For people under long-term stress, liquorice supports the adrenal glands that provide the body' s stress response. It also appears to help balance the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, thereby helping relieve premenstrual symptoms, especially if taken for two weeks before menstruation. Liquorice with one of the main ingredients removed, which is known as deglycyrrhizinated liquorice, or DGL, has been shown to be more effective at treating peptic ulcers than some of the most popular drugs for the condition.