | 
|---|---|---|
| food | seaweed | Seaweed is rich in iodine, and eating it together with licorice may affect thyroid function | 
| food | Pork | Pork is cold in nature. Eating it with licorice may reduce the efficacy of licorice. | 
| medicine | diuretics | Licorice may cause sodium and water retention and antagonize the effects of diuretics | 
| medicine | antihypertensive drugs | Licorice may raise blood pressure, counteracting the effects of antihypertensive medications | 
| medicine | Cardiac glycosides (such as digoxin) | Licorice may increase the toxicity of cardiac glycosides | 
3. Incompatibilities between licorice and other traditional Chinese medicines
Licorice also has many taboos in the compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine. The following are some common compatibility taboos:
| Chinese medicine name | Reasons for incompatibility | 
|---|---|
| Gansui | Eating licorice and kansui together may cause toxic reactions | 
| Euphorbia | Eating licorice and euphorbia together may reduce the efficacy of the medicine or cause adverse reactions. | 
| Daphne | Eating licorice and genkwa together may produce antagonistic effects | 
4. Suggestions for consuming licorice
1.Eat in moderation:Although licorice is beneficial, it should not be overdosed or taken for a long time. It is recommended that the daily dosage should not exceed 10 grams.
2.Avoid eating with taboo foods:Such as seaweed, pork, etc., so as not to affect the efficacy of the medicine or cause adverse reactions.
3.Use with caution for special groups:Patients with high blood pressure, pregnant women, and people with renal insufficiency should use licorice under the guidance of a doctor.
4.Be aware of drug interactions:When taking Western medicine or Chinese medicine, you should consult a physician or pharmacist to avoid adverse interactions with licorice.
5. Hot topics about licorice on the Internet in the past 10 days
Through analysis of hot content on the entire Internet in the past 10 days, it was found that discussions about licorice mainly focus on the following aspects:
| topic | heat index | Main discussion content | 
|---|---|---|
| Health benefits of licorice | 85 | Discuss the role of licorice in moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, clearing away heat and detoxifying | 
| Licorice side effects | 78 | Pay attention to water and sodium retention and elevated blood pressure caused by excessive use of licorice | 
| Taboo combinations of licorice | 92 | Discuss the compatibility of licorice with food or drugs | 
6. Summary
As a commonly used Chinese medicinal material, licorice has a wide range of effects, but you need to pay attention to its contraindications when using it. Especially when eaten with seaweed, pork, diuretics, antihypertensive drugs and other foods or drugs, it may cause adverse reactions or reduce the efficacy of the drug. It is recommended that before using licorice, you should fully understand its incompatibility and use it rationally under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
Through the structured data and analysis of this article, we hope to help readers use licorice more safely and scientifically, give full play to its medicinal value, and avoid potential health risks.
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