Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital said the unusual case highlighted the risk of consuming too much glycyrrhizic acid, which is found in black licorice.
Source: A Man Died After Eating a Bag of Black Licorice Every Day (Published 2020)
“The F.D.A. warns people who are 40 or older that eating two ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks can cause “heart rhythm or arrhythmia.”
The agency warns consumers on its website about the dangers of an overdose from black licorice. The compound glycyrrhizin, which is derived from licorice root, can cause potassium levels in the body to fall and lead to abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, edema, lethargy and congestive heart failure, according to the agency’s warning.”
