Post Date December, 03 2023
Many men like to chew gum, which can not only freshen their breath, but also relieve stress. However, research has found that chewing gum regularly can cause damage to men's sexual function.
Dr. Mamud Musatay stated at an academic meeting of the British Pharmacological Society that excessive consumption of licorice, which is used as a medical or dietary additive, can cause damage to human sexual function.
According to the BBC, the study was conducted by the Iranian Medical University of Shaheed Baihaisti.
Dr. Musatai pointed out that excessive consumption of licorice can reduce the secretion of male hormones, leading to sexual dysfunction such as decreased libido. Dr. Musatai studied 20 healthy men and asked them to take 1.3 grams of licorice root extract (containing 400 milligrams of glycyrrhizic acid with the special taste of licorice) daily for 10 consecutive days, and collected their blood samples for analysis. The results showed that the testosterone values of all subjects were significantly lower than normal.
As is well known, glycyrrhizic acid is widely used as a medicinal material to treat gastrointestinal disorders, colds, influenza, and chronic fatigue, with significant therapeutic effects. In addition, glycyrrhizic acid is also added in small amounts to desserts, chewing gum, toothpaste, and some herbal teas. Some tobacco manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies also use glycyrrhizic acid to make their products taste better. Individual chewing gum contains up to 24 mg of glycyrrhizic acid. In South Korea, the content of glycyrrhizic acid in some medicinal teas even reaches 45%.
To this end, the European Union has issued a research report that explicitly recommends that people not consume more than 100 milligrams of glycyrrhizic acid per day.
(Intern Editor: Lin Yanjuan)
