Black Licorice: Uses, Warnings, Side Effects, Dosage

A daily habit of black licorice can quietly wreck your heart rhythm, but a modest cup of licorice tea probably won’t hurt you at all.

Quick Take

European food safety scientists set a limit of six grams of real licorice candy per day for regular eaters.
A brand study found glycyrrhizin levels vary so much that a safe tea dose could range from a tenth of a cup to 20 cups daily.
Health experts say half a cup of licorice tea is a reasonable amount for most people.
The Food and Drug Administration warns adults 40 and older against eating two ounces of black licorice daily for two weeks or more.

What NutritionFacts.org Found About Licorice Limits

NutritionFacts.org tackled the licorice question head-on in its video “Friday Favorites: How Much Licorice Is Safe?” The video points to the European Scientific Committee on Food, which built in a wide safety margin before setting its daily limit. That group suggests regular eaters cap genuine licorice candy at six grams a day, a small but workable guideline for anyone who enjoys the treat without wanting to gamble with their health.

Tea drinkers get a more complicated answer. Researchers tested 33 different licorice tea brands and found glycyrrhizin content swung wildly from one product to the next. That variation means a technically safe daily amount could be as small as a tenth of a cup or as generous as 20 cups, depending entirely on which brand sits in your cupboard.

Why The Compound Behind The Candy Matters So Much

Glycyrrhizin is the sweet-tasting compound at the center of every licorice warning. It can drop potassium levels in the body, and low potassium sets the stage for dangerous heart rhythm problems. The Cleveland Clinic explains this is exactly why older adults and people with existing heart issues face the highest risk from heavy licorice use.

The Food and Drug Administration has already put a number on that risk. Its warning states that adults 40 and older who eat two ounces of black licorice daily for at least two weeks could end up hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. That two-week, two-ounce threshold has been repeated across major health outlets as the clearest public warning on the subject.

A Practical Number For Everyday Tea Drinkers

Given all that variation, NutritionFacts.org lands on a simple, usable takeaway. Based on the average glycyrrhizin level found across the tested brands, the video states that half a cup of licorice tea should be safe for most people. It’s not a guarantee for every product on every shelf, but it gives worried tea drinkers a sensible starting point.

That guidance sits inside a larger body of work from NutritionFacts.org, which keeps a running topic page on licorice tied closely to its blood pressure coverage. The site frames licorice as a food that might help with fat loss for some people, but always asks the same follow-up question: at what cost to blood pressure and heart health?

Not All Licorice Candy Is Created Equal

Here’s a wrinkle most shoppers never think about. Plenty of licorice-flavored candy sold in American stores contains little or no actual licorice root at all. Manufacturers often substitute anise oil for the real thing, which tastes similar but carries none of the glycyrrhizin risk. That means reading labels matters just as much as tracking how much candy you eat.

Outside researchers back up the broader caution without contradicting the everyday-safety message. A National Institutes of Health review notes licorice root is generally considered safe as a food ingredient, but warns that glycyrrhizin can trigger irregular heartbeat and even cardiac arrest when consumed in large amounts over long periods. The pattern across every source is consistent: moderate amounts are fine, heavy daily habits are not.

The Bottom Line For Anyone Reaching For The Bag

None of this means licorice deserves a permanent spot on a banned-foods list. It means dose, duration, and product type all matter more than the word “licorice” printed on a wrapper. A cautious eater who sticks to a few grams of real candy or a modest cup of tea a day is working well within the limits researchers and regulators have already laid out.

For readers over 40, or anyone managing blood pressure or heart conditions, the FDA’s two-ounce, two-week warning is worth keeping in mind before Halloween candy bowls fill back up. Common sense and moderation, not fear, remain the simplest guide to enjoying this old-fashioned treat safely.