Chocolate can help you Beat Persistent Coughs

Afrik Update

Health

By Roger Dobson

·         Chemical found in cocoa has been shown to help , a bar of dark chocolate a day.

A compound in cocoa has been shown to reduce symptoms of both acute and chronic coughs.

About 300 people with a persistent cough are taking part in a clinical trial at 13 NHS hospitals where they are being given the naturally occurring chemical theobromine, derived from the raw ingredient of chocolate, twice a day for 14 days.

Early indicators are that 60 per cent of patients experience some measure of relief.

Researchers say a daily bar of dark chocolate may contain enough of the active compound to have an effect on a chronic cough.

An earlier study at the National Heart and Lung Institute showed that theobromine appears to block the action of the sensory nerves, which in turn halts the cough reflex. It was found to be more effective than widely used codeine.

The amount of the theobromine used in the trial was a single dose of 1,000mg. Unsweetened dark chocolate has about 450mg per ounce, sweet dark chocolate around 150mg and milk chocolate about 60mg.

 ‘Eating a bar of dark chocolate a day which has high levels of the compound may also be effective for people with diagnosed persistent cough, although eating chocolate  on a daily basis may have other unwanted effects, including weight gain and so on.’