Licorice tea is popular in the Middle East and parts of Europe, and erk sous is especially popular in Egypt during Ramadan.
Recently, researchers from McGill University found that the popular herbal tea can bring dangerous health risks.
In some people, the herbal tea may cause high blood pressure emergency.
Previous research has found that a common snack called black licorice could raise blood pressure.
The food can reduce potassium levels in the body and lead to abnormal heart rhythms and even paralysis.
In this study, the researchers found that an 84-year-old man who visited the emergency department experienced a high-blood pressure emergency after drinking licorice tea.
The researchers found that the emergency was triggered by consuming homemade tea made from licorice root.
The man’s blood pressure was severely increased, and he was suffering from a headache, light sensitivity, chest pain, fatigue and fluid retention in the calves.
The man had a history of high blood pressure, and he had been drinking 1 to 2 glasses daily of homemade licorice root extract for two weeks.
The team says that food and drinks containing licorice root extract can raise blood pressure, cause water retention and decrease potassium levels in the body.
All of these can lead to an emergency.
The finding shows that consuming too many herbal products can have harmful side effects.
The researchers suggest that doctors need to consider screening for licorice root intake in patients with difficult-to-control high blood pressure.
People at a high risk of high blood pressure need to avoid licorice.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Jean-Pierre Falet from Department of Neurology.
The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
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