Q. My husband’s doctor says he’s fine except for being borderline diabetic. My husband retired recently and is now in the house all day. He hardly eats during the day. He thinks he’s too fat, though he is not. He drinks 6 cans of beer a day and eats a small dinner.
Though I prepare a healthy meal, he always says he is too full. What he does eat is bags of black licorice. I’ve heard that is not good for the heart. Is that true?
A. If your husband is drinking 6 cans of beer and eating a bag of black licorice a day, it’s little wonder he has no appetite and is borderline diabetic. All those carbs are not good for his health.
In addition, that much licorice can disrupt the body’s balance of potassium and other minerals. It can also raise blood pressure. All those carbs are also bad for the heart!
Licorice and Libido
You did not mention whether your husband’s sex drive has waned. If he is consuming natural black licorice there is a good possibility that his libido is not what it used to be. That’s because licorice can disrupt hormonal balance.
A Swedish gym teacher started eating large amounts of black licorice. She noticed that her libido virtually disappeared. She also developed very high blood pressure and severe headaches. She was written up in the medical literature because the case was so dramatic. When the licorice was stopped her symptoms began to disappear and her sex drive returned to normal.
Time for hubby to clean up his act. It would be far better if he canned the beer and lost the licorice. Time for him to start eating a balanced diet with protein, fat and low-starch vegetables for his carbohydrates. If he also starts moving he is likely to lose weight and get his blood sugar under control.
