Too sweet to be true?

Q: After doing quite a bit of research, I decided to try natural licorice for my ulcer symptoms. It has definitely helped, but there is one thing that concerns me: The package I picked up from my local health food store was labeled "all-natural, no added sugar" but the licorice still tastes a bit sweet. Not as sweet as candy, but I'm just skeptical about the "no sugar added" claim. But before I call the company to complain, can you tell me if pure licorice has any sweetness to it?

Dr. Wright: While I can't say for certain, if the product packaging doesn't list sugar or any sugar derivatives, the sweetness is probably not due to sugar. As much as 6 percent of licorice root consists of an intensely sweet steroid-like compound known as glycyrrhizin (or glycyrrhizinic acid). As a matter of fact, glycerrhizin is actually the active compound in licorice that is responsible for its ulcer-healing abilities.

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