Deglycyrrhizinated licorice in pregnancy: evidence and safety

How does deglycyrrhizinated licorice work?

DGL is licorice root with glycyrrhizin taken out, so the two halves of the plant's story separate cleanly. The gastric side is described as more mucus secretion and a shielded lining, plus inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and lipoxygenase that lowers gastric inflammation. The risk side belongs to glycyrrhizin, which inhibits 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and raises mineralocorticoid activity, the pathway behind licorice's blood pressure and potassium effects and the one researchers connect to its pregnancy findings. Removing glycyrrhizin is meant to leave the first without the second, but that reasoning has never been tested in pregnant participants.

What does the evidence say about deglycyrrhizinated licorice in pregnancy?

• DGL is licorice root with the glycyrrhizin taken out, and glycyrrhizin is the specific compound tied to pregnancy risk. 1
• Whole licorice's glycyrrhizin works by blocking an enzyme in the placenta that normally shields a baby from the mother's own cortisol, which is the mechanism researchers believe drives its pregnancy risks. 2
• Heavy glycyrrhizin exposure in pregnancy, about 500 mg a week or more from large amounts of whole licorice, was linked to roughly double the odds of delivering before 38 weeks in a large Finnish study, which is exactly the risk DGL is designed to avoid. 3
• Because DGL lacks glycyrrhizin, general safety reviews list oral DGL products as possibly fine for up to 4 months of use at a time, a shorter stretch than a full pregnancy. 1
• Even NIH's own drug-and-breastfeeding database, which flags real risks from regular licorice, doesn't include dedicated research on DGL's safety in pregnant or nursing women, so the evidence gap is real and worth naming. 4
• Licorice's gastroprotective side is described as increasing mucus secretion and shielding the esophageal lining from irritation, alongside inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and lipoxygenase that lowers gastric inflammation. The same review attributes licorice's blood pressure and low-potassium effects to 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibition, the exact activity DGL removes, and no pregnant participants appear anywhere in that literature. 5

What's on the label?

The label detail that matters here is the glycyrrhizin-free designation itself, since that single compound carries the documented pregnancy concern. None of the sources here state a milligram dose for DGL in any form, so there is no studied amount to match a product against. NCCIH's only quantitative guidance is a duration rather than a dose: oral licorice products without glycyrrhizin might be safe for up to 4 months, which is shorter than a pregnancy.

What should I know before taking deglycyrrhizinated licorice?

Please consult your healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or stacking supplements in pregnancy, especially if you take prescription medication, live with a chronic condition, or have a procedure or delivery scheduled. Herbal supplements are not required to demonstrate purity; brands that publish third-party test results give the most confidence in what is actually in the capsule.