A history of the therapeutic use of liquorice in Europe
Authors
Cristina Fiore
aDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Endocrinology, University of Padua, Via Ospedale 105, 35128 Padua, Italy
Michael Eisenhut
bUniversity of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Eugenio Ragazzi
cDepartment of Pharmacology and Anaesthesiology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Giorgio Zanchin
dDepartment of Neurology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Decio Armanini
aDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Endocrinology, University of Padua, Via Ospedale 105, 35128 Padua, Italy
Keywords:
Liquorice, History, Traditional therapy, Diseases, Clinical effects, Therapeutic use
Abstract
Liquorice root has been used in Europe since prehistoric times, and is well documented in written form starting with the ancient Greeks. In this review we compare the independent development of medical uses of this botanical drug in several ancient cultures, attempting to show the rationality of specific indications across different ethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds. Identical specific indications in different cultures highlight universally reproducible therapeutic effects that are beyond those of a mere placebo.
In the first part of the review, historical sources dealing with liquorice (Scythian, Greek, Roman, and from the Middle Ages in Germany, Italy, Spain, England) have been considered. In the second part, the historical records of diseases treated with liquorice have been presented. Finally, a comparison between traditional use in and outside Europe, with the most important recent scientific studies concerning its use, is presented.
Keywords: Liquorice, History, Traditional therapy, Diseases, Clinical effects, Therapeutic use
Click on "Archives" to access the full archive of scientific preprints. You may use the categories and the search functionality to find select preprints you're interested in.
