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They Say: Licorice Whips Make Kids Dumb
Back away from the Twizzlers preggo! New research shows children whose mothers consumed licorice during pregnancy perform poorly on tests.
So it won’t just rot your teeth – it could make your kid a little dumber.
The glycyrrhizic acid in the licorice root is said to be about fifty times as sweet as sugar – which makes it valuable for candy makers. But researchers in Helsinki and Edinburgh say it may also enhance the crossing of stress hormones from mother to baby. And that means lower intelligence, the possibilities of behavioral problems and possible ADHD diagnoses.
Massive amounts of licorice have been linked in the past to high blood pressure, heart irregularities and other problems in adults. Likewise, studies have linked licorice consumption during pregnancy to premature babies.
This new study, published in the Journal of Epedimiology, points to women eating about one hundred grams of pure licorice (note – Twizzlers are not “pure” licorice) a week during their pregnancy and finds the ramifications for baby show up well past birth.
Have heart – they don’t say anything about the strawberry Twizzlers.
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0 Comments
jessie c b commented on Oct 07 09 at 12:31 pmWatch out for pregnant women with black tongues!
PlumbLucky commented on Oct 07 09 at 12:52 pmIt was one of my odder cravings at one point! (I wish there was a way to measure just how much…since lord knows nobody said anything about “don’t eat licorice”!)
Jessi commented on Oct 07 09 at 1:56 pmHaha Great i’m pregnant and just reading this article made me crave licorice!
Lauren commented on Oct 07 09 at 3:16 pmLicorice is actually a medicinal root when it’s not candy, and it’s one of the herbs you aren’t supposed to take while pregnant.
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