Did You Get Black Licorice For Halloween? Let’s Hope Not

It doesn't taste good. It doesn't look good. Also, it could kill you.

Probably should throw that black licorice in the trash.

We wish we were making this up, or trying some kind of scare tactics to get you to read further. Unfortunately, this is pretty real stuff.

The Food and Drug Administration warns against eating black licorice, because of a compound found within called glycyrrhizin, which can significantly lower your potassium levels. Per an FDA advisory, eating too much of the stuff could result in heart problems, increased blood pressure, or even throwing off your heart's natural rhythm.

Has anyone actually died from eating too much black licorice? Not on record. However, last year for the first time the FDA had one confirmed case of health problems due to glycyrrhizin intake. So, yes eating too much (way way too much) black licorice could cause you serious health problems. More importantly, it tastes terrible, so best to avoid it at all costs.