Eating licorice – and salt licorice in particular – is far from a given in many places around the world. In Sweden, however, we are big consumers of the black candy.
The fact is that the Swedes are the people in the world who eat the most licorice, according to Fazer. We eat just over two kilos of licorice per person per year. Thus we beat our Finnish neighbors, who also have a long tradition of producing and consuming licorice.
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Photo: Martina Holmberg/TTPhoto: Oscar Olsson/TTWoman suffered from potassium deficiency
But eating licorice is not completely harmless. Recently, for example, Expressen reported on how a 39-year-old woman, native of Skåne, was taken to hospital by ambulance after she felt tired and had a high pulse for several days.
Once there, it was ruled out that the woman had suffered a stroke, but after a few blood tests, she was asked an unexpected question: do you like licorice?
The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT
It turned out that the woman suffered from a potassium deficiency. This after she ate a packet of Jungle Roar a day for three years.
– I understand that I eat more licorice than most others. But I still can’t help but think it’s just that little bag, the woman, who was hospitalized for six days, told The Express.
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Therefore, you can get a potassium deficiency from licorice consumption
But what exactly is potassium deficiency and how common is it to suffer? News24 asked Hans Lindholmwho is a specialist doctor at Min Doktor.
– Potassium deficiency is unusual, but can be caused by prolonged diarrhea or the use of diuretics, he states and continues further:
– Common symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, fatigue and heart rhythm disturbances. In more severe cases, it can lead to depression and confusion.
Hans Lindholm. Photo: Press image/Min Doktor
So what does the connection to licorice consumption look like? Yes, licorice contains glycyrrhizic acid, which is a substance that can affect the body’s salt balance and lead to potassium deficiency in case of excessive consumption.
Glycyrrhizic acid is found naturally in licorice root and is used in products such as sweets, chewing gum and some medicines. In case of high consumption, the substance can cause an increased secretion of potassium from the body. This, in turn, can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue and, in the worst case, heart problems.
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Photo: Lars Pehrson/SvD/TT
Everyone is differently sensitive to glycyrrhizic acid, but regular consumption of about 50 grams of licorice candy per day can be harmful to sensitive individuals. People with high blood pressure, heart disease and pregnant women should be especially careful, according to The Swedish Food Agency.
If you look at Djungelvrål, a regular bag contains 90 grams of candy, which is almost twice as much licorice as you are recommended to eat per day. In other words, consuming an entire packet a day and doing so regularly can be harmful. The same applies, of course, to other licorice sweets.
Anyone who has consumed a lot of licorice should, according to Hans Lindholm, seek medical care if they experience persistent muscle weakness, cramps, fatigue or an irregular heart rhythm.
– This may indicate a serious potassium deficiency that needs to be treated, he says.
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