Grab a bar of chocolate to alleviate cough!

Treat yourself to dark chocolate to alleviate cough.

Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Published : August 6, 2015 7:37 PM IST

Here is one more excuse to eat dark chocolate. Next time you are restless from a cough, try a piece of dark chocolate to alleviate the pain. Right from being an antidepressant to an aphrodisiac, dark chocolate has several health benefits. Studies^{[1] [2]} have shown that the theobromine present in dark chocolate inhibits the sensory nerve activation and thus aids as a cough suppressant. This theobromine, when inhaled, has proven to reduce cough during clinical trials.

To know how dark chocolate can help you lose weight, read here.

Apart from being an antitussive drug^[3] that helps relieve cough and the irritation, dark chocolate is filled with several health benefits. In fact, research^[4] indicates that theobromine is as effective as codeine, a drug used for relieving cough. The higher the concentration of theobromine, the better it is for your cough. An unsweetened dark bar of chocolate contains close to 450g of theobromine per ounce. Though dark chocolate may not completely cure a cough, it helps in relieving the pain and irritation Further clinical studies to prove the exact connection between consumption of dark chocolate and treating cough are being initiated.

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You may also like to read how dark chocolate keeps you calm and stress-free.

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References

Halfdanarson, T. R., & Jatoi, A. (2007). Chocolate as a cough suppressant: rationale and justification for an upcoming clinical trial. Supportive cancer therapy, 4(2), 119-122.
Usmani, O. S., Belvisi, M. G., Patel, H. J., Crispino, N., Birrell, M. A., Korbonits, M., & Barnes, P. J. (2005). Theobromine inhibits sensory nerve activation and cough. The FASEB journal, 19(2), 231-233.
Brew, J., & Bannister, R. M. (2014). U.S. Patent No. 8,703,158. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Korbonits, D., Ar nyi, P., Jelinek, I., & Mikus, E. (2002). U.S. Patent No. 6,348,470. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.