Most of us know that eating too much candy is bad for your health, and in the long term can cause problems. What most people don’t know is that candy can literally kill you.
According to Fox News, a Massachusetts man died after consuming too much black licorice. While black licorice seems perfectly harmless to most, that is obviously not the case. The 54 year-old man passed out weeks after changing his candy from red to black licorice. First responders were called, but the man unfortunately did not survive however he was able to live his final moments with his family. Allegedly, the man was ingesting over a bag of licorice a day.
The reason that black licorice is so dangerous is because it contains glycyrrhizic acid, which causes potassium levels in the body to drop very rapidly. When potassium levels are too low, it can cause many very serious complications. These can include a rise in blood pressure, arrhythmias, and even congestive heart failure, all of which can be dangerous. If you are over the age of 40, eating only 2 ounces of black licorice everyday for two weeks can easily be enough to cause serious arrhythmia and hospitalize you. In the case of the man that passed away, he ate over a bag a day for a few weeks and was over the age of 40.
Unfortunately, the side effects of black licorice could cost someone their life. The best lesson to take out of this story is to read the labels on products!