Many plants contain chemicals that prevent cancer or heart attacks.
Preventing heart attacks involves eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. If you're looking for a low-calorie substitute for sugar, licorice is 50 times as sweet as sugar, but it can raise your blood pressure. If your blood pressure is normal, this shouldn't concern you, but if you have high blood pressure or a high cholesterol, this rise can increase your chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Some diuretics also cause your kidneys to lose large amounts of potassium. So, taking licorice with a diuretic can cause you to lose enough potassium to cause muscle fatigue and irregular heart beats.