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Pregnant women are frequently warned to avoid drugs unless their obstetrician has specifically verified that they are safe. Now, a study from Finland suggests that they should also have their candy selections vetted. In particular, pregnant women should avoid natural licorice.
Over 1000 children born in Helsinki in 1998 have been followed for more than a decade. In 2006 the children were given a battery of neuropsychological tests, including intelligence, vocabulary and spatial motor skills. Those whose mothers had eaten a lot of black licorice during pregnancy scored less well than those whose mothers had eaten little or no licorice. They had also more behavioral problems and symptoms of aggressiveness and attention deficit disorder. An ingredient in licorice, glycyrrhizin, affects hormones and appears to have a negative impact on fetal brain development. Based on these findings, women should be cautious about consuming natural licorice during pregnancy.
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I have addictive tendencies: nicotine, caffeine, chocolate...and licorice! If I stay away from these I am fine and the cravings subside over time, but one puff, sip or taste and I am back in the throes of an addiction and looking up (yet again) at the long climb out. My mother, now deceased, was always keen on licorice and I doubt there was any reason at the time for her to limit it during her pregnancy with me. I wonder if others find licorice addictive?