Liquorice sweets: benefits and harms

All people can be divided into two types. For those who admire the unique taste of liquorice sweets, and for those who can not stand them. Let's figure out what this dessert is.

What are licorice sweets?

Licorice candy is a confectionery product made from licorice root. In the terminology of medicine, this plant is called licorice - a perennial plant that belongs to legumes. In Russia, it is known as licorice. Unusual sweets with a unique salty taste are considered one of the Finnish delicacies, which gained popularity in Russia not so long ago. In Finland, candies are sold both from natural licorice and from artificial. The second is called salmiakki. Black sweets with a peculiar taste are the national delicacy of Finland.

With us, licorice can be found in every pharmacy, since licorice root in Russia is used to make natural cough syrup. Licorice sweets are mainly used for medicinal purposes.

Such a delicacy has a peculiar taste. Licorice sweets are usually black in color and have the shape of a tube. But recently, in supermarkets you can buy multi-colored sweets that are made with the addition of dyes of natural colors.

The birthplace of licorice delicacies is considered to be England, County Yorkshire. Where liquorice came from is unknown. It is believed that the root of licorice in England brought the crusaders or Dominican monks. Due to the fact that Yorkshire had a rather harsh climate for the flowering of licorice, there it formed only roots and rhizomes.

What are they made of

Licorice in its pure form is rarely used. Usually it is used in cooking for the preparation of confectionery. To obtain raw materials, licorice root is used, which is then soaked and peeled. Then it is boiled, resulting in a sweet syrup, which will compete with sugar in terms of sweetness. The main ingredient of licorice sweets is the boiled licorice root. The resulting licorice is usually saturated black and has an unusual salty taste.

Composition and calorie content

The calorie content of liquorice sweets is 385 kcal per 100 g of product.

Structure:

• water;
• licorice root extract;
• sugar and salt;
• molasses and starch;
• food colors and natural additives;
• charcoal.

It is generally accepted that sweets are very harmful to health, but this is absolutely not so. Sweets can serve to strengthen and improve the body, protecting against certain diseases, especially if they are made on the basis of dried juice from licorice root. Liquorice is rich in B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6. Due to this, it is necessary for the correct operation of all organs and the body as a whole. It surprises with the number and versatility of medicinal properties. It is difficult to find a disease that this plant would not cope with.

Why licorice sweets are good

General benefit

Licorice is not a universal remedy for all ailments, but it is perfect for the prevention of diseases and general strengthening of the body.

Licorice has the following beneficial properties:

1. Removes sputum from the lungs. Most often, licorice is used to treat diseases of the respiratory system, as it has expectorant properties.
2. Helps strengthen the heart muscle.
3. Increases blood pressure.
4. Serves for the prevention of cancer. Licorice delicacy, according to some experts, will protect against the development of cancer.
5. It treats skin diseases.Licorice has a positive effect on the skin, increases collagen production and evens out the tone of the face.
6. Stimulates brain function. You can include licorice sweets in your diet in order to improve brain activity and the health of the body.
7. Increases efficiency.
8. It has an antiviral effect on the body.

Licorice goodies are also good for the digestive system. Liquorice can be eaten by people who suffer from constipation, since it has a mild laxative effect. In addition, it helps cleanse the body of toxins and toxins.

Licorice is also used for motion sickness. Treats from it can be taken with you on the road, as this is an excellent tool against motion sickness and nausea.

Liquorice sweets have become smokers' favorite treat, as they help eliminate bad breath, eliminate cough and heartburn.

For women

Licorice root helps to cope with nervousness and depression, as it contains a substance - glycyrrhizin. The compound improves the work of the adrenal glands that produce stress hormones. Licorice helps to cope with pain during menstruation.

Means based on this plant help fight body fat. The components of the root combat subcutaneous fat at the cellular level. Due to the improvement of the digestive system, heavy carbohydrates and fats do not turn into extra centimeters on the body, but are converted into energy.

Licorice also helps to stick to a diet, as it reduces appetite and craving for foods rich in calories.

Therapeutic properties:

1. Improves hair condition and reduces hair loss.
2. It positively affects the body during periods of hormonal failure and menopause.
3. Helps in the treatment of skin diseases, eliminates rash and other diseases.
4. Reduces oily skin, making it soft and tender.
5. It has a brightening effect on age spots and moles.
6. Increases estrogen levels in the body, which helps in planning pregnancy, according to an American study, stimulates sexual desire in women.

For men

The benefits of licorice:

1. Helps in the elimination of neoplasms.
2. Fights stress.
3. Increases performance through stimulation of the nervous system.
4. It cleanses the body of toxins and toxins, and also cleanses the liver of alcohol.
5. Affects the level of testosterone in the body.
6. It is a prevention of prostate diseases.
7. Favorably affects the functioning of the urethra.
8. Improves sexual function.
9. Carries out the fight against infertility at an early stage of development.

It should be noted that the beneficial properties of licorice also include antimicrobial and antihistamine, which allows it to be used in the treatment of ulcers and eczema.

Liquorice also helps with active sports activities and allows you to better cope with high loads, great for narrowing blood vessels and increasing their elasticity. This significantly prolongs the human standard of living, which avoids early heart attacks and strokes, and also prevents diseases of the heart and nervous systems.

During pregnancy

Pregnant women are strictly contraindicated in the use of liquorice. Scientists were able to find out that licorice negatively affects the development of intellectual abilities of the unborn child. Licorice can not only negatively affect the process of formation of a child’s memory, but also increase the likelihood of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Finnish scientists conducted a study the result of which showed that children whose mothers consumed a lot of licorice during pregnancy were less likely to cope with tests that served to determine intelligence. Also, children had less developed memory. Thanks to experiments involving animals, it was possible to study the mechanism of action of licorice. A substance such as glycyrrhizin is an enhancer of the effect of the stress hormone cortisol, inhibits enzymes that deactivate it. I must say that cortisol is necessary for the development of the fetus, but in excess it causes harm.Some scientists believe that babies who are experiencing an excess of cortisol in the womb are more likely to suffer from ADHD. Children with ADHD have difficulty concentrating on anything. They are impulsive and overly active.

When breastfeeding

Young mothers, as a rule, are more likely to experience colds. This is due to reduced immunity. If there are no contraindications, then licorice root during breastfeeding can be used to eliminate inflammation of the respiratory system and facilitate the discharge of sputum, but only after consultation with your doctor. It is best to choose not a pharmacy drug with an alcohol content, but a freshly brewed plant.

When breastfeeding, licorice has a wide range of uses:

• improves breast milk production;
• helps in the treatment of respiratory diseases;
• used for allergic reactions;
• improves the functioning of the nervous system;
• relieves fatigue and improves mood.

Licorice is also used for problems with stool, which often occur in women after childbirth. The plant reduces spasms and has a mild laxative effect.

Licorice root during breastfeeding enhances immunity, and also improves the functioning of the endocrine system.

Contraindications during breastfeeding:

• high blood pressure;
• tendency to edema;
• ulcer;
• individual intolerance;
• heart and kidney diseases.

For children

In addition to delicious chocolates and ice cream, children love licorice goodies containing licorice root extract. Liquorice has a fairly pleasant smell. Sweets themselves help eliminate sore throats, ease coughing and with gastrointestinal diseases. Licorice products attract the attention of a child due to its brightness and unique taste, especially since children like stretching sweets like chewing marmalade. And many European dentists believe that licorice is a good way to fight tooth decay.

When losing weight

Licorice root, or licorice, has long been used in oriental medicine. Chinese doctors believe that licorice root is good for preserving beauty and health. Today it is actively used to treat diseases of the respiratory system, as well as to strengthen immunity and improve the digestive tract. Liquorice helps in losing weight when the endocrine system is disrupted, and this often entails the appearance of extra pounds (licorice root is able to correct it).

Licorice helps say goodbye to extra pounds. As a rule, a person begins to gain weight due to disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in order to effectively deal with excess weight, it is necessary to establish digestion. A natural plant and sweets from it help to cope with this task.

Licorice carries out the cleansing function of the body, namely it helps to remove toxins and toxins. For those who want to adjust their figure, it is necessary to take note that the plant has a slight laxative effect. Liquorice also helps to normalize acidity, regulates the production of gastric juice, so food that enters the stomach is better digested. After eating liquorice-containing foods, cholesterol levels decrease. All this has a beneficial effect on metabolism. Proper digestion, cleansing the body of poisons and activation of metabolic processes contribute to weight loss.

Licorice also allows you to exercise longer, which also contributes to the process of losing weight. Women who want to lose weight use sweets from this plant to reduce their appetite and reduce cravings for harmful foods.Licorice delicacy helps dull the craving for sweets thanks to its sugary taste.

Licorice is an effective tool in the fight against fat accumulation, but for this you need to eat right and exercise, so you should not expect that the kilograms will go away by themselves.

It should be noted that excess weight that goes away gradually does not accumulate again.

In spa therapy, foam-licorice baths are actively used. The extract, which is obtained from the underground portion of licorice, is a foaming agent that is widely used for therapy. It dissolves in warm water in the bathroom, which is equipped with a special grill. This procedure involves immersing the patient in soft thick foam and completely relaxing there for some time (usually 10-15 minutes). Such baths are actively used in medicine and cosmetology to rid patients of skin diseases, making the skin healthy and smooth. Foam-licorice baths help to speed up metabolism, remove toxins and toxins from the body, as well as reduce weight.

Taken with caution
This plant includes many biologically important substances that will help those who want to lose weight. However, do not get too carried away with products made on the basis of licorice, as this often violates the water-mineral balance in the body, and causes swelling.

To get rid of body fat or a couple of extra centimeters, the fair sex often choose radical measures that negatively affect their health. Also, do not forget that such an effective weight loss remedy has a considerable number of contraindications.

Harm and contraindications

It is important to remember that licorice can both have medicinal properties and harm your health. Therefore, before using products with its content, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with contraindications.

For some people, the use of products containing licorice is strictly contraindicated. Namely:

• pregnant women;
• children under two years old;
• people who are obese, as it is a high-calorie product;
• suffering from diabetes;
• people with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• persons with individual intolerance to the product;
• patients with kidney disease;
• people suffering from hypertension, cirrhosis, lack of potassium in the body;
• patients with peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum in the acute stage.

Continuous consumption of licorice can lead to increased pressure and the formation of edema.

How to make licorice sweets at home

Licorice sweets can not only be purchased at the store, but also made with your own hands.

Recipe 1

Usually, the preparation of licorice sweets requires the presence of a fresh licorice root. This is problematic for those who live in the city. But do not rush to despair. As an alternative, you can safely use a cough medicine - licorice root, which contains crushed licorice root. It is sold in every pharmacy at an affordable price.

Ingredients:

• butter - 100 grams;
• licorice extract - 1 tbsp;
• condensed milk - 400 grams;
• corn syrup - 1 tbsp .;
• black dye - 1 tsp;
• sugar - 200 grams.

Cooking method:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave.
2. Pour melted butter into a pan with a thick bottom.
3. Add condensed milk and sugar.
4. Heat corn syrup in the microwave.
5. Pour the syrup into the pan.
6. Add licorice extract.
7. Put the pan on a slow fire and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
8. Add dye and bring the mass to 110 degrees.
9. Pour the mass into a baking dish, lined with parchment, and so leave it first for half an hour at room temperature, and then in the cold all night.
10. Get out the shape and cut into convenient pieces.

Recipe 2

Ingredients:

• Licorice root - 5 tbsp.
• Gelatin - 3 tbsp.
• Cold water - 1 tbsp.

Cooking method:

1. Put gelatin on a plate, then pour it with a glass of cold water and leave to swell for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the resulting mass in the microwave.
3. Stir the hot solution well so that the gelatin dissolves.
4. Add licorice and mix well.
5. Heat the resulting solution in the microwave, and then mix well.
6. Pour the solution into the molds, cool it to room temperature, and then put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
7. Wait for the candy to solidify.

Recipe 3

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar.
• 1/2 cup berry juice.
• 1/2 cup corn syrup.
• 1/3 cup of water.
• 1/4 cup anise extract and the same amount of liquorice powder.

Cooking method:

1. Pour corn syrup into the pan.
2. Add sugar.
3. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved.
4. When the mass begins to thicken, add licorice and anise.
5. Then mix well and add the resulting mass to the mold.
6. Wait for the candy to solidify.

Interesting Facts

1. Liquorice contains substances such as saponins, which form a foam. Thanks to them, the plant was added to beer drinks and foam for fire extinguishers.
2. Licorice is used to make ink, mascara, shoe polish due to its natural rich black color.
3. Residents of Japan are actively using licorice to make cigarettes without nicotine, and in other countries it is part of tobacco blends and is used to flavor tobacco.
4. For the first time, licorice as a medicine began to be used in China several millennia BC. The Chinese call licorice the second ginseng.
5. In England, this product is also highly valued for its beneficial properties.
6. Liquorice sweets are very popular in the Scandinavian countries. Licorice sweets are a symbol of Finland.
7. Licorice sweets can be not only moderately sweet with a sour taste, but also salty and even spicy.
8. Usually licorice sweets are produced in the form of tubes, but also come in the form of animals and not only. Sometimes, to shine, licorice sweets are coated with beeswax.
9. Licorice has also found its application in gardening as a sand fixer.

Photo of licorice sweets