Herb
Licorice
甘草gan cao
1 sourceRadix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae
Modern safety noticeCaution
Modern sources record safety concerns for this herb. Reference information, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.
Modern sources record restrictions on high-dose, prolonged use of licorice root (gan cao). The WHO monograph on Radix Glycyrrhizae states that it is contraindicated in patients with hypertension, cholestatic disorders or cirrhosis of the liver, hypokalaemia, or chronic renal insufficiency, and during pregnancy, and that prolonged use (about 6 weeks) of excessive doses (around 50 g/day) can lead to pseudoaldosteronism — potassium depletion, sodium retention, oedema, hypertension, and weight gain. This is reference information drawn from modern sources, not a diagnostic or treatment recommendation.
Harmonizes and moderates the other medicinals, tonifies qi and strengthens the sinews and flesh, warms the centre and directs qi downward, relieves wasting-thirst, frees the channels and blood, and resolves toxicity (including that of many medicinals); used raw it is slightly cooling, honey-roasted it is warming.
Used in 116 formulas
Source
Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu)卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·主治（《本经》）
References
- functions_en self-translated from 本草纲目 traditional_functions (public domain; the Chinese tf carries verbatim excerpt_hash citations). No modern work consulted.
- WHO IST-TCM terminology-aligned for the English rendering.
- public pharmacopoeia & botanical facts (public-domain reference facts; no proprietary modern source).
Traditional functions
Classical source text (Chinese) — English summary above.
传统中医记载：甘草甘平，主五脏六腑寒热邪气，坚筋骨、长肌肉、倍气力，解毒，久服轻身延年（《本经》）；温中下气、止渴、通经脉利血气、解百药毒（《别录》）；金元医家谓其大缓诸火、协和诸药（李杲、朱震亨等）；生则微凉，炙则温（寇宗奭）。
Nature, flavor & meridians
Nature & flavor: 甘，平，无毒（《本经》）。寇宗奭谓生则微凉、味不佳，炙则温；王好古谓气薄味厚、升而浮，阳也。·Meridians: 脾（足太阴）, 肝（足厥阴）, 手足十二经（时珍：通入）
Used in formulas
- Honey-Fried Licorice Decoction
- Frigid Extremities Decoction
- Licorice and Aconite Decoction
- Licorice and Dried Ginger Decoction
- Licorice Decoction
- Licorice Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium
- Frigid Extremities plus Ginseng Decoction
- Unblock the Pulse Decoction for Frigid Extremities
- Frigid Extremities Powder
- Regulate the Stomach and Order the Qi Decoction
- Unblock the Pulse Decoction for Frigid Extremities plus Pig Bile
- Licorice, Dried Ginger, Poria and Atractylodes Decoction
- Licorice and Ephedra Decoction
- Discharge Pus Decoction
- Licorice, Wheat and Jujube Decoction
- Running Piglet Decoction
- Sour Jujube Seed Decoction
- Ephedra and Aconite Decoction
- White Tiger Decoction Plus Cinnamon Twig
- Stephania and Astragalus Decoction
- Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Coix and Licorice Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig, Licorice, Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell Decoction
- Bistort Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig minus Peony plus Dichroa Leaf, Oyster Shell and Dragon Bone Decoction to Restore from Counterflow
- Minor Construct the Middle Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig and Licorice Decoction
- Kudzu, Scutellaria and Coptis Decoction
- Poria, Licorice and Schisandra Decoction plus Ginger, Asarum, Pinellia, Apricot Kernel and Rhubarb
- Poria, Licorice and Schisandra Decoction plus Ginger, Asarum, Pinellia and Apricot Kernel
- Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Magnolia Bark and Apricot Kernel
- Cinnamon Twig minus Cinnamon plus Poria and Atractylodes Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig minus Peony plus Aconite Decoction
- Poria, Schisandra and Licorice Decoction minus Cinnamon Twig plus Dried Ginger, Asarum and Pinellia
- Cinnamon Twig minus Peony Decoction
- Si Shun Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig and Ginseng Decoction
- Poria, Licorice, Schisandra, Ginger and Asarum Decoction
- Coptis Decoction
- Ephedra, Aconite and Licorice Decoction
- Peony, Licorice and Aconite Decoction
- Peony and Licorice Decoction
- Fresh Ginger Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium
- Magnolia Bark Seven-Substance Decoction
- Ginseng Decoction
- Gardenia and Phellodendron Decoction
- Rhubarb and Licorice Decoction
- Gardenia, Licorice and Prepared Soybean Decoction
- Platycodon Decoction
- Kudzu plus Pinellia Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig Decoction Plus Astragalus
- Cinnamon Twig plus Aconite Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig plus Peony Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig Decoction minus Peony plus Ephedra, Asarum and Aconite
- Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Peony, Fresh Ginger and Ginseng (New Supplement)
- Scutellaria plus Pinellia and Fresh Ginger Decoction
- Clam Shell Decoction
- Pinellia Powder and Decoction
- Ephedra Decoction Plus Atractylodes
- Cinnamon Twig, Peony and Anemarrhena Decoction
- Atractylodes and Aconite Decoction
- Rhubarb and Eupolyphaga Pill
- Poria, Apricot Kernel and Licorice Decoction
- Aconite and Non-Glutinous Rice Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig, Poria, Schisandra and Licorice Decoction
- Preserve the Primal Qi Decoction
- Ephedra Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig Decoction
- Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Licorice and Gypsum Decoction
- White Tiger Decoction
- White Tiger plus Ginseng Decoction
- Scutellaria Decoction
- Regulate the Middle Pill
- Major Blue Dragon Decoction
- Tangkuei Decoction for Frigid Extremities plus Evodia and Fresh Ginger
- Poria and Licorice Decoction
- Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Licorice and Jujube Decoction
- Four Gentlemen Decoction
- Magnolia Bark, Fresh Ginger, Pinellia, Licorice and Ginseng Decoction
- Kansui and Pinellia Decoction
- Poria Decoction for Frigid Extremities
- Bupleurum and Cinnamon Twig Decoction
- Trichosanthes Root and Cinnamon Twig Decoction
- Ophiopogon Decoction
- Bupleurum plus Mirabilite Decoction
- Vaccaria Powder
- Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi
- Remove Cinnamon Add Atractylodes Decoction
- Two-Parts Cinnamon Twig One-Part Yuebi Decoction
- Cimicifuga and Turtle Shell Decoction
- Bamboo Shavings Great Pill
- Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes and Licorice Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig plus Cinnamon Decoction
- Half Cinnamon Twig and Half Ephedra Decoction
- Inula and Hematite Decoction
- Maidservant from Yue Decoction Plus Pinellia
- Maidservant from Yue Decoction
- Tangkuei Decoction for Frigid Extremities
- Tangerine Peel and Bamboo Shavings Decoction
- Pulsatilla Decoction Plus Licorice and Ass-Hide Gelatin
- Minor Bupleurum Decoction
- Kudzu Decoction
- Minor Blue Dragon Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig plus Rhubarb Decoction
- Stephania and Poria Decoction
- Cinnamon Twig plus Kudzu Decoction
- Pinellia Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium
- Cinnamon Twig and Aconite Decoction
- Lophatherum and Gypsum Decoction
- Two-Parts Cinnamon Twig One-Part Ephedra Decoction
- Sun Spurge Decoction
- Dioscorea Pill
- Bamboo Leaf Decoction
- Bupleurum, Cinnamon Twig and Dried Ginger Decoction
- Ephedra, Forsythia and Adzuki Bean Decoction
- Warm the Menses Decoction
- Ephedra and Cimicifuga Decoction
Citations
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草（条目标题·《本经》上品）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its classification.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·释名Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its alternate names.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·气味（《本经》）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·气味（寇宗奭·王好古）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its nature & flavor.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·气味（归经·王好古「入足太阴厥阴经」、时珍「通入手足十二经」）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its meridian tropism.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·主治（《本经》）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·主治（《别录》·解百药毒）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·气味（寇宗奭·生则微凉、炙则温）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its traditional functions.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·气味（徐之才·使恶反；甄权·忌猪肉）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.
- Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) · Li Shizhen · 卷十二·草部·草之一·山草类·甘草·发明（李时珍·中满呕吐酒客不宜、四物相反）Cited from Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao Gangmu) for its safety notes.
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