Can you eat liquorice when pregnant?
Hannah Weiss
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Find out if it's safe to eat liquorice during pregnancy, including liquorice root, liquorice tea and liquorice allsorts. Plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on eating liquorice in pregnancy
Be cautious about eating lots of liquorice while you're pregnant. According to the NHS, liquorice is safe to eat, but you should avoid liquorice root.
Liquorice root
Liquorice root has been used as a herbal remedy for centuries all around the world, particularly in Egypt, China and India. Today, liquorice root is a popular over-the-counter treatment for digestive problems, coughs and sore throats.
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According to Healthline, liquorice root contains a compound called glycyrrhizin. This is what makes liquorice taste so sweet. It also has beneficial antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
However having lots of glycyrrhizin while you're pregnant can negatively affect your baby’s brain development and lead to complications, including premature birth. Research shows that the children of mothers who had large amounts of liquorice products containing glycyrrhizin during pregnancy were more likely to develop brain impairments.
Therefore while you're pregnant it's safest to avoid liquorice tea, liquorice sweets and other liquorice remedies that contain glycyrrhizin.
It is possible to buy deglycyrrhizinated liquorice. This does not contain glycyrrhizin. However it is unclear whether this fully alleviates the negative side effects of glycyrrhizin.
Consuming high levels of glycyrrhizin can also lead to increased blood pressure and decreased potassium. This could potentially be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or kidney problems.
Liquorice tea and liquorice allsorts
Herbal teas containing liquorice are often made with liquorice root. Liquorice allsorts are usually flavoured with liquorice extract. Therefore it is not safe to have either in large amounts during pregnancy.
Talk to your GP or midwife before drinking liquorice tea or eating liquorice allsorts while you're pregnant. Your pharmacist will also be able to provide advice on taking deglycyrrhizinated liquorice remedies and supplements.
Don't worry too much if you've just had a couple of liquorice allsorts. Research suggests that it's the women who eat the most liquorice whose are at the highest risk. Just avoid it from now on, and speak to your midwife if you have any concerns.
Delicious dessert recipes
Love desserts? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book: Count Down Your Pregnancy Day by Day by Dr Maggie Blott is packed full of advice from a team of experts to help guide you through your pregnancy from conception to birth. See more details here at Amazon.
Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.
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