Licorice Root (Gan Cao)

Licorice has a long and highly varied record of uses. It was and remains one of the most important herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is said this herb goes to all twelve channels of the body, a claim given to only a few Chinese herbs. By entering all body channels this herb is often used for its guiding actions to help other herbs enter into channels they would otherwise not normally affect. This is the beauty of Chinese herbal medicine, its ability to combine herbs in formulas to achieve actions they might otherwise not be able to do alone. Licorice has a sweet flavor, sweet Chinese herbs are helpful in tonifying the pancreas. The two major constituents of licorice are glycyrrhizin and flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants known to improve circulation and relieve tissues damage and have a role in reducing inflammation.