He eats liquorice...and dies 3 weeks later
It's 2020 in Massachusetts (United States). A 54-year-old man collapses in the middle of a fast-food restaurant… He dies a few moments later, in hospital.
The discomfort suffered by this American was not due to eating too many burgers but due to excessive consumption of liquorice. The fifty-year-old, who was a big fan of sweets, had ingested a lethal amount of liquorice for almost a month. The origin of the danger? The glycyrrhizic acid contained in liquorice, a “sweet-tasting substance” indicates RTBF.
Futura Sciences explains the phenomenon: glycyrrhizic acid "inhibits 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, an enzyme that metabolizes cortisol into cortisone. Since cortisol regulates the reabsorption of sodium and water, the inhibition of this enzyme saturates the cortisol receptor, resulting in water retention, severe hypokalemia (low blood potassium levels), high blood pressure, and heart rhythm disorders."
This excessive consumption of liquorice therefore led to kidney failure, which is fatal for the "fast-food man." Three liquorice candies a day represent a health risk for people over 40, the FDA or the American Federal Food and Drug Administration warned in 2017. The FDA advises consumers:
- Too much black liquorice ingested? Muscle weakness or irregular heartbeat? It's time to contact your doctor and stop consumption immediately;
- Regardless of age, it's strongly advised not to swallow large quantities of liquorice at once;
- Do not hesitate to contact a health professional if you have doubts about certain dangerous interactions (in particular with food supplements, medications and plants).
(MH with AsD - Source: RTBF - Illustration: Unsplash)