DISCUSSION: Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has traditionally been used in treating intestinal and urinary inflammation, dry cough and other lung disorders, sore throat and laryngitis.
|NPN (what's this?)||Product Code||Size||Per Capsule||Vegetarian|
|80005124||AOR04299||60 Vegi-Caps||760 mg||Vegetarian|
|Serving Size: 1 Capsule||Amount Per Serving|
|Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Root Extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra)||760 mg|
|Non-medicinal ingredients: sodium stearyl fumarate. Capsule: hypromellose.|
AOR Guarantees: that no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to the product. Contains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish or shellfish.
Adult Dosage: Take 1 capsule two times a day with/without food, or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.
Cautions: May be used up to 4-6 weeks. Consult a health care practitioner if symptoms persist. Consult a health care practitioner before taking if you have diabetes or hypokalemia or are taking any kind of hormonal therapies, diuretics, potassium depleting agents, or MAO inhibitors. Do not use if you have impaired kidney or liver functions, high blood pressure or heart disease or are a man with decreased libido.
Pregnancy/Nursing: Do not take.
Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza Glabra)
The information and product descriptions appearing on this website are for information purposes only, and are not intended to provide or replace medical advice to individuals from a qualified health care professional. Consult with your physician if you have any health concerns, and before initiating any new diet, exercise, supplement, or other lifestyle changes.
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A Sweet Spice Made Sweeter
Used as a spice because of its sweet taste, licorice has long been used in Egypt, Greece and China for its health benefits. Our ancestors discovered that licorice can soothe stomach pain, and the plant was often used for gastritis. There is one problem with licorice: the root affects the function of the adrenal glands and can cause increased blood pressure and water retention after prolonged use. There is, however, a simple solution to this problem: deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), an extract of licorice that contains insignificant amounts of glycyrrhizinic or glycyrrhetinic acids responsible for unwanted effects. DGL has many benefits, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.
Until recently, medical treatment of gastric problems focused on reducing gastric acidity with antacids and/or drugs that block stomach acid secretions. Though effective in relieving symptoms, these treatments can be expensive, carry some risk of toxicity, disrupt normal digestive processes, and alter the structure and function of the cells that line the digestive tract.
Zantac® (Ranitidine) and Tagamet® (Cimetidine) are examples of histamine receptor antagonists. These drugs act to block the action of histamine on the secretion of stomach acid. Histamine normally acts to stimulate the secretion of stomach acid by gastric cells. By blocking this effect of histamine, stomach acid output is greatly reduced.
Effectiveness and Safety of Conventional Treatments
Although they are effective in providing symptomatic relief, Zantac®, Tagamet®, and other H2 receptor antagonists have the highest recurrence rate among gastric medications. In addition, both drugs are associated with numerous side effects. Because H2-receptor antagonists block the vital bodily function involved in digestion, namely secreting stomach acids, digestive disturbances are quite common and can include nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Nutrient deficiencies can appear as a result of impaired digestion. Other possible side effects include liver damage, hair loss, breast enlargement in men, dizziness, allergic reactions, headaches, osteoporosis, depression, insomnia, and impotence. Cost: A month’s supply of Zantac® or Tagamet® at therapeutic levels typically costs between $40 and $60.
A More Natural Approach
The use of Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) compared to standard drug therapy is a classic example of addressing the underlying cause of a condition rather than simply blocking an effect. Most people do not have an over secretion of acid. The cause in most cases is a breakdown in the integrity of the intestinal lining. While drugs like Zantac® and Tagamet® can block symptoms and promote temporary healing, they don’t address the underlying cause. DGL addresses the underlying factors and promotes true healing. Rather than inhibit the release of acid, licorice stimulates the normal defense mechanisms that protect the gastrointestinal lining. The whole extract improves both the quantity and the quality of the protective substances which line the intestinal tract, increases the life span of intestinal cells, and improves blood supply to the intestinal lining.
Numerous clinical studies over the years have found DGL to be an effective compound. For example in one study, 33 patients with gastric problems were treated with either DGL or a placebo for one month. The DGL group experienced 78% improvement compared to the placebo group at 34%. Complete healing occurred in 44% of those receiving DGL, but in only 6% of the placebo group. In several head to head comparison studies, DGL has been shown to be more effective than either Tagamet® or Zantac® in both short-term treatment and maintenance therapy of gastric problems. However, while these drugs are associated with significant side effects, DGL is extremely safe and is only a fraction of the cost.
Those with stomach ulcers often rely upon prescription medications that do little to address the underlying causes of their gastric irritation and that may be making their symptoms worse due to side effects of these medications.
AOR’s deglycyrrhizinated licorice does not inhibit the release of acid but instead is able to activate the mechanisms that protect the mucosal linings of the digestive system. Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is an extract of licorice that does not cause unwanted side effects associated with the use of licorice. In addition to reducing intestinal inflammation, DGL has several benefits, including being an antimicrobial and antioxidant. It also increases the life of the intestinal cells as well as stimulates the blood flow to the intestinal lining.
Brogden RN, Speight TM, Avery GS. “Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice: a report of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy in peptic ulcer.” Drugs. 1974; 8(5): 330-9.
D’Imperio N, Giuliani Piccari G, Sarti F, Soffritti M, Spongano P, Benvenuti C, Dal Monte PR. “Double-blind trial in duodenal and gastric ulcers. Cimetidine and deglycyrrhizinized liquorice.” Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 1978 Jul-Aug; 41(7-8): 427-34.
Morgan AG, McAdam WA, Pacsoo C, Darnborough A. “Comparison between cimetidine and Caved-S in the treatment of gastric ulceration, and subsequent maintenance therapy.” Gut 1982 Jun; 23(6): 545-51.
Morgan AG, Pacsoo C, McAdam WA. “Maintenance therapy: a two year comparison between Caved-S and cimetidine treatment in the prevention of symptomatic gastric ulcer recurrence.” Gut 1985 Jun; 26(6): 599-602.
Turpie AG, Runcie J, Thomson TJ. “Clinical trial of deglydyrrhizinized liquorice in gastric ulcer.” Gut. 1969 Apr; 10(4): 299-302.
van Marle J, Aarsen PN, Lind A, van Weeren-Kramer J. “Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) and the renewal of rat stomach epithelium.” Eur J Pharmacol 1981 Jun 19; 72(2-3): 219-25
Q: Why is AOR’s DGL in a capsule form and everyone else’s is in a chewable form?
A: The original formulators (the rest of the companies just followed) of the product thought that there may be additional benefits in healing similar issues of the esophagus. A chewable is that a chewable allows the DGL to exert an effect upon the esophagus during the swallowing. However, DGL was clinically used for healing gastric inflammation and not for the esophagus. Plus, chewable is more costly as it requires additional ingredients for taste masking and sweeteners.
Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) and the renewal of rat stomach epithelium.
Eur J Pharmacol 1981 Jun 19; 72(2-3): 219-25.
van Marle J, Aarsen PN, Lind A, van Weeren-Kramer J.
Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) stimulated proliferation in the forestomach of the rat but did not stimulate and possibly even inhibited proliferation in the glandular part. DGL increased the number of fundus glands in which labeled mucus secreting cells occur as well as the total number of labelled mucus cells per gland. The mechanism of action proposed for DGL is that DGL stimulates and/or accelerates the differentiation to glandular cells as well as mucus formation and secretion. The accelerated proliferation observed in the forestomach is ascribed to an improved environment in the stomach as a consequence of the enhanced mucus secretion under the influence of DGL.