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Preterm birth and licorice consumption during pregnancy.

Timo E Strandberg1, Sture Andersson, Anna-Liisa Järvenpää

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. timostrandberg@hus.fi

American Journal of Epidemiology
|October 25, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Heavy licorice (glycyrrhizin) consumption is linked to an increased risk of preterm birth. This study found that high glycyrrhizin intake more than doubled the risk of delivering before 37 weeks gestation.

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Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Licorice consumption, specifically glycyrrhizin, has been previously associated with shorter gestation periods.
  • The impact of heavy glycyrrhizin intake on preterm birth risk (<37 weeks) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if heavy licorice (glycyrrhizin) consumption is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.
  • To evaluate the association between glycyrrhizin exposure levels and the incidence of preterm births.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study comparing 95 Finnish women with preterm singleton births to 107 controls with normal gestational age deliveries.
  • Glycyrrhizin intake was assessed via detailed food frequency questionnaires, categorizing consumption into low, moderate, and heavy levels.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Statistical analysis, including logistic regression, was used to calculate the odds ratio for preterm delivery associated with heavy glycyrrhizin consumption.

    • Main Results:

    • Heavy glycyrrhizin consumption (≥500 mg/week) was associated with a more than twofold increased risk of preterm delivery (<37 weeks).
    • The association was more pronounced for early preterm deliveries (<34 weeks), with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.07.
    • A dose-response relationship between glycyrrhizin intake and preterm birth risk was suggested.

    Conclusions:

    • Heavy glycyrrhizin exposure from licorice consumption is significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.
    • Glycyrrhizin intake may serve as a novel, modifiable marker for identifying pregnancies at higher risk of preterm birth.
    • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association and inform clinical recommendations.