DOGWALKER: “I haven’t been able to walk on the beach for 6 weeks because I’ve been too dizzy and there’s nowhere to sit down …” .
ME: "You don’t eat licorice, do you?"
DOGWALKER (surprised): "Yes, I like it and I eat it, but I don’t eat a lot... Well, if I’m driving somewhere, I buy a packet of licorice allsorts and eat it all in one day".
ME: "Licorice can cause very serious problems, you might want to stop eating it".
DOGWALKER: "I didn’t know that... I'm 84. My doctor is very concerned …. Thank you for this important conversation".
(Sue's comment: Licorice/liquorice is definitely NOT failsafe – and it can be extremely dangerous. Daily or excess licorice – in sweets, foods, drinks or herbal medicine - can cause a range of symptoms from ADHD in children if eaten during pregnancy to severe high blood pressure or low potassium, dizziness and even sudden death due to heart rhythm problems, see our blog with the latest scientific references Dangers of Licorice )
