Licorice , a perennial plant native to parts of Europe and Asia, is also known as “sweet root” because its root contains a compound that is around 50 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used for centuries in medicine, as various studies have shown that it can help prevent peptic ulcers, treat coughs, obesity, take care of the skin, colds, reduce menopausal hot flashes and other associated symptoms, and even lower the risk of some types of cancer. Well now, a new study carried out by scientists at the University of Illinois (USA) has discovered that licorice can have negative implications for female fertility.
For their study, the experts conducted an experiment with female mice. They exposed the antral follicles thereof to various concentrations of the compound isoliquiritigenin or a control compound for 48-96 hours. Antral follicles are located in the ovaries and express genes involved in the production of estrogen and other hormones.
The researchers confirmed that exposure to the licorice compound isoliquiritigenin reduced the expression of genes related to the production of sex hormones , causing a decrease in estrogen production, which in humans could have serious implications for fertility. Specifically, they identified a minimal 50% reduction in the expression of a gene for aromatase, an enzyme responsible for converting testosterone to estrogen.
These conclusions are preliminary and more studies are needed; however, the team believes that these early results suggest that isoliquiritigenin has the potential to promote reproductive and other health problems.
” In general, when you start to have lower hormonal levels, we could start to have problems not only with reproduction, because estrogen is also important for a healthy brain, healthy bones, a healthy cardiovascular system … If the levels continue low for too long, we could have problems with these systems. We have not shown that this is the case, but it is a possibility ”, explains Jodi Flaws, leader of the work.
The study has been published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology.
