By now, you know that too much of anything is never good — especially if it falls into the snack category. But one man is regretting his choice to eat an entire bag of Twizzlers black licorice per week after getting some pretty disastrous health news. It wasn’t just a little bag he was eating — the man consumed one-pound bags of the candy.
You might not have known this, but black licorice isn’t the best snack for you. The treat, which is either loved or loathed, contains glycyrrhizin. Glycyrrhizin is an emulsifier that’s derived from licorice root. It can also cause your potassium levels to plummet. And when that happens, your heart can experience abnormal rhythms and high blood pressure. The FDA states that adults who are over 40 are more prone to suffer from these types of heart issues.
David Goldberg, who resides in New York, is 73. He’s the individual who ate a bag per week for many years — that is, until he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
The New York Post reported on October 31st, 2018 that he stopped his licorice habit. But unfortunately, the damage was already done.
In Goldberg’s case, he felt as if the warning against black licorice isn’t widely known. Based on his conditions, which are new, he’s suing Hershey over it. With atrial fibrillation, he’s more prone to strokes and heart attacks. He hasn’t just cut out licorice — he also started taking medication to help his chances. Still, he thinks Hershey should have put a warning on the bag. He feels as if they knew about these consequences the entire time.
According to the New York Post, Hershey responded back. “We are not going to comment on the specific claims as this is pending litigation,” they said. “But all of our products are safe to eat and formulated in full compliance with FDA regulations, including the agency’s regulation affirming the safety of licorice extract for use in food.”
So, let this be a lesson. Even if you’re under 40, you might not want to eat a whole bag of licorice a week. Make sure your snacks have some variety, and always try to look up the facts before making something a permanent fixture in your diet.
