You either love it or you want to throw it out a moving car window. There’s really no middle ground when it comes to the deep, medicinal, and slightly salty punch of a classic black licorice twist. But if you’ve found yourself mindlessly chewing through a bag while watching a movie, a nagging thought might have crossed your mind: is black licorice fattening? It feels like a "healthy" candy compared to a Snickers bar, right? It’s fat-free. It’s herbal. It’s basically a plant.
Well, sorta.
Weight gain is rarely about one specific food, but black licorice is a weird beast. Unlike chocolate, which is loaded with cocoa butter and milk solids, licorice is essentially a flavored flour paste. It’s dense. It’s chewy. And while it won't hit you with a massive dose of lipids, the way it interacts with your blood sugar and your hormones is a lot more complicated than just counting calories on a label.
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The Caloric Reality of Your Licorice Habit
Let’s look at the raw numbers first. Most standard brands of black licorice—think Twizzlers, Red Vines (the black version), or Wiley Wallaby—clock in at around 130 to 150 calories per serving. That’s usually about three or four pieces. On the surface, that’s not a diet-killer. If you compare that to a handful of roasted almonds, the calories are actually lower.
But here’s the rub. Licorice is almost entirely sugar and wheat flour. It’s a high-glycemic carbohydrate bomb. When you eat it, your insulin spikes. Your body stops burning fat and starts storing energy. Because it’s fat-free, it doesn't trigger the "I'm full" signals in your brain the same way a piece of cheese or a steak would. You can eat half a bag and still feel like you haven't had a snack. That’s where the "fattening" part sneaks up on you. It’s the volume, not the individual piece.
Honestly, the "fat-free" label is one of the biggest marketing tricks in the history of the food industry. People see that 0g of fat and think it’s a free pass. It isn't. Your liver doesn't care if the excess energy came from lard or from corn syrup; if you don't burn it, it’s going to end up as adipose tissue.
What’s actually in that twist?
If you look at the back of a bag of Panda Licorice—which many consider the gold standard because of its short ingredient list—you’ll see molasses, wheat flour, licorice extract, and anise seed oil. It’s simple. But molasses is basically just "sugar with a tan." It’s slightly more nutrient-dense than white sugar, containing small amounts of iron and potassium, but it’s still a heavy hit of sucrose and fructose.
Other brands use high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes like Blue 1 and Red 40 to get that deep obsidian color. These additives don’t necessarily make it "fattening" in a direct caloric sense, but they can mess with your gut microbiome. Recent studies from researchers at institutions like the Weizmann Institute of Science suggest that certain sweeteners and additives can alter how our bodies process glucose, potentially leading to weight gain over time even if the calorie count remains the same.
The Glycyrrhizin Factor: More Than Just Sugar
This is where things get genuinely strange. Real black licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin. This is the natural sweetener derived from the Glycyrrhiza glabra root. It’s about 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar, but it has a dark side that has nothing to do with your waistline and everything to do with your chemistry.
Glycyrrhizin can cause your body to dump potassium and hold onto sodium. This leads to water retention.
Have you ever noticed your rings feeling tight after eating a bunch of licorice? That’s not fat. That’s edema. You’re literally holding onto water. For someone weighing themselves the next morning, the scale might jump up two or three pounds. It’s temporary, but if you eat licorice every day, that "puffiness" becomes your new baseline.
- Potassium depletion: High intake of real licorice can lead to hypokalemia.
- Blood pressure: The sodium retention can cause a spike in your BP.
- Cortisol: Licorice can actually inhibit the enzyme that breaks down cortisol, the stress hormone.
High cortisol is notoriously linked to abdominal fat. It’s a bit of a stretch to say one bag of candy will give you a "licorice belly," but the hormonal disruption is real. If you’re chronically stressed and snacking on licorice, you’re basically doubling down on the signals that tell your body to store fat around your midsection.
The "Health Food" Delusion
There is a weird aura of health around black licorice because it's sold in pharmacies in Europe and found in the "natural" aisle of Whole Foods. Don't be fooled. While licorice root has been used for centuries to treat heartburn and coughs, the candy version is a processed food.
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If you’re looking for the digestive benefits of licorice without the sugar, you should be looking at DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice) supplements. In DGL, the glycyrrhizin is removed to prevent the blood pressure issues, leaving behind the compounds that soothe the stomach lining. Eating a bag of Twizzlers to fix your acid reflux is like trying to fix a broken leg by wearing a nice shoe. It’s not going to work, and the sugar might actually make the inflammation worse.
Comparing Licorice to Other Sweets
How does it stack up against the competition? If you’re at a gas station and you’re trying to make the "best" bad choice, here’s the breakdown:
Black Licorice vs. Milk Chocolate
Chocolate is higher in calories and fat. However, chocolate has a lower glycemic index because the fat slows down the absorption of sugar. You might feel satisfied after two squares of dark chocolate. You will likely not feel satisfied after two pieces of licorice.
Black Licorice vs. Gummy Bears
They’re cousins. Both are sugar-based. Gummy bears usually use gelatin (animal protein), while licorice uses flour (gluten). If you have a gluten sensitivity, licorice can cause bloating and inflammation that feels a lot like weight gain.
Black Licorice vs. Salty Licorice (Salmiak)
Common in Scandinavia, this stuff is flavored with ammonium chloride. It’s an acquired taste—it tastes like a battery in a good way. The salt content here is massive. If you’re worried about "fattening" foods, the intense salt in salmiak will cause even more water retention than the sweet American versions.
Is Black Licorice Fattening? The Verdict
No food is inherently "fattening" in isolation. It’s about the context of your whole day. However, black licorice is particularly "sneaky." Because it's fat-free and has a medicinal flavor, we tend to underestimate its impact. It is a dense source of refined carbohydrates and sugar that can spike insulin and cause significant water weight gain through hormonal shifts.
If you love it, eat it. But treat it like what it is: a potent candy, not a health snack.
Actionable Steps for the Licorice Lover
If you aren't ready to give up your black-colored treats, here is how to handle the habit without ruining your health goals:
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- Check the Ingredients: Ensure it actually contains licorice extract. Many cheap "licorice" candies are just anise-flavored sugar. If it doesn't have real licorice root, you're just eating a black gummy bear.
- Watch the Portion: Stick to 1-2 ounces (about 30-50 grams). This keeps the sugar spike manageable and stays below the threshold where glycyrrhizin starts messing with your potassium levels.
- Drink Water: To counter the sodium-retaining effects of the licorice root, increase your water intake. This helps flush the excess fluid out of your system.
- Pair it with Protein: Eat your licorice after a meal that includes protein and fiber. This slows down the digestion of the flour and sugar, preventing the massive insulin spike that leads to fat storage.
- Listen to Your Heart: If you have high blood pressure or are over 40, the FDA actually recommends avoiding large amounts of black licorice. Even two ounces a day for two weeks can cause heart rhythm issues in sensitive individuals.
Ultimately, the best way to enjoy black licorice is as an occasional indulgence. It's a complex, historic treat with a profile unlike anything else in the candy aisle. Just don't let the "fat-free" label trick you into eating the whole bag. Your waistline—and your blood pressure—will thank you for the restraint.