Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has a long history of use for digestive support. In Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese practice, licorice is well-known for its ability to support the gastric mucosa. One of the most commonly known compounds in licorice is a saponin called glycyrrhizin that has been used as an emulsifier and sweetener in the food industry. However, most supplements contain deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) because large amounts of glycyrrhizin have been associated with serious adverse side effects like elevated blood pressure and lowered potassium levels. Gutgard® licorice flavonoids are entirely different from DGL with respect to chemistry, composition, manufacturing, and mechanisms of action.
While a classical extract of DGL does not contain any significant quantity of flavonoids, Gutgard® is standardized to contain more than 10% total flavonoids and less than 0.5% glycyrrhizin to avoid undesirable effects. More than 50 flavonoids have been identified in Gutgard® which have been shown to have beneficial activity for digestive support. Gutgard® licorice can also relieve occasional indigestion, bloating, and gas at 150mg/day.