Can’t quit coughing? Some researchers are now claiming that chocolate could be the answer to all our prayers when cold and flu season arrives.
The suggestion comes from a group of scientists at the University of Hull in Yorkshire, England. In a recently conducted study, the researchers delved into chocolate’s effect on respiratory health.
Their findings? Chocolate may actually be more effective than codeine.
To test this notion, they examined 163 European subjects, all of whom had coughs. The patients were randomly prescribed either a regular codeine-based cough syrup or ROCOCO, a chocolate-based medicine.
The results showed that within two days patients taking ROCOCO reported significant improvements in their symptoms compared to the other subjects.
“We have just seen the results of the largest real-world study of an over-the-counter cough remedy ever undertaken in Europe,” said lead author Alyn Morice. “This proves that a new medicine which contains cocoa is better than a standard linctus.”
This isn’t the first time a study like this has been conducted either. Another team of researchers at Imperial College in London had similar findings. They discovered that that theobromine, a bitter alkaloid found in cocoa, was better than codeine at suppressing coughs.
The analysts testing ROCOCO also believe that the demulcent properties of cocoa help ease irritation and inflammation.
“This simply means it is stickier and more viscose than standard cough medicines, so it forms a coating which protects nerve endings in the throat which trigger the urge to cough,” explained Morice. “This demulcent effect explains why honey and lemon and other sugary syrups can help, but I think there is something more going on with chocolate.”
The authors of the study do suggest sucking on a piece of chocolate could help alleviate cough symptoms. (Chocolate-based beverages such as hot cocoa, Morice explained, are not likely to be as effective. This is because they simply don’t have long enough sustained contact with the throat. Therefore, you do not get the benefits of a protective chocolate coating.)
However, while they say chocolate alone may bring some relief, it’s a combination of ingredients that works best. ROCOCO isn’t just chocolate, after all.
“Apart from the cocoa itself, the demulcent effect ensures the other cough-calming ingredients — diphenhydramine, levomenthol, and ammonium chloride — are in contact with sensitized nerve endings for as long as possible,” explained Morice.
