It seems like every day there is some news report about yet another food that we love being bad for us. A new study now concludes that licorice — yes, licorice! — may result in fertility problems for women. Licorice has been a folk medicine for many years, thought to have anticancer properties, and an herbal treatment for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

An article recently published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology found that some of the compounds in licorice reduces the expression of genes related to the production of sex hormones, which in turn causes a decrease in estrogen production. The degree of impact on human fertility was not clear, and there is not likely to be a “black box” warning on licorice candy about the risks of indulging one’s sweet tooth, similar to such drug warnings. But the study’s author, Jodi Flaws of the University of Illinois, concluded that licorice ingestion could have serious implications for human fertility. So far, no studies indicate that licorice has a comparable deleterious effect on the male.

Licorice is a perennial plant found in part of Europe and Asia. It was known in the past as “sweet root,” because its root contains a compound that is 50 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used in medicines for centuries to treat peptic ulcers, indigestion, and colds and coughs. It has been considered a tasty treat for many years, but women who are considering having a child may now think twice before indulging in a rope of the tasty black or red candy.