Well, liquorice can in fact decrease cough symptoms, reduce swelling and even heal ulcers. A lot of liquorice sweets don’t actually contain any of the root and are artificially made from something called anise oil.

A 2011 study, published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at people with indigestion taking 75mg liquorice root extract twice a day for 30 days. Some people simply love the taste of liquorice – especially those who love a good old-fashioned sweet shop! The liquorice plant, which is related to the pea plant, is native to Southern Asia, but can now be found growing all over the Middle East, southern Europe, and even, Yorkshire. Another 3-week study on small children who were given sugar-free lollipops that contained 15mg of liquorice root twice a day during the school week. Insulin or drugs for diabetes – how they work may be impacted due to liquorice changing blood sugar levels.The results showed that a low dose of glycyrrhetinic acid (from liquorice) in combination with normal treatment resulted in positive symptom improvements. 11 Pregnant or breastfeeding women shouldn’t have liquorice in any form either due to the fact some studies have found having liquorice during pregnancy can increase the risk of stillbirth. Liquorice root may slow down the rate at which chronic bronchitis develops in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you have a history of heart problems or high blood pressure, speak to your GP if you’re thinking of trying a liquorice supplement. 26 And always talk to your doctor if you’re on any medication, as liquorice can interact with some drugs such as warfarin or hormone replacement therapy. 27

RJ’s Soft Eating Natural Raspberry Liquorice (1x 300g bag) - These delicious strands of RJ’s Soft Eating Natural Raspberry Liquorice are enough to convert any liquorice sceptic thanks to their sweet taste of juicy ripe raspberries and melt-in-the-mouth texture. There are currently no guidelines for safe intake levels of liquorice, but both the World Health Organisation and the European Commission Scientific Committee on Food recommend no more than 100mg a day of glycyrrhizic acid – a potentially toxic compound found in liquorice – a day for the average adult. 23,24As well as their original natural soft liquorice you can also enjoy liquorice sweets from RJ’s in raspberry flavour, chocolate covered liquorice as well as fun liquorice allsorts. Lakeland’s sweetie cupboard This particular strain of bacteria can cause skin conditions, such as impetigo, with a study carried out in 2010 in Iran finding that liquorice root and leaves are effective at treating this particular skin condition. 13 Researchers have found that the active ingredient glycyrrhizin in liquorice root extract could help treat it in the future. 21