10 Year Old Boy Hospitalized After Licorice Overdose

According to a new report, a 10 year old boy from Italy was taken to the hospitalized after he started to have seizures caused by eating too many licorice candies daily.

The parents of the boy took him to the hospital in Bologna, Italy after the boy started to have seizures.
The boy suffered three seizures in a matter of a few hours and the doctors were told that the boy suffered from severe headaches.

At first, the doctors did not know what caused the boy’s seizures until they noticed that the boy’s teeth were stained with a dark color.

The experts conducted cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to determine the cause of the boy’s seizures. At first they suspected it was a case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The results came out negative.

The doctors found that the kid had been eating at least 20 licorice candies daily in the last four months.
Dr. Davide Tassinari, one of the doctors who examined the boy, explained that the licorice intake was responsible for causing the boy’s hypertension. He recommended that the boy must stop eating the candy immediately.
Once the boy stopped eating the licorice, his symptoms were reduced and he got better.

The researchers said that licorice contains glycyrrhizic acid, which is the substance that gives the candy its sweetness. This substance can prevent the breakdown of cortisol in the body and can raise blood pressure if taken regularly.

According to what the doctors estimate, the boy had been consuming almost 50% more of this substance daily than what the World Health Organization recommends as being safe.
The US Food and Drug Administration says that the glycyrrhizic acid in licorice does is not a threat to human health if consumed responsibly.

It becomes a problem only when people indulge themselves with an excessive intake of candies and drinks that contain licorice.

The doctors involved in the case recommend that the producers of licorice candies must put safety warnings on the products with the daily recommended amount.

Also, the doctors warn that children who have a low body weight are more susceptible to side effects from consuming too many licorice candies.
Image Source: eatocracys