This candy spikes blood pressure instantly

There are some candies like dark chocolate that’s good for your blood pressure.

Other candies have been found to raise blood pressure if eaten in excess.

A new study in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals how one of the most popular candies spikes your blood pressure… even in very low quantities.

Scientists have known for ages that large amounts of licorice can cause high blood pressure. This effect is linked to a substance in it called glycyrrhizic acid, which reduces the amount of potassium in our blood, which then affects our bodies’ fluid balance.

Some health organizations, like the World Health Organization, suggest that 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid per day is probably safe for most people.

However, previous studies may not have been accurate, because it is so difficult to determine the exact amount of glycyrrhizic acid in licorice candy. Levels can vary greatly depending on the licorice root species, where it comes from, and how it’s stored.

This new Swedish study aimed to address these issues by providing a controlled environment with a known amount of glycyrrhizic acid. It is the first study of its kind to measure the amount of this substance in the licorice used and to compare with non-consumers.

The researchers recruited 28 healthy people between 18 and 30 years old. They consumed either licorice or a control product for two separate periods. The control product contained salmiak, the ingredient that gives salty licorice its distinct flavor, but no licorice itself.

The real licorice candies used in the study contained exactly 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid, the amount previously thought to be safe.

The study was split into three periods: the first two weeks during which some participants took the real licorice and others the fake candy, a second two-week period during which no participants consumed any candy, and a third two-week period during which the two groups swapped, with the licorice-takers now consuming the fake candy and vice versa.

Throughout the experiment, participants measured their blood pressure at home every day. Additionally, researchers collected blood samples at the end of each two-week period to analyze hormone levels, salt balance in the body, and markers of heart workload.

The study revealed some surprising findings.

1. Even this small daily dose of licorice (100 mg glycyrrhizic acid) caused an average blood pressure increase of 3.1 mmHg in healthy young adults.

2. Licorice consumption led to a decrease in renin and aldosterone, two hormones that play a role in regulating fluid balance in the body.

3. Some participants were extremely sensitive to licorice, experiencing the largest decrease in these hormones together with weight gain and markers suggesting that their hearts were working very hard to pump blood.

These findings suggest that the previously suggested safe daily intake of 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid might need to be reevaluated and that there is likely no amount of licorice that is genuinely safe, especially for people with blood pressure that is already too high.

Fortunately, there is a simple way to lower blood pressure below 120/80 in as little as nine minutes (even if you love licorice). Click here to learn this easy home method now…

And if your cholesterol is out of control, click here to learn how to normalize it in days by cutting out ONE ingredient you didn’t even know you were consuming…