1. It is used for heart qi deficiency, palpitations, intermittent pulse, spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue and fatigue. The former is often combined with Guizhi, such as Guizhi Gancao Decoction and Zhi Gancao Decoction. The latter is often used together with Codonopsis pilosula and Atractylodes macrocephala, such as Sijunzi Decoction and Lizhong Pills.
2. Used for carbuncle sores, sore throat, etc. It can be used alone, orally or externally, or in combination. Carbuncle sores are often used with honeysuckle and forsythia to play a role in clearing away heat and detoxification, such as Xianfang Huomingyin. For sore throat, it is often used together with orange terrier, such as orange terrier soup. In case of pesticide or food poisoning, it is often mixed with mung beans or decocted with Fangfeng Shui.
3. For asthma and cough. It can be used alone or in combination with other drugs. For example, Erchen Decoction for treating wet phlegm and cough; Linggan Wuwei Jiangxin Decoction for treating cold phlegm, cough and asthma; Salivating licorice and dried ginger soup, etc. In addition, wind-heat cough, wind-cold cough, and heat-phlegm cough are often used in combination.
4. It is used for stomachache, abdominal pain and gastrocnemius spasm and acute pain, etc. It is often used together with peony, which can significantly enhance the curative effect of treating contracture and acute pain, such as Shaoyao Gancao Decoction.
5. It is used to reconcile the potency of certain drugs. For example, seasoning Chengqi soup uses this product to alleviate the diarrhea effect of rhubarb and Glauber's salt and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, this product is also commonly used to reconcile various medicines in many prescriptions.
6. Licorice has adrenocortical hormone-like effect. It can inhibit the hypersecretion of gastric acid caused by histamine; it also has the effect of antacid and relieving spasm of gastrointestinal smooth muscle.
7. Licorice flavonoids, licorice extract and glycyrrhetinic acid all have obvious antitussive effect; the expectorant effect is also more significant, and the action intensity is glycyrrhizic acid > licorice flavonoids > licorice extract.
8. Licorice also has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, and can protect the inflamed throat and tracheal mucosa. Licorice extract and glycyrrhizic acid have a detoxification effect similar to glucuronic acid on certain poisons.
9. Licorice is often used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Because licorice contains liquiritigenin, which is a hormone-like compound, it helps balance hormone levels in women.
10. Hypoacidic acid contained in licorice can block the effect of carcinogens on inducing tumor growth.