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Licorice Root & Tired and - or Grouchy Husbands

By Georgiana Duncan

This all happened rather accidentally. I had frequently suggested Licorice Root along with vitamins to men who told me they were often tired, especially if they had a mid-afternoon slump.

Then I had a lady come to me whose husband was not only tired all the time, but grouchy as well. She said that nothing pleased him. He was either upset with her or their children most of the time. We talked about other problems that he had at that time, also.

She didn't have much money so we tried to narrow it down to one thing that might possibly help him feel better until she could start working on his other problems. She decided on Licorice Root in the concentrated form (ATC).

Several days later she called me to tell me that not only was he not tired all the time, but that he was back to being his normal happy, cheerful kidding-around self. She did some experimenting and found if she withheld the Licorice Root from him, he was once again grouchy. She now says she would not be without it (for him)!

I mentioned this woman's observations to other women who were buying Licorice Root for their husbands and found several that said that they, too, noticed an improvement in their husbands' dispositions when they took their Licorice Root. One told me she even substituted another herb capsule for her husband's Licorice Root capsule when she ran out because she knew he would get upset with her if he knew that she had run out of it. He was so cranky the three days he was without it that she could hardly stand him.

There is a reason why Licorice Root will work on your disposition as well as your energy level. When your blood sugar is going from very high levels to very low levels, it creates highs and lows in your moods, also. The lows can range from mild crabbiness to severe depression. A person suffering from low blood sugar can reach the point of thinking they are even having a nervous breakdown. This can be very frightening.

We live in a very stressful society. The hormone cortin, which is produced by the adrenal glands, allows us to handle everyday stress and worry. Sugar (particularly refined, white sugar) and processed foods (such as white flour and rice) stress the adrenal glands even further until they reach the point of exhaustion. They are then unable to produce the necessary cortin. This results in an inability to efficiently use protein, starch, and even dairy products. Correct hormonal balance is essential for the utilization of protein as fuel in the body. Hence, a lack of energy results.

Licorice Root assists the adrenal glands, helping the body handle stress. It allows the blood sugar level to remain more constant and gives a feeling of well-being. If the exhausted adrenals are not given added nutritional support, in the form of Licorice Root, and this condition is allowed to continue, the final consequence is a toxicity of the body, resulting from the residue of unusable food. When white sugar and concentrated carbohydrates are used frequently, the problem is further compounded. And increases of this toxicity can develop into degenerative diseases, mucous, and congestion, as well as a lowered resistance to infection. If you feel grouchy or tired much of the time, perhaps this is your body's signal that you are experiencing such a situation.

The quantity of Licorice Root needed is another interesting thing. During the summer, heat becomes a stress to the body, especially if you live in hotter climates. Heat alone can contribute to adrenal exhaustion. The digestion of meat generates more heat than the digestion of fruits and vegetables; so, in the summer, when we are already experiencing stress from the heat, eating meat compounds the problem. I have found that the need for Licorice Root greatly increases in the summertime--sometimes as much as four times.

Infection and injury are further stresses to the body. Because the adrenal glands should secrete cortisone to help with infections or injuries, many people have healed much more rapidly by adding Licorice Root to other herbs that they choose for healing, thus giving the adrenals a boost in their job of secreting cortisone as a part of the healing process.

Depending upon whether you are Hyper- or Hypoglycemic, you may even need Golden Seal with your Licorice Root to regulate your blood sugar level. I thought I was hypoglycemic for years only to find that I was actually bordering on hyperglycemia (Diabetes). Because hypoglycemia is usually the forerunner to hyperglycemia, I feel it very important to control this situation with Licorice Root.

I would like to give credit to La Dean Griffin for the help I received on this subject by reading Health in the Space Age.

Suggested Dosages: The dosages of Licorice Root vary greatly, depending upon the condition of the adrenal glands and the current stress level one is under. Therefore, the best way to determine proper dosage is through the use of nutritional muscle testing, testing each meal separately. State, "Testing for breakfast" and proceed to determine the dosage and then follow with, "Testing for lunch." You will find hardly anyone needing Licorice Root after noon and it may keep you awake if it is taken in the evening. (Of course, if you need to stay awake and alert to study, attend a lecture or drive long distances, you might find Licorice Root beneficial for that.)

If it is not possible to do the nutritional muscle testing, start with one concentrated capsule for breakfast and one for lunch for the first month. Try just one for breakfast thereafter. Increase if your needs increase or if you feel hypoglycemic symptoms returning. Such symptoms include headaches, sudden fatigue, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, anxiety, depression, crying spells, feeling of faintness, sudden hunger, exhaustion, inability to concentrate, easily angered, dizzy, cold sweats, feeling shaky, edema, dry mouth, twitching of eyelids, uncontrollable weight gain, overactivity in children, behavioral problems, seizures, convulsions, asthma, hay fever, eczema, hives, sinusitis, reduced sex drive, stomach pain, clammy skin, digestive disorders, colitis, diarrhea, fearfulness, blurred vision, shortness of breath, and cold extremities.

The intent of this article is not to prescribe or diagnose, only to offer information about what has been effective and helpful to others and to assist you in cooperating with your doctor in your health-building program. In the event that you use this information without your doctor's approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but your supplier assumes no responsibility.