Licorice (Mulethi) and Arjuna in Ayurveda
Licorice root (mulethi) and arjuna bark in Ayurveda: traditional use, what research shows, and glycyrrhizin cautions for blood pressure, potassium and the heart.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
In brief
Two herbs are covered here, and their safety stories are very different. Licorice root (mulethi, Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a familiar flavoring that can raise blood pressure and lower potassium when overused. Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) is a tree bark used for heart conditions in Indian medicine, with limited trials. This page is information only. Do not use either herb in place of heart or blood pressure medicine.Evidence labels: promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, evidence of harm, preclinical, traditional use only.
Licorice (mulethi)
Traditional use. Licorice root has a long history of use going back to ancient Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Arab, Chinese, Tibetan and Indian cultures, for coughing, asthma, wound healing, and diseases of the lungs, liver and arteries. [1] For the tea, see licorice root tea. Ayurvedic classical descriptions were not among the sources read.What research shows.
| Question | What the sources found | Evidence label |
|---|---|---|
| Canker sores | A licorice mouth rinse or gargle might reduce ulcer size and pain; one study found an extract plus a medicine worked better than the medicine alone. [1] | Promising but limited |
| Sore throat after intubation | A gargle or lozenge before surgery might prevent or lessen it. [1] | Promising but limited |
| Eczema, burns (gels) | Preliminary evidence; more research needed. [1] | Preclinical to preliminary |
| Digestive symptoms | Unclear for licorice alone. [1] | Insufficient evidence |
| COVID-19 | No good evidence. [1] | No good evidence of benefit |
NCCIH's overall view: there is not enough high-quality evidence to clearly support its use for any health condition. [1]
Safety: glycyrrhizin. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can cause serious effects such as irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest, especially in large amounts or long-term. [1] Even small amounts have been linked to severe effects in people who eat a lot of salt, have high blood pressure, or have heart or kidney conditions. [1] A review of 104 case reports found high blood pressure and low potassium were the most common features, and some cases led to arrhythmia, muscle paralysis or coma; toxicity often needed hospital care. [2] Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) might be safe for up to 4 months. [1] Interactions with corticosteroids have been reported. [1] Large amounts in pregnancy (about 250 grams of licorice per week) are unsafe and can raise the risk of delivery before 38 weeks; little is known about breastfeeding. [1] Many "licorice" candies in the US contain anise oil instead of licorice. [1]
Arjuna bark
Traditional use. Arjuna bark is widely used in Indian medicine (Ayurveda) for cardiovascular ailments. [3] Other traditional uses include snakebite, ear ache and dysentery. [4]What research shows. Clinical studies have reported benefit mostly in people with ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure and heart failure, but a major shortcoming is that the extracts were not phytochemically standardized and many studies were poor in design and safety reporting. [3] A review of coronary artery disease research concluded that trials support benefit but called for larger, more rigorous trials, and said data on drug interactions are lacking. [5] Proper evidence not found for arjuna replacing any standard heart treatment, and no source read here shows it improves heart attack or death rates.
| Question | What the sources found | Evidence label |
|---|---|---|
| Heart disease, blood pressure, heart failure | Small, often poor-quality clinical studies; unstandardized extracts. [3][5] | Insufficient evidence / promising but limited |
| Safety | A review reports oral bark at 500 mg/kg per day caused no toxicity in humans, and a methanol extract caused no adverse effects in animal tests up to 1000 mg/kg, while stating more work on interactions is needed. [4] | Limited safety data |
Cautions. Because arjuna is used for the heart, people on heart or blood pressure medicines should treat it as a drug-like product and ask a pharmacist about interactions; reviews say interaction data are scarce. [5][4] Chest pain, breathlessness or fainting need emergency care, not herbs. See Ayurveda for blood pressure and cholesterol and Ayurvedic herbs with diabetes, thyroid and blood pressure medicines.
Product quality
Supplements are not approved by the FDA before sale. [1] See Ayurvedic products: heavy metals and product quality.Frequently asked questions
Is mulethi safe to take every day?
Not in large amounts or for long. Glycyrrhizin can cause serious heart effects, especially with high blood pressure or heart or kidney disease. [1]
Does licorice raise blood pressure?
Excess intake is a known cause, with low potassium often present. [2]
What is DGL?
Licorice with glycyrrhizin removed; it might be safe up to 4 months. [1]
Does arjuna treat heart disease?
It is used for that in Ayurveda, but trials are limited and need more rigor. [3][5]
Can I take arjuna with heart medicines?
Ask your pharmacist first; interaction data are lacking. [5]
References
- NCCIH. Licorice Root. Read 2026-10-22.
- Liquorice Toxicity: A Comprehensive Narrative Review. Nutrients 2023. Read 2026-10-22.
- Maulik SK, Talwar KK. Therapeutic potential of Terminalia arjuna in cardiovascular disorders. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2012. Read 2026-10-22.
- Kumar V et al. Therapeutic potential and industrial applications of Terminalia arjuna bark. J Ethnopharmacol 2023. Read 2026-10-22.
- Kapoor D et al. Terminalia arjuna in coronary artery disease: ethnopharmacology, pre-clinical, clinical and safety evaluation. J Ethnopharmacol 2014. Read 2026-10-22.