Eve, Wow, thank you for this information. Natural Licorice, I love licorice, now sugar free??? Great! Are you able to let members know where they can be purchased? Thanks, Melanie __________________ The SSC Support Team

Ok I did the research. Sorry for the delay in responding, today is day 6 for me and it was NOT A HOOT. To top it off I saw this post and it upset me because I thought I was doing something good here by sharing something helpful and then I see that it may have caused problems. Ok then. SO. Here is the documentation that will help you understand more about the effects of licorice. If you really want to know if the stuff is OK for you to use, just go to ask your doctor. They should be able to tell you with your history if it is OK OR NOT OK to chew these little guys. Now, on with the info: The Bad News first: Yes, Licorice can cause High Blood Pressure. #1. If you overdo it, you can get a nice boost. Remember the saying 'everything in moderation'? For smokers N.O.P.E. And now the reason WHY it causes high blood pressure: "...Glycyrrhizic acid resides naturally in the root of the licorice plant, Glycyrrhiza glabra. A shrubby, woody-rooted plant with feathery leaves and light blue-violet flowers, it grows in the wild in many Middle Eastern, European, and western Asian countries...glycyrrhizic acid allows cortisol to stick around in the distal tubules of the kidney, cortisol binds to a protein that causes the kidney to retain sodium longer than it normally would, increasing blood pressure. Other effects of high licorice consumption include water retention, headaches, lethargy, and, in massive amounts, heart failure. Though licorice lovers in the U.S. rarely eat enough glycyrrhizic acid to get a blood-pressure boost, European physicians are now debating whether moderate doses of natural licorice have a significant hypertensive effect." Ref: pubs.acs The Good News: If you are eating the candy that does NOT contain the ingredient "glycyrrhizic acid" found directly in the root then you are SAFE. #2. "...During a heart-healthy eating class I was teaching recently, a class participant asked if I knew that licorice could raise your blood pressure. This issue rarely comes up because most licorice in this country is made with anise flavoring rather than real licorice root. Real licorice does contain a compound that raises blood pressure. This person had discovered real licorice candy, but didn�t realize that eating too much of it could raise his blood

Thanks Casey, I certainly appreciate the encouragement. I also need to apologize to the staff here--when I was doing that post above with all the research, I was very tired and forgot to edit properly on the links, so please accept my apologies, it's quite embarassing, I am usually MUCH better than this!! :blush: I am feeling better now that I have some coping friends who are up on the boards now!! :) Thanks again Casey, Many Blessings!!! Eve :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 6 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 51 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $18 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

Hey everyone, I'm sure a lot of you may already know this but thought I would share it anyway just-in-case. A friend of mine suggested natural licorice candy, not sweetened with sugar just the natural stuff. They are soft chews and they are delicious, not real real strong, just nice. Anyway, in reading her email I realized that was the box that I picked up not too long ago. It has been in my cupboard for a few months. I remember that I got them because they tasted sweet but were natural and it helped ease my need for sweet. Now I keep them with me everywhere I go because they help to ALSO curb the smoke/nic cravings!! Licorice is known to help relax and ease stress, so I have to say it has really helped me out so far. For anyone looking for natural ways to improve. I always am! I'M COMMIT TO MY QUIT-NO MATTER WHAT!! Many Blessings!! Eve :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 4 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 37 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $12 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

Thanks! I used Twizzlers for a while, but they were so sugary. This is a good alternative.

Not sure what U mean by " natural licorice but, the licorice I am familiar with has been known to raise blood pressure. Not sure how much U need to ingest to effect BP but it has been documented , it might also, interfer with prescription BP medications for high BP............just making U aware as a possible precaution. Cheers, Pat [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/2/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 101 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,522 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $404 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7