Mulethi (Licorice - Ayurvedic) for Cough Relief

Research suggests that mulethi (licorice root, Glycyrrhiza glabra) has meaningful antitussive and expectorant properties, with animal studies directly demonstrating reductions in cough frequency and improvements in mucus clearance when licorice compounds were administered. Multiple reviews of the pharmacological literature consistently support these findings, attributing the effects primarily to active constituents such as glycyrrhizin and various flavonoids that appear to act on respiratory pathways. The available body of evidence is encouraging but skews heavily toward laboratory and animal models, with the reviews themselves acknowledging that rigorous clinical trials in humans remain limited, meaning the full picture of efficacy and safety in people has yet to be firmly established. Studies also note that while licorice is generally considered to have a relatively mild side effect profile compared to some conventional options, it is not without potential risks, and the research community regards further clinical investigation as necessary before stronger conclusions can be drawn.