DGL Licorice
Licorice with the blood-pressure-raising compound removed — popular for heartburn, but thinly studied.
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What it is
DGL is licorice root extract that has had most of its glycyrrhizin removed — the compound in whole licorice that can raise blood pressure and lower potassium. It's usually sold as chewable tablets.
How it works
Licorice compounds are proposed to support the stomach's own protective defenses, such as mucus production and blood flow to the stomach lining, rather than neutralizing acid. Removing glycyrrhizin is meant to keep these potential benefits while avoiding whole licorice's effects on the hormones that control blood pressure and potassium. The protective mechanism is supported mainly by older lab and animal work and hasn't been well confirmed in people.
What it's been studied for
Commonly taken for heartburn, indigestion and to support the stomach lining.
What the evidence shows
Weak and dated: most of the clinical research comes from ulcer trials in the 1970s and 1980s, with mixed results — at least one controlled trial in gastric ulcer found DGL no better than placebo. There are essentially no good modern trials of DGL for heartburn or reflux, so its popularity rests more on tradition and experience than on evidence.
Who should consider it
People with occasional, mild heartburn or indigestion who want a low-risk option to try might reasonably consider it. It's not a substitute for evaluating frequent or severe symptoms, which can signal ulcers, reflux damage or other conditions that need treatment. Anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease should make sure they're getting true DGL, not whole licorice, and check with their provider.
Amounts commonly studied
Older studies mostly used chewable DGL tablets taken before meals several times a day; there's no well-established dose, and product amounts vary.
How to take it
Traditionally, DGL tablets are chewed shortly before meals and sometimes at bedtime, following the product label. Studies were short, generally a matter of weeks, so there's little data on long-term use. If you've needed something for heartburn for more than a couple of weeks, talk to your provider rather than continuing to self-treat.
Forms & absorption
Chewable tablets and lozenges are traditional, based on the idea that DGL works best mixed with saliva, though that hasn't been well tested. Powders and capsules are also available — check that the label says deglycyrrhizinated, not whole licorice root.
Food sources
None — DGL is a processed extract of licorice root; licorice candy and whole licorice root tea contain glycyrrhizin (and many U.S. candies use anise flavoring instead), so they aren't equivalents.
Safety & interactions
DGL is generally well tolerated because most of the glycyrrhizin is removed, but whole licorice is a different story: regular intake can raise blood pressure, lower potassium and trigger heart rhythm problems, and it interacts with diuretics, digoxin, steroids and blood pressure medications. People with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, or low potassium, and anyone pregnant, should check with their provider and read labels carefully. Heartburn more than twice a week, trouble swallowing, unintended weight loss, black stools or chest pain warrant a medical evaluation.
Myths & what it won't do
Myth: DGL and regular licorice are basically the same thing. Reality: whole licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can raise blood pressure and lower potassium, while DGL has most of it removed — the difference matters. Myth: DGL is a proven natural replacement for heartburn medication. Reality: the research is sparse and mostly decades old, and one controlled ulcer trial found it no better than placebo.
Common questions
- Is DGL safe if I have high blood pressure?
- DGL has most of the blood-pressure-raising glycyrrhizin removed, so it's considered much lower risk than whole licorice. Still, check the label carefully and talk to your provider, especially if you take blood pressure medication.
- Why is whole licorice a concern?
- Glycyrrhizin in whole licorice makes the body hold on to sodium and lose potassium, which can raise blood pressure and, with regular intake, cause heart rhythm problems. The FDA has cautioned that people 40 and older eating about 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could develop an irregular heart rhythm.
- Does DGL work for acid reflux?
- It hasn't been well studied for reflux specifically. Some people find it soothing, but if you have heartburn more than twice a week, your provider can check for causes and discuss treatments with much stronger evidence.
The amounts listed here are what published research has used — not a prescription or a recommended dose for you. Confirm anything you plan to take with your own healthcare provider, especially if you take medications, are pregnant or nursing, or have a health condition.
Related goals
Research on DGL Licorice
Recommendations on this page are informed by published research. This is educational information, not medical advice.
- Bardhan KD, Cumberland DC, Dixon RA, Holdsworth CD. Clinical trial of deglycyrrhizinised liquorice in gastric ulcer. Gut. 1978;19(9):779-782. View study →Note: In 96 people with gastric ulcer, DGL healed ulcers no better than placebo after four weeks.
- Sigurjónsdóttir HA, Franzson L, Manhem K, et al. Liquorice-induced rise in blood pressure: a linear dose-response relationship. J Hum Hypertens. 2001;15(8):549-552. View study →Note: Even 50 g of whole licorice a day for two weeks raised blood pressure — the reason DGL removes glycyrrhizin.