Eating chocolate could be more effective than sucking a lozenge at treating coughs, say doctors.
They have made the surprising discovery that a chemical found in chocolate is better at suppressing a throaty tickle than medication used in cough medicines.
We've always said that there are many benefits to eating chocolate (as if we needed another excuse.)This is just another study to suggest that dark chocolate may have real health benefits. This study looked at the effectiveness of the ingredient theobromine, found in in naturally in chocolate.
Doctors at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, investigated whether the compound could prevent artificially-provoked coughs in ten healthy non-smokers.
The volunteers were given theobromine followed by capsaicin (you know, from hot peppers),which is known to stimulate the coughing reflex.
Theobromine was more effective in treating the cough than codeine, which is often used in cough medicines, or a 'dummy' treatment.
The British researchers discovered that theobromine, an alkaloid substance present in cocoa which is chemically related to caffeine, is almost three times more effective in stopping persistent cough than codeine, which is recognized as the best cough medicine.
As a stimulant, the effects of theobromine are much milder than those of caffeine. Theobromine helps stop cough by suppressing the vagus nerve, which is responsible for causing coughing.
Using chocolate as a cough treatment needs more research. Further studies looking at the effectiveness of theobromine are already under way. It's too early to tell conclusively whether chocolate can be used to reduce chronic coughing. (You may need to do some of your own clinical trials on yourself - what a bummer - you would have to eat more chocolate)
The experts are saying, "It is too early to advise people suffering from coughs to treat themselves with chocolate." (But I say, "I'm eating healthy chocolate anyway, so I might as well try it when I'm coughing, too")Chocolate was originally used as a medicine by South Americans 5,000 years ago and now recent discoveries show that eating it as part of a balanced diet could help maintain a healthy heart and circulation into old age.
It is claimed that the smell of chocolate alone can help protect against colds, and that antioxidant compounds get absorbed into brain cells and may protect against the damage which causes diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Earlier this year British researchers showed that eating chocolate particularly rich in flavonoids could help thin the blood and guard against life-threatening clots. Seems that chocolate can have some healthful properties.
Try it with the cold processed chocolate Xocai and let us know how it works for you.
