Is Licorice Root Tea Good for Gallstones?

No, licorice root tea is not a proven treatment for gallstones, with or without symptoms, because it has no demonstrated way to dissolve stones or clear a blocked bile duct.

Drinking licorice root tea may contribute to fluid intake, but it should not replace medical evaluation or treatment. It can also cause side effects, particularly in people with certain health conditions or who take certain medicines.

Is licorice root tea helpful for gallstones?

Licorice root tea is not an established way to prevent gallstones, relieve gallstone pain or make stones pass. If you have gallstones, the right approach depends on whether they are causing symptoms or complications.

Gallstones that cause no symptoms may not need immediate treatment, while symptomatic gallstones often need medical assessment. A clinician can help determine whether monitoring, a procedure or another treatment is appropriate.

For a broader discussion of hydration and this condition, see the best drinks for gallstones. Water and other fluids can support hydration, but drinking more does not dissolve an existing stone.

How would licorice root tea affect gallstones?

The liver makes bile, and the gallbladder stores it. Gallstones are hardened deposits that can form in the gallbladder; if a stone blocks the flow of bile, it can cause pain and sometimes serious complications.

There is no demonstrated mechanism by which licorice root tea breaks down these deposits or opens a blocked duct. The water in the tea can help meet fluid needs, but hydration is not the same as removing a stone.

Licorice root contains glycyrrhizin, which can affect how the body handles salt and potassium. That effect does not treat gallstones; it can instead raise blood pressure and lower potassium, sometimes causing dangerous heart rhythm problems.

What does the evidence show?

We found no clinical studies that establish licorice root tea as a treatment for gallstones. In particular, there is no basis here for claiming that the tea dissolves stones, prevents complications or reduces the need for treatment.

Research on an ingredient in a laboratory, or on licorice root for a different health concern, would not establish that the tea works for gallstones. A useful clinical study would need to test the drink in people with gallstones and measure outcomes relevant to them.

Feeling better after a cup of tea would not prove that a stone has dissolved or passed. Gallstone pain can subside even when a stone remains, so recurring pain still deserves medical attention.

How should you use licorice root tea if you have gallstones?

There is no established therapeutic dose or treatment course of licorice root tea for gallstones. Do not use it in place of an appointment, prescribed treatment or a recommended procedure, and do not stop taking prescribed medicine because you are drinking it.

If you want to drink licorice root tea as a beverage, check with your clinician first, especially if you have symptoms, another health condition or take medication. If they agree it is reasonable, follow the product label rather than using concentrated extracts or increasing your intake in the hope of moving a stone. Label instructions are not a guarantee of safety, and products can vary in strength.

Ask your clinician what your gallstone diagnosis means for you. Depending on the situation, care may involve monitoring, surgery to remove the gallbladder, a procedure to remove a stone from a bile duct or medication for selected cholesterol stones.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Licorice root is especially concerning for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease or low potassium. People taking diuretics, digoxin, corticosteroids or blood pressure medicines should check with a clinician or pharmacist before using it. Children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid medicinal use unless their clinician recommends it.

Risk can increase with larger amounts or prolonged use, although some people may be more sensitive. Products labeled deglycyrrhizinated licorice root have reduced glycyrrhizin, but that does not make them proven treatments for gallstones or guarantee that every product is safe for you.

Contact a clinician promptly about new or recurring upper abdominal pain, even if it settles. Seek emergency care for severe or persistent upper abdominal pain, fever or chills with abdominal pain, or yellowing of the skin or eyes. Repeated vomiting, dark urine or pale stools with abdominal pain also need urgent assessment.

If you develop unusual weakness, swelling or palpitations while using licorice root, stop using it and seek medical advice promptly. Fainting, chest pain or a severe or persistent irregular heartbeat requires emergency care.