For centuries, liquorice has been used in traditional medicine to soothe sore throats, calm coughs, and ease digestive discomfort. It's said to have originated from one pharmacist based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, who was the first to add sugar to cough medicine containing liquorice root back in 1760. Fast-forward several centuries and modern science has uncovered another potential benefit of the bitter root – treatment for those living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Researchers have identified a natural compound found in black liquorice that may reduce inflammation and protect intestinal tissue from damage linked to IBD. The discovery, made using advanced stem cell technology, could lead to safer and more effective therapies for chronic gut diseases.
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a lifelong, chronic condition that affects over half a million people in the UK, and four million across the globe. IBD is an umbrella term that encompasses both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), which affect different parts of the GI system. The condition causes inflammation of the digestive system, leading to symptoms such as pain, fatigue, diarrhea, weight loss, and intestinal damage. Current treatments for the disease often fall short of providing lasting relief, and a definitive cure remains elusive.
The exact cause of IBD is unknown, but there are some risk factors that can make the disease more likely. Some of these include inheritance of certain genes, abnormal interaction between the immune system and intestinal bacteria, race, age, and environmental factors like diet, smoking, and stress.
Although many medications are available today, treatment for IBD remains challenging. Some patients fail to respond to existing drugs, while others experience serious side effects, or successful treatments gradually lose their effectiveness over time. Scientists have therefore been searching for more effective therapies that not only reduce inflammation but also protect and repair the intestinal lining.
How can black liquorice help inflammatory bowel disease?
The new research focuses on glycyrrhizin, a naturally occurring compound found in black licorice root. Glycyrrhizin has long been studied for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but this latest work explored its potential specifically for treating IBD.
To investigate its effects, scientists developed lab-grown intestinal tissue using human stem cells. These miniature intestinal models, often called organoids, closely mimic how real human intestines behave during disease and how they react to different treatments. Researchers triggered inflammation in the lab-grown tissue, then testing around 3,500 different compounds to see which could prevent intestinal cell damage. It was at this point in the process that glycyrrhizin emerged as one of the most promising.
How could glycyrrhizin protect the gut?
The study found that glycyrrhizin significantly reduced intestinal cell death caused by inflammation. Researchers have also seen similar protective effects in mice with IBD, where the compound helped reduce inflammation and tissue injury in the intestines.
Since damage to the intestinal lining is one of the major drivers of worsening symptoms in IBD patients, by helping intestinal cells survive inflammatory attacks, glycyrrhizin could potentially support healing rather than simply suppress symptoms like many current treatments.
Additional research into licorice-derived compounds has also suggested benefits such as regulating inflammatory pathways, strengthening the intestinal barrier, and improving gut microbiome balance. As with all exciting new findings, more research is needed before treatments can come into force. Researches also caution against self-medicating with large amount of black liquorice, which can cause serious side effects when consumed in excess. It's a promising step forward.
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Journal referenced:
Yu Takahashi, Zhongwei Zhang, Izumi Tanaka, I-Ting Lee, Jincheng He, Yurina Koura, Shintaro Sato, Hirotatsu Kojima, Takayoshi Okabe, Hiroshi Kiyono, Takashi Sasaki, Yoshio Yamauchi, Yosuke Kurashima, Ryuichiro Sato. Organoid phenotypic screening identified glycyrrhizin that confers protection against tumor necrosis factor-induced cell death. Stem Cell Reports, 2026; 102891 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.102891
