DGL 500 Supplement - Deglycyrrhised Liquorice Root for Gut Health

DGL is a deglycyrrhizinated liquorice root supplement (DGL), which means its glycyrrhizin content has been reduced to zero. This process, carried out in the strictest sanitary conditions, means you can benefit from liquorice’s properties in complete safety.

What are the benefits of liquorice root?

Liquorice has been used for centuries to help relieve stomach and digestive problems. Recent studies have validated this traditional use, showing that it stimulates the production of mucus by the stomach, boosting its natural protection against gastric secretions (1). Other studies have shown that deglycyrrhizinated liquorice prevents harmful bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori – the main cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers – from adhering to the stomach wall.

According to the scientific literature, the beneficial effects of liquorice are related to its rich composition. It contains many active compounds: liquirtin, rhamnoliquirilin, liquiritigenin, shinpterocarpin, shinflavanone, licopyranocoumarin, glisoflavone, glabridin and glabrene.

Of these,glabridin is undoubtedly the most active compound for relieving stomach-related problems (2-3).

What is gastroesophageal reflux?

Gastroesophageal reflux, or acid reflux is what happens when some of the stomach’s contents, particularly highly-acidic gastric juices, travel back up into the oesophagus. This produces what is known as heartburn (but which is actually oesophagus burn). Repeated acid reflux of this kind can have serious consequences: chronic inflammation can affect the oesophagus wall, which is not equipped to cope with such acidity, leading to serious damage (particularly ulcers).

Why is acid reflux difficult to treat?

Conventional medicine is often ineffective against persistent acid reflux. Most of the time, such treatment ranges from simple antacids (such as chewable tablets containing calcium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate) to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which directly tackle acid production in the stomach. Doctors also use antihistamines known as H2 blockers which, by targeting certain receptors in the stomach, reduce acid secretions, and thus acid reflux.

These common remedies all have adverse side-effects, in particular, the effect of increasing the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.

Five reasons to try the supplement DGL

1. Antibiotics and anti-reflux drugs produce unwelcome effects.
2. Unlike many liquorice supplements on the market, DGL has been developed using the liquorice root, the medicinal part of the plant most extensively studied in relation to digestive problems (ulcers, flatulence, colic, etc.) (4).
3. Acid reflux is often treated too casually, but over time, it can have serious consequences for health.
4. The fact that the extract is deglycyrrhizinated makes our supplement safe and effective.
5. Its form - chewable tablets - considerably increases its efficacy.

Why is our liquorice extract deglycyrrhizinated?

Taken in large quantities, non-deglycyrrhizinated liquorice supplements can reduce testosterone levels and exacerbate impotency, fertility problems and low libido in men. They can also increase fluid retention in tissues, raising blood pressure and contributing to potassium depletion. These side effects are linked to the presence of a substance called ‘glycyrrhizin’.

In order to deliver only the benefits of liquorice, and not these potential adverse effects, SuperSmart made the decision to ‘de-glycyrrhizinate’ its extract.

How should the supplement DGL be taken?

For maximum efficacy, chew one or two tablets, as required, 20 minutes before a meal. The enzymes in saliva help to optimise its benefits.

Other supplements can be combined with DGL to help combat digestive problems:

• Magnesium Malate, a magnesium supplement which helps regulate oesophagus muscle contractions.
• A combination of carnosine and zinc, which has a widely-documented modulatory effect on the stomach’s immune defences.
• Pylori Fight, a new, natural approach to controlling Helicobacter pylori.

Are there any contraindications associated with taking liquorice supplements?

Liquorice supplements are contraindicated for those taking oral contraceptives (5), in pregnancy (risk of premature birth), cholestatic hepatitis (inflammation of the bile duct), cirrhosis of the liver, hypertonia, kaliopenia and severe kidney disease.

Why is it important to take acid reflux seriously?

While the symptoms of stomach acidity may appear innocuous, they can conceal, or lead to, a stomach ulcer. Heartburn can cause other symptoms such as a chronic cough, a persistently hoarse voice, chronic digestive problems, a narrowing of the oesophagus (peptic stenosis), difficulty swallowing, a laryngospasm, and even oesophageal cancer.

What causes acid reflux?

Those affected by acid reflux generally have a dysfunction of the ring-shaped muscle located between the oesophagus and the stomach, which should only open to let swallowed food pass. In acid reflux, it doesn’t close properly, allowing acidic substances to travel back up towards the oesophagus .

This sphincter dysfunction can be caused and aggravated by certain factors:

• allergies;
• diet (deficiencies and imbalances);
• a weakness in the stomach wall;
• pregnancy;
• stress ;
• possible genetic tendency;
• trauma to the stomach area;
• excess weight;
• excess alcohol consumption;
• smoking.

1. Duke JA. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1985
2. Khoshnazar, S.M.; Bahaoddini, A.; Najafipour, H. Effect of alcoholic extract of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) rhizome on isolated duodenum motility in male rats and its interference with cholinergic, nitrergic, and adrenergic systems. Bull. Env. Pharmacol. Life Sci. 2013, 2, 173–177.
3. Masoomeh, M.J.; Kiarash, G. In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to licorice extract. Iran. J. Pharm. Res. 2007, 6, 69–72.
4. El-Saber Batiha G, Magdy Beshbishy A, El-Mleeh A, Abdel-Daim MM, Prasad Devkota H. Traditional Uses, Bioactive Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological and Toxicological Activities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Fabaceae). Biomolecules. 2020 Feb 25;10(3):352. doi: 10.3390/biom10030352. PMID: 32106571; PMCID: PMC7175350.
5. Vispute, S.; Khopade, A. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn–Klitaka: A review. Inter. J. Pharma Bio Sci. 2011, 2, 42–51.