🌿 Indian Herbs & Plants Series — Herb 18

Yashtimadhu: The Sweet Root Ayurveda Calls "Food for the Brain"

Glycyrrhiza glabra — licorice root, and a classical Medhya Rasayana for sharper thinking

Yashtimadhu:

👵 Dadi Maa Ki Salah: "Mulethi chuso, dimaag tez hoga aur gala bhi theek rahega" — suck on a small piece of mulethi, she'd say, and the mind will sharpen while the throat stays clear. Children were handed a stick of it for a sore throat, never told it was also meant to be doing something for their thinking.

Yashtimadhu — known in most Indian kitchens as Mulethi — is one of Ayurveda's most recognisable Medhya Rasayana herbs, a category specifically dedicated to nourishing mental faculties: memory, learning, and reasoning. While the West mostly knows it as licorice, valued for throat and digestive comfort, classical Ayurvedic pharmacology has always framed its "sweet" nature as sweet for the brain as much as the tongue. This Herb 18 post looks specifically at the analytical and logical-thinking angle — the Medhya side of Yashtimadhu that student-focused clinical studies have actually tested.

📊 Yashtimadhu At a Glance

123

students in a 60-day RCT on memory and intelligence scores

60 days

treatment duration in that same student trial

2-9%

glycyrrhizin content, its primary active compound

NVIT

Non-Verbal Intelligence Test used to measure the effect

Ayurvedic profile: Rasa (Taste): Sweet  •  Virya (Potency): Cooling  •  Prabhava: Medhya  •  Karma: Rasayana, Balya, Vata-Pitta Shamaka

📜 In the Classical Texts

Charaka names Yashtimadhu among the classical Medhya Rasayana drugs — herbs whose special Prabhava (unique effect) is specifically to enhance mental abilities, concentration, and cognition, distinct from its other, more commonly known properties.

Ayurvedic texts also describe Yashtimadhu's role in Majjaposhana — nourishment of nerve and marrow tissue — alongside Balya (strength-giving) and Vata-Pitta pacifying action, framing it as both a cognitive and a broader restorative Rasayana.

🔬 What Modern Research Shows

A single-blind controlled clinical trial in 123 male students evaluated Yashtimadhu tablets against a placebo over 60 days, measuring change through a Non-Verbal Intelligence Test and memory scores, and found consumption improved general intelligence performance, with a comparatively smaller effect on memory specifically.

A separate study combining a standardised Yashtimadhu formulation ("Yashtimadhu Kalpa") with yoga practice in teenage students found improvements in memory and cognitive performance, building on earlier animal research showing memory-strengthening activity in learning and passive-avoidance behavioural models.

Sources: Single-blind controlled clinical trial on mental intelligence and memory, Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences; Yashtimadhu Kalpa and Yoga study, Journal of Natural Remedies (2023); memory-strengthening behavioural study, Journal of Medicinal Food (2004).

Why Elders and Students Alike Reach for Yashtimadhu

🧮 Analytical Thinking

Student RCT evidence links use to improved non-verbal intelligence test performance.

🧠 Memory Support

Classical Medhya action supported by both behavioural animal studies and human trials.

🗣️ Throat & Digestive Comfort

Its best-known Western use — soothing for throat irritation and mild peptic discomfort.

🛡️ Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory

Glycyrrhizin and flavonoid content contribute to broad anti-inflammatory activity.

Yashtimadhu: India vs. the West

Aspect	India / Ayurveda	US / UK / Canada
Primary framing	Medhya Rasayana — cognitive and memory tonic, given to students	Known mainly for throat, digestive, and adrenal support ("licorice root")
Common form	Mulethi stick chewed directly, churna, classical formulations	Capsules, tinctures, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) for digestion
Cultural association	Given to children and students, a household staple	Sold as licorice candy (often artificial flavour, not real root) and herbal supplements separately
Best local source	Local panasari/Ayurvedic pharmacy for whole Mulethi root	Indian grocers or reputable herbal/Ayurvedic retailers

✈️ For NRI Families in the US, UK & Canada

Don't confuse Yashtimadhu with most Western "licorice candy," which is typically flavoured with anise rather than real licorice root and offers none of the traditional benefits — look for whole Mulethi root or standardised Glycyrrhiza glabra extract instead.

If you or an elder has high blood pressure, is on blood pressure medication, or has kidney disease, this is one herb to flag with your doctor specifically, given real, well-documented interactions covered in the caution box below.

⚠️ Important Cautions

• Sustained daily use of real licorice root (glycyrrhizin) can raise blood pressure and lower potassium levels — a well-documented effect, not a rare one.
• Avoid if you have hypertension, heart disease, or kidney disease unless specifically cleared by a physician; deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) removes this risk for digestive use.
• Its mild estrogenic activity means it should be used cautiously in hormone-sensitive conditions and discussed with a doctor during pregnancy.
• Long-term daily use of any form is best done with periodic blood pressure checks rather than indefinitely without monitoring.

🇮🇳 India context: Memory and cognitive-health consultations at AYUSH-empanelled centres may be covered under PM-JAY/Ayushman Bharat; sync records to your ABHA health ID. In a medical emergency, dial 108 or 112.

Quick Questions, Honest Answers

Is Yashtimadhu the same as the licorice candy sold in Western stores?

Usually not — most commercial "licorice" candy is anise-flavoured and contains little or no actual licorice root. Real Yashtimadhu comes as whole root, powder, or standardised extract.

Can seniors with normal blood pressure take Yashtimadhu safely for memory support?

Many do, in moderate traditional amounts, but periodic blood pressure checks are still sensible with regular long-term use, and anyone with hypertension should check with a doctor first.

How does Yashtimadhu's cognitive role compare to Mandukparni, covered next in this series?

Both are classified as Medhya Rasayana herbs, but student trials on Yashtimadhu lean toward general intelligence and reasoning performance, while Mandukparni's modern research leans more toward memory, focus, and attention specifically.

Happiness Always Along With Life — Not the End of Life

Explore the full Indian Herbs & Plants Series — from Ashwagandha to Tagar to Yashtimadhu — only on 102 Not Out.

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This article is for educational purposes and reflects traditional Ayurvedic knowledge alongside available research. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a qualified physician before regular use, especially if you have high blood pressure, heart, or kidney disease.