Eating Too Much Black Licorice Can Cause Heart Disease
It’s that time of year again. You take the kids out for Halloween or let them run free to collect as much candy as they can before nights end. Then your return home and consume as much of it as you can. You try to be careful on how much candy you eat. But more importantly, you should pay attention to how much of a certain candy you consume because it could lead to serious health issues.
Slow Down On The Black Licorice
If you’re a fan of the black gummy candy, you may want to slow down your intake of it. If you eat some here and there, than you’re not at risk so much. According to AP News, back in September of 2020, a 54-year-old construction worker from Massachusetts died from consuming too much of the stuff. He would eat a bag-and-a-half of it daily for weeks.
Pop Crush said in an article they wrote that a small amount of licorice, black jelly beans, black gum, and black licorice teas and even alcohol can raise your blood pressure. In the AP News article, they talked to Dr. Neel Butala, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital said, “Even a small amount of licorice you eat can increase your blood pressure a little bit.”
Why Is It Only Black Licorice?
Black licorice flavored candies, teas, alcohols and more contain glycyrrhizic acid. It comes from licorice root extract. It will call very low potassium and messes with electrolytes your body needs. The Food and drug Administration has even put out a warning that consuming as much as two ounces of black licorice daily could cause heart problems. Starting with irregular heart rhythm. They say especially for people over the age of 40.
The FDA says it allows 3.1% of foods to contain glycyrrhizic acid. The issue is candy companies don’t specifically state how much is in an oz. of the candy.
So knowing this, if you consume black licorice, will you continue to or slow down? Will you allow your children to consume it if they get it in their Halloween haul?
We have more on this in today’s edition of a Few Things You Should Know!
