Mulethi (Yashtimadhu) Benefits: The Sweet Soothing Herb, Honestly

📖 18 min read · Classical sources: Charaka (Jivaniya and Kanthya groups); Sushruta (Uttara Tantra, for the throat and voice) · Modern context: peer-reviewed research on Glycyrrhiza glabra and glycyrrhizin for the throat, gut and skin, on DGL, and on glycyrrhizin's effect on blood pressure and potassium

Mulethi (Yashtimadhu) ke Fayde: The Short Answer

Mulethi is Ayurveda's great soothing, sweet, cooling demulcent, prized above all for the throat and voice. Its headline classical actions are Kanthya (beneficial for the throat and voice), Jivaniya (vitalising), Kaphanissaraka (expectorant, for cough), Sandhaniya (wound-healing), Varnya (complexion-improving) and Chakshushya (good for the eyes), and it is Rasayana, rejuvenating. It is sweet, cooling and unctuous, and it pacifies vata and pitta.

So the honest one-line answer to mulethi ke fayde kya hain is: it soothes a sore throat, dry cough and hoarseness, calms acidity and the gut, and supports the skin and eyes, used in short courses. Its single most important caution is that its sweet compound, glycyrrhizin, raises blood pressure and lowers potassium in high or prolonged use, so mulethi is for small, short-term amounts, and for ongoing gut use, the DGL form is the safe choice.

The rest of this article is the part the glowing benefit lists skip: why mulethi soothes so well, where it genuinely helps, and the real, documented reason it must be used in moderation.

The Sweet Stick: What Yashtimadhu Means

The name is literal and lovely. Yashti means a stick or stem, and madhu means sweet, so Yashtimadhu is "the sweet stick," after the sweet-tasting root that is the medicine. Its other classical names, Madhuka, Madhuyashti, all circle the same quality: sweetness. In Hindi it is mulethi, in English licorice, and it is the root of a small shrub of the pea family, used dried as a stick, a powder, a decoction or an extract.

That sweetness is not just a pleasant flavour; it is the heart of both the benefit and the catch. Mulethi's sweetness comes mostly from a compound called glycyrrhizin, which is roughly fifty times sweeter than sugar, and that same glycyrrhizin is what most of the modern research, good and cautionary, is about. The sweet stick is sweet for a specific chemical reason, and that reason runs through the whole of this article.

Sweet, Cooling, Soothing: How Ayurveda Reads Mulethi

Coordinate	Mulethi (Yashtimadhu)	What it means in practice
Rasa (taste)	Madhura (sweet)	Sweet, nourishing and soothing to dry, inflamed tissue
Guna (quality)	Guru (heavy), Snigdha (unctuous)	Heavy and unctuous, it coats, moistens and calms
Virya (potency)	Sheeta (cold)	Cooling, it settles heat, acidity and irritation
Vipaka (post-digestive)	Madhura (sweet)	Ends sweet, the taste of nourishment
Dosha effect	Pacifies Vata and Pitta; increases Kapha	Soothing and cooling; a demulcent, not a stimulant

Read the profile and mulethi's whole character is there. A sweet, heavy, unctuous, cooling substance is the definition of a demulcent, something that coats, moistens and soothes dry, irritated, inflamed surfaces. That is exactly why it calms a raw throat, an acidic stomach and an irritated gut lining. Charaka places it among the Jivaniya herbs, the vitalising, life-promoting group, and names it Kanthya, for the throat, and Sandhaniya, for healing. Everything mulethi does flows from this sweet, cooling, coating nature. Our guide to the six tastes explains why the sweet taste is so nourishing and calming.

The Throat and Voice: Mulethi's Signature Use

If mulethi has one defining use, it is the throat. It is Kanthya, the classical herb for the throat and the voice, and it is used for a sore throat, a dry or irritating cough, hoarseness, bronchial irritation and a tired or lost voice. Its demulcent sweetness coats and soothes the raw throat, and its expectorant action helps loosen and clear a stubborn cough. Sushruta cites it in the Uttara Tantra for hoarseness and throat inflammation, and it remains a staple of Ayurvedic cough syrups, lozenges and throat remedies.

The traditional forms are simple and effective: a small stick of mulethi chewed slowly, mulethi powder with honey for a cough, or a gargle made from a mulethi decoction for a sore throat. Singers and speakers have long reached for it to soothe and protect the voice. This is the use with the deepest classical roots and the most everyday value, and, used in the small amounts a throat remedy involves, the safest.

Acidity, Ulcers and the Gut: The Demulcent

Mulethi's second great home is the digestive tract, through the same coating, soothing action. It is a classical remedy for amlapitta, hyperacidity and acid reflux, and for gastric and duodenal ulcers, because a sweet, cooling demulcent coats and protects an inflamed, acid-irritated stomach lining. Our guide to amlapitta covers the acidity it is used for.

This is also where the modern evidence is strongest, and where an important distinction appears. Human studies have found that DGL, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, can accelerate the healing of ulcers, support the stomach lining, and reduce colonisation by Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium behind many ulcers, and DGL is also used for mouth ulcers and reflux-related irritation. The crucial point is that DGL, with the glycyrrhizin removed, gives this gut benefit without the blood-pressure and potassium risks of ordinary licorice, which makes it the right choice for sustained digestive use, as the next sections explain.

Skin, Eyes and Wounds

Mulethi has a genuine, if more secondary, role beyond the throat and gut. It is Varnya, complexion-improving, and a flavonoid in it called glabridin is studied for brightening the skin and reducing hyperpigmentation, which is why licorice extract appears in many skincare products, and it is also soothing in inflamed skin conditions like eczema. It is Chakshushya, good for the eyes, used in classical eye preparations, and Sandhaniya, wound-healing, used to help tissue knit and repair.

These uses all flow from the same soothing, cooling, anti-inflammatory nature that serves the throat and gut. They are real, and the skin-brightening use in particular has modern cosmetic support, though as secondary strengths rather than the herb's headline act. Mulethi is, at heart, a soother, wherever tissue is dry, inflamed or irritated.

The Honest Catch: Glycyrrhizin, Blood Pressure and Potassium

Now the part that most mulethi articles either skip or actively get wrong, with some cheerfully calling it "100% safe with no side effects." That is not true, and the reason is the very compound that makes it sweet.

Glycyrrhizin, taken in high or prolonged amounts, interferes with an enzyme in the body (11-beta-HSD2) in a way that mimics the hormone aldosterone. The result is a condition called pseudoaldosteronism: the body holds on to sodium and water, loses potassium, and blood pressure rises. In practice this can mean raised blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling, low blood potassium, and, because low potassium affects the heart, in serious cases dangerous heart-rhythm disturbances. There are even documented case reports of muscle breakdown and kidney problems from heavy licorice intake.

These are genuine, well-documented effects, not scare stories, and they are the reason licorice is often called one of the more risky common herbs in overdose. The risk rises with the dose, the duration, and factors like older age, kidney or heart disease, and the use of diuretics. It is specifically regular, high, long-term intake of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice, think several strong cups or large amounts over weeks, where this becomes a real danger, rather than an occasional throat remedy.

DGL: The Safe Form for Long-Term Use

The elegant solution to all of this already exists, and it is worth knowing about. DGL, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, is mulethi with most of the glycyrrhizin removed. Because glycyrrhizin is the compound responsible for the blood-pressure and potassium problems, taking it out leaves a form of licorice that keeps the soothing, demulcent, gut-protecting benefit, especially for acidity, reflux, and ulcers, without the cardiovascular risk.

This makes DGL the sensible choice whenever licorice is needed for sustained use, particularly for the stomach and gut, where it may be taken over longer periods. It is also used for mouth ulcers. The one honest caveat is that DGL is a somewhat different product, less studied in some respects than whole licorice, and the glycyrrhizin that is removed may carry some of licorice's other effects, so DGL is best thought of as the safer option specifically for the gut rather than a complete substitute for every traditional use. Still, for anyone needing licorice for more than a short course, DGL is the form to ask about.

When to Be Careful

• High blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, low potassium. Avoid glycyrrhizin-containing mulethi; its pseudoaldosteronism effect directly worsens all of these.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Avoid mulethi; heavy licorice intake in pregnancy has been linked to preterm birth and other risks.
• Diuretics, heart and blood-pressure medication, corticosteroids. Mulethi's potassium loss and blood-pressure rise can interact dangerously with these; check with a doctor.
• Children. Children are more sensitive to glycyrrhizin's effects on blood pressure and potassium, so use only small amounts, briefly, and ideally with advice.
• Duration and dose. Keep glycyrrhizin-containing mulethi to small amounts and short courses (around four to six weeks), not continuous daily high intake, and choose DGL for sustained use.
• Not a cure. For a persistent cough, a serious throat problem, a suspected ulcer or any ongoing symptom, see a doctor; mulethi is a soothing support, not a treatment for serious disease.

What the Classical Texts Do Not Say

• Not "100% safe with no side effects." That common claim is simply wrong. Glycyrrhizin's effect on blood pressure and potassium is real and documented, especially in high or prolonged use.
• Not for daily long-term high intake. Even classically, mulethi was used in measured doses and short courses, and modern safety limits glycyrrhizin-rich licorice to a few weeks at a time.
• Not a treatment for serious disease. It soothes the throat, cough, acidity and skin; it does not cure infections, serious ulcers or any serious condition, which need medical care.
• Not interchangeable with DGL for everything. DGL is the safer form for the gut, but it is a different product, and the glycyrrhizin that is removed also carries some of licorice's effects.

What the texts and the science together do give is a genuinely lovely herb: a sweet, cooling, soothing demulcent that is one of the best natural remedies there is for a sore throat and cough, and a real support for acidity, the skin and wounds, used wisely. It is simply a herb to enjoy in moderation and respect in quantity, not a harmless sweet.

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A note on where we stand, because we would rather be straight than sell you something we do not make.

Mulethi's great home is the throat, the gut and the soothing of inflamed tissue, used in short courses. For the acidity it calms, and the warming kadha it balances, see our guides to amlapitta and immunity kadha.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Mulethi (yashtimadhu) ke fayde kya hain? +

Mulethi, or Yashtimadhu, is Ayurveda's great sweet, cooling, soothing demulcent, prized above all for the throat and voice. Its classical actions are Kanthya (beneficial for the throat), Jivaniya (vitalising), an expectorant for cough, Sandhaniya (wound-healing), Varnya (complexion-improving) and Chakshushya (good for the eyes). So it soothes a sore throat, dry cough and hoarseness, calms acidity and ulcers, and supports the skin and eyes. It is sweet, cooling and unctuous, and it pacifies vata and pitta. Its most important caution is that its sweet compound, glycyrrhizin, raises blood pressure and lowers potassium in high or prolonged use, so it is used in small, short courses, with DGL preferred for ongoing gut use.

Is mulethi good for a sore throat and cough? +

Yes, this is its best and most classical use. Mulethi is Kanthya, the classical herb for the throat and voice, and its sweet, cooling, demulcent nature coats and soothes a raw, irritated throat, while its expectorant action helps clear a stubborn cough. It is traditionally used for sore throat, dry cough, hoarseness and bronchial irritation, and remains a staple of Ayurvedic cough syrups and lozenges. Simple forms include chewing a small stick of mulethi, taking the powder with honey for a cough, or gargling with a mulethi decoction for a sore throat. Used in these small amounts for a short time, it is both effective and safe.

Does mulethi raise blood pressure? +

Yes, in high or prolonged amounts it can, and this is mulethi's single most important caution. Its sweet compound, glycyrrhizin, interferes with an enzyme in the body in a way that makes it hold on to sodium and water and lose potassium, which raises blood pressure, a condition called pseudoaldosteronism. This is a real, documented effect, not theoretical, and in serious cases low potassium can affect the heart. The risk rises with the dose, the duration, older age, and kidney or heart disease. An occasional throat remedy is not a concern, but regular, high, long-term intake is. Anyone with high blood pressure should avoid glycyrrhizin-containing mulethi, and use DGL if licorice is needed.

What is DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and why is it better? +

DGL is mulethi with most of the glycyrrhizin removed. Because glycyrrhizin is the compound responsible for licorice's blood-pressure and potassium problems, taking it out leaves a form that keeps the soothing, demulcent, gut-protecting benefit, especially for acidity, reflux and ulcers, without the cardiovascular risk. That makes DGL the sensible choice whenever licorice is needed for sustained use, particularly for the stomach and gut, and it is also used for mouth ulcers. Human studies suggest DGL can help heal ulcers and reduce H. pylori. The one caveat is that DGL is a somewhat different, less-studied product, so it is best seen as the safer option for the gut rather than a full substitute for every use of whole mulethi.

Is mulethi safe to take daily? +

Not glycyrrhizin-containing mulethi, in high amounts, long-term. It is safe and lovely in small, short-term amounts, as a throat or cough remedy, but regular high daily intake over weeks risks raised blood pressure and low potassium because of glycyrrhizin. The usual guidance is to keep whole mulethi to small amounts and short courses, around four to six weeks at a time, then take a break. For ongoing daily use, especially for the gut, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated) is the safer form. And anyone with high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, low potassium, or who is pregnant, should avoid regular mulethi unless a doctor advises otherwise.

Is mulethi safe in pregnancy? +

Mulethi is best avoided in pregnancy. Heavy licorice intake during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and other concerns, and its glycyrrhizin affects blood pressure, fluid and hormones, none of which you want to disturb in pregnancy. Breastfeeding women should also be cautious. If you are pregnant and have a sore throat or cough, use gentler, pregnancy-safe measures and speak to your doctor rather than reaching for mulethi. As with any active herb that affects hormones and blood pressure, pregnancy is a clear reason for caution.

Is mulethi good for the skin? +

Yes, it has a genuine, if secondary, skin role. Mulethi is Varnya, complexion-improving, in Ayurveda, and a flavonoid in it called glabridin is studied for brightening the skin and reducing hyperpigmentation and dark spots, which is why licorice extract appears in many skincare products. Its cooling, soothing, anti-inflammatory nature also makes it useful in inflamed skin conditions like eczema. So mulethi, usually as a licorice extract in a cream or face preparation, is a reasonable skin-brightening and soothing ingredient. This external, cosmetic use does not carry the blood-pressure concerns of taking large amounts internally, though patch testing any new skin product is always sensible.

How do you use mulethi for the throat? +

Simply and in small amounts. The classic methods are to chew a small stick of mulethi slowly, letting the sweet juice coat the throat; to take about half a teaspoon of mulethi powder mixed with honey for a cough; or to gargle with a decoction made by boiling a little mulethi powder in water and letting it cool to warm. For a dry cough it is often combined with honey or with a classical cough powder. These are small, short-term uses that are safe for most people. Keep it to a short course, and if you have high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, or are pregnant, avoid even these or check with a doctor first.

The Sweetness to Enjoy, and to Respect

Mulethi earns its name and its long love. The sweet stick is one of the most soothing herbs in the whole materia medica, a cooling, coating demulcent that calms a raw throat, quiets a dry cough, settles an acidic stomach, and soothes the skin, and for a sore throat in particular, chewed or taken with honey, it is one of the simplest and best natural remedies there is.

The honesty is the part that protects you. The very glycyrrhizin that makes mulethi sweet also makes it genuinely drug-like in quantity, raising blood pressure and lowering potassium with high or prolonged use, which is a real, documented effect, and a reason to ignore any source that calls this herb "100% safe." Use it in small amounts and short courses, avoid it with high blood pressure, heart or kidney trouble or in pregnancy, and reach for DGL when you need licorice for the longer term. Enjoy its sweetness, and respect it, and mulethi remains exactly what it has always been: the gentlest of soothers, in the right amount.

For the acidity it calms, see our guide to amlapitta, acidity in Ayurveda.

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