Calm Teas

Herb record · Fabaceae

Licorice root in tea: cautions and interactions

Reviewed

Used in many blends for sweetness, not calm. It earns a caution flag because its glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure and disturb heart rhythm.

Licorice plant with narrow leaflets and brown, bristly seed pods
Photo: Юрий Данилевский, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 3:2, resized and converted to WebP (adaptation shared under the same license).

At a glance

Latin name
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Evidence
Caution ingredient Listed for its safety profile rather than calming evidence.
EU tea amount
The EU monographs we use list no tea preparation for this herb.
Cautions
Licorice: blood pressure & heart caution
In our index
8 teas

Who should be careful with licorice root?

  • Licorice: blood pressure & heart caution. Glycyrrhizin can cause serious effects such as irregular heartbeat, mainly with large amounts or long-term use; even small amounts have been linked to severe effects in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or high salt intake. Interactions with corticosteroids have been reported. (NCCIH fact sheet)

This list repeats what the cited sources say; it isn't a complete interaction check. A pharmacist can check your specific medicines.

Which calming teas contain licorice root?

Sources

  1. NCCIH (NIH). Licorice Root, updated April 2025.
    Government fact sheet
    Glycyrrhizin in licorice can cause serious adverse effects such as irregular heartbeat, especially in large amounts or long-term use; even small amounts have been linked to severe effects in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or high salt intake. Interactions with corticosteroids reported.
    checked against the official page, 2026-10-21