In case you’re trying to clean out the leftover Halloween candy before the next onslaught of holiday sweets come along, keep in mind that excessive consumption of black licorice can affect your health.

A recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration consumer update said that for those 40 and older, eating 2 ounces of black licorice a day for at least two weeks could land a person in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.

“Black licorice contains the compound glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from licorice root. Glycyrrhizin can cause potassium levels in the body to fall. When that happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy and congestive heart failure,” according to the FDA.

— Anne Aurand, The Bulletin