With cold and cough season in full swing, alongside traditional remedies like honey and lemon, a surprising ally has emerged: chocolate. Professor Alyn Morice, founder of the International Society for the Study of Cough at the University of Hull, England, highlights its effectiveness based on the recent Rococo study. In this trial, 163 patients experienced significant improvement in just two days from consuming chocolate-based treatments.
Researchers at Imperial College London previously demonstrated that theobromine, a bitter compound in cocoa, effectively suppresses persistent coughs—three times more potently than codeine found in many medications. Chocolate's emollient properties relax throat tissues, coating nerve endings that trigger coughing, as Professor Morice explains to the Daily Mail.
Skip the hot chocolate, which merely passes through the throat without lasting effect. Instead, suck on a square of dark chocolate for optimal relief, recommends the expert. A delicious reason to indulge.
