Black Licorice Consumption Leads to Man’s Death

I can't bring myself to consume black licorice, the flavor makes me think of horrid medicine my mother used to make me take as a child. Whenever I hear of someone enjoying black licorice my first question is "What's wrong with you?". Now I will probably say, "You should quit eating black licorice because it can kill you".

According to People.com, a 54-year-old construction worker in Boston died inside of a fast-food restaurant recently. What was the cause of death? Too much black licorice. I had no idea that black licorice is filled with something called glycyrrhizic acid. This acid can be deadly because if you consume it consistently, it will throw the nutrients in your body out of whack. This poses a serious danger for people over 40.

How much glycyrrhizic acid does it take to kill someone? According to the experts that People.com interviewed it only takes as little as two ounces a day for two weeks can easily throw your body off. The Bostonian suffered "full-body shaking and loss of consciousness" before his death, the health experts also added that he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 36 years and had an extensive medical history.

The moral of the story? Just say "no" to black licorice and stick to "healthy" candy packed with sugar and fat.