If you have ever been handed a small stick of liquorice root, yashtimadhu, by an older relative for a sore throat or acidity, you have already met one of Ayurveda’s most frequently used herbs, long before it ever came up in a conversation about perimenopause. Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra, the same plant family as liquorice used elsewhere in the world) shows up in Ayurvedic formulations for digestion, respiratory complaints, and women’s reproductive health, often in the same breath as shatavari and ashoka bark. What it can and cannot reasonably be expected to do for perimenopausal symptoms specifically is a more modest story than its long traditional reputation might suggest, and it comes with one safety caution that genuinely matters.
Quick Answer
Yashtimadhu is traditionally used in Ayurveda as a rasayana (rejuvenative) and for digestive, respiratory, and menstrual complaints, and some of its compounds have mild phytoestrogenic activity in laboratory studies. There is no robust clinical trial evidence that it meaningfully reduces hot flashes or other core perimenopausal symptoms in women, and its best-documented modern safety concern, raising blood pressure and lowering potassium with regular, prolonged use, is specifically relevant for midlife women already monitoring cardiovascular risk. It should never replace medical evaluation or hormone therapy where that is appropriate, and anyone with high blood pressure should be especially cautious.
- Traditionally used for digestion, throat and respiratory complaints, and as a general rejuvenative tonic
- Contains glycyrrhizin, a compound with mild oestrogen-like activity in laboratory studies, though not confirmed to meaningfully affect human hot flashes in trials
- Regular, prolonged use can raise blood pressure and lower potassium, a real and well-documented risk, not a rare one
- Particularly relevant to flag in perimenopause, when cardiovascular risk is already rising with age
- Always discuss it with your doctor before starting, especially if you have high blood pressure or are on blood pressure medication
What Is Yashtimadhu Traditionally Used For?
In Ayurvedic practice, yashtimadhu is classified as a rasayana, broadly, a rejuvenative tonic believed to support vitality and balance across multiple body systems rather than targeting one symptom alone. It appears in formulations for acid reflux and gastritis, cough and sore throat, and, relevant here, in combination formulas aimed at menstrual irregularity and general reproductive health, usually alongside other herbs rather than taken alone for this purpose. This combination approach is typical of Ayurvedic herbal practice generally and makes it genuinely difficult to isolate yashtimadhu’s individual contribution from the other ingredients it is usually paired with.
Does It Actually Help With Hot Flashes or Other Perimenopausal Symptoms?
The honest answer is that direct, high-quality human evidence specific to perimenopause is limited. Glycyrrhizin, one of yashtimadhu’s main active compounds, has shown mild oestrogen-receptor binding activity in laboratory and animal studies, which is the biological basis for the idea that it might help with symptoms linked to falling oestrogen. But a laboratory finding is not the same as a demonstrated clinical effect, and there is no body of well-designed randomised trials showing that yashtimadhu meaningfully reduces hot flash frequency, severity, or other core perimenopausal symptoms in women. Where it has been studied more rigorously, the research tends to focus on its digestive, respiratory, or skin-related uses rather than hormonal symptom relief.
This does not mean it does nothing, only that the traditional reputation has outpaced the modern clinical evidence base, a pattern worth keeping in mind for several Ayurvedic herbs discussed in this space, not yashtimadhu alone.
The Safety Caution That Actually Matters Here
Unlike many herbs where the main caution is “talk to your doctor to be safe,” yashtimadhu has a specific, well-documented physiological effect worth taking seriously: regular, prolonged use of liquorice root can raise blood pressure and lower blood potassium levels. This happens because glycyrrhizin interferes with an enzyme that normally breaks down a hormone related to cortisol, and when that enzyme is blocked, the resulting hormonal effect mimics aldosterone, a hormone that raises blood pressure and causes the body to lose potassium. This is a recognised, reported effect in the medical literature, not a theoretical or rare one, and it has been documented with doses and durations that are not unusual for traditional preparations.
This matters more in perimenopause than it might at another life stage, because cardiovascular risk markers, including blood pressure, naturally tend to shift upward around this transition for many women anyway. Taking something that can independently raise blood pressure, without monitoring, on top of that natural shift is a real and avoidable risk, not a minor technicality.
Who Should Be Especially Cautious
| Situation | Why it matters with yashtimadhu |
|---|---|
| Existing high blood pressure | Glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure further, counteracting treatment |
| On blood pressure medication | May interfere with how well the medication controls blood pressure |
| Kidney disease | Reduced ability to clear glycyrrhizin and correct potassium shifts |
| On diuretics or heart medication | Combined potassium-lowering effect can become clinically significant |
| Pregnant or planning pregnancy | Generally advised against during pregnancy; discuss with your doctor |
In the Indian Context: A Common Household Herb, Not a Harmless One
Yashtimadhu is sold widely and inexpensively across India, often without clear dosing guidance on the packaging, and many households already keep it on hand for sore throats or digestive complaints, which can make it feel more like a kitchen staple than a herb that needs medical oversight. That familiarity is exactly why the blood pressure risk is worth naming clearly: a herb your grandmother used occasionally for a cough is not automatically safe to take daily, long-term, for a different purpose, at a different life stage, when your cardiovascular risk profile has changed. If you already see an Ayurvedic practitioner, telling them explicitly that you are perimenopausal and ask about blood pressure monitoring while using it is a reasonable, practical step, and the same information is worth passing to your gynaecologist or doctor, particularly if you are also being evaluated for hormone therapy or already have borderline blood pressure readings.
A Reasonable Way to Think About It
If you are drawn to yashtimadhu as part of a broader Ayurvedic approach to perimenopause, the most sensible path is to use it only as part of a formulation guided by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, with your blood pressure checked periodically, rather than self-dosing a standalone preparation indefinitely. It should not be viewed as a treatment for the underlying hormonal changes of perimenopause, and it is not a substitute for a proper diagnostic workup or hormone therapy where that is medically appropriate. For many women, it may remain a reasonable supporting herb within a complementary approach; it is simply not a shortcut around medical care, and the blood pressure caution deserves to be taken as seriously as the traditional reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is yashtimadhu the same as the liquorice candy sold commercially? No. Confectionery liquorice flavouring is often synthetic or uses only trace amounts of the actual plant extract, while Ayurvedic yashtimadhu preparations use the dried root itself or concentrated extracts, generally at higher, more biologically active doses.
How would I know if yashtimadhu is affecting my blood pressure? You would not necessarily feel it directly in early stages, which is exactly why periodic blood pressure checks matter if you are using it regularly, rather than waiting for symptoms like headache or swelling to appear.
Can I take yashtimadhu alongside hormone therapy? Discuss this with your doctor first. There is no established interaction data specific to combining the two, and your doctor needs the full picture of everything you are taking to make a safe recommendation.
Is yashtimadhu safe for everyone to try? No. It is specifically not advised for people with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or those on certain heart or blood pressure medications, and caution is warranted more broadly given its documented effect on blood pressure and potassium with regular use.
Should I stop taking yashtimadhu if I’m trying to get pregnant or might be pregnant? Yes, discuss this with your doctor; it is generally not advised during pregnancy, and perimenopausal pregnancy, while less likely, is still possible.
You Don't Have to Go Through This Alone
Perimenopause can feel confusing and isolating, but you don't have to figure it out by yourself. Talk to a gynaecologist or doctor who understands perimenopause about what you're experiencing, or see how other Indian women are navigating the same changes in our community.
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