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Licorice

First of all, if you're looking for the kind of licorice that serves as an herbal medicine, forget about the red and black sticks in the candy aisle. In the United States, so-called licorice candy is almost always flavored with anise and contains no actual licorice.

Real licorice, which comes from the root of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra , tastes just as sweet as the impostors but packs a bigger punch. Since ancient times, people have used licorice -- or, more to the point, its active ingredient, glycyrrhizic acid -- for coughs, colds, and other ailments, and modern herbalists claim it also speeds the healing of stomach ulcers and prevents cancer.