Licorice May Induce Early Labor

Licorice May Induce Early Labor

HELSINKI--Research in the June American Journal of Epidemiology (153, 11:1085-8, 2001) (www.aje.oupjournals.org) reported that pregnant women consuming glycyrrhizin, a glucose of licorice, may deliver earlier babies. Led by Timo Strandberg from the University of Helsinki, researchers gave detailed questionnaires about licorice consumption to 1,049 Finnish women. Women who had a high intake of licorice (more than 500 mg/week) delivered babies, on average, two days earlier. Licorice consumption did not affect birth weight or the mothers' blood pressure.