Sunday, October 30, 2011

9462: Overreaction Of The Week.


The New York Daily News reported Black licorice can be a health hazard for people over 40. Sure, blame it all on the Black licorice.

Black licorice isn’t a sweet treat for adults over 40, says FDA

Too much black licorice can cause grown-up trick-or-treaters to experience abnormal heart rhythms.

By Kathleen Lucadamo, New York Daily News

Black licorice isn’t a treat for folks over 40 — as it can cause them heart problems if eaten too much, the Food and Drug Administration warned this week.

The tasty sweet contains glycyrrhizi, which can decrease potassium levels in the body and cause some people to have abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, according to the feds.

“Days before the biggest candy eating holiday of the year, encourages moderation if you enjoy snacking on the old fashioned favorite,” the agency wrote in an alert.

Black licorice is most dangerous to adults 40 and older, they said, noting that if they eat 2 ounces of it for two weeks they could land in the hospital with a heart murmur.

If you already had a pre-Halloween binge on black licorice, don’t worry. The FDA said that potassium levels usually go back to normal once you stop eating the twisty candy.

Black licorice can also clash with some medications so officials warned people taking prescriptions to check with their doctors about possible problems with eating the item.

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