Can licorice root damage kidneys?
When licorice is consumed normally or at lower doses, there are few side effects. However, at high doses, glycyrrhizin causes the kidneys to retain salt and water, possibly leading to high blood pressure. It also causes the kidneys to excrete potassium, possibly causing low potassium levels in the blood. Licorice and its derivatives, including ammoniated glycyrrhizin, are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in foods by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (21 CFR 184.