Black Licorice and heart arrhytmia

[itdood]

FDA warns black licorice can lead to heart arrhythmias

If the link below disappears, google black licorice heart arrhythmias

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/28/8509131-scary-treat-black-licorice-can-harm-heart-warns-the-fda

[itdood]

Good info!  Thanks.

[is_something_wrong]

Here is the link, interesting stuff (use google translate, Norwegian to English)

http://tidsskriftet.no/article/511466

[is_something_wrong]

I think this is known (that licorice reduced K+) which may provoke arrhythmias but the best known effect is the increase in blood pressure. I read an article recently from the norwegian journal of medicine that one patient developed a blood pressure of 210/130 from eating 200g licorice each day, with dangerously low K+.

I never eat licorice.

[itdood]

Check that out, I didn't think it was common knowledge.  I had never heard it before.  

[merileegal]

Thanks for the post! I was drinking an herbal detox tea that caused more PACs that usual so I stopped but didin't know which herb was the culprit. It had black licorice. So good to know.

[achillea]

It is strange that this is making headlines now.  Maybe the relationship to Halloween?  Anyhow, for cardiac patients, it has been standard to warn them of the connection because of glycyrrhizin's tendency to cause you to dump your potassium, lousing up your electrolyte balance.  Hearts do not like electrolyte imbalances.

It should be noted that we are talking about consuming fairly large quantities of black licorice, though.

[LindaTX]

Hi, Itdood...is this just coming out?  I've known about the connection since I first heard it back in the 90's.  It can wreck havoc with the heart rhythm and one other connection could be with some of the ingredients it is found with in many of the herbal teas on the market.  So many triggers out there....it really pays to read the labels.  Thanks for posting this!