What it is
The sweet compound in licorice root, ~50× sweeter than sugar — used as a sweetener and flavor, and the reason black licorice carries a real warning.
Why your biology objects
Its metabolite inhibits 11β-HSD2, the enzyme that clears cortisol at the kidney — so cortisol floods the mineralocorticoid receptor and mimics aldosterone: sodium retention, potassium loss, and rising blood pressure. Documented to cause hypertension and dangerous hypokalemia at chronic intakes around 100mg/day. A genuine dose-dependent toxin, not just empty sweetness.