New Study Claims Chocolate Might Be Good To Calm Coughing Fits; More Effective Than Over-The-Counter Medicines

Here's one way to silence your coughing fit: grab a handful of chocolate. A cardiovascular and respiratory expert revealed that a compound found in cocoa (from which your Hershey's Kisses and Snickers bars are made) is actually more effective in treating acute and chronic coughs than over-the-counter remedies. 

Professor Alyn Morice of the University of Hull recognizes that this sounds dubious, but he has science to back him up. As a founding member of the International Society for the Study of Cough, he knows all about the respiratory illness after spending years of research on its mechanisms and cures. 

On an article published by The Daily Mail UK, the independent clinician reported that a recent research on a drug containing cocoa has yielded positive results. Patients who have taken the drug has shown remarkable improvement in symptoms after just two days of use. 

Morice also pointed out that a separate research by The Imperial College of London discovered that an element in cocoa is far more effective in suppressing cough than codeine, an ingredient in standard cough medicines.  

Unfortunately, there is no escape from taking your medicine. The respiratory expert explained that cocoa is far stickier than regular medicine which allows it to provide relief from coughing fits. 

He said, "[d]rinking hot chocolate won't have the same effect as the cocoa isn't in contact with the throat long enough to form a protective coating," meanwhile, "slowly sucking on a piece of chocolate may provide some relief." 

Therefore, you should not treat chocolate as an alternative to medicine. Morice stated that cocoa works best with all the other elements found in regular cough syrups. 

The drug mentioned on the report is now licensed under the brand name Unicough which is currently being sold at Boots and other pharmacies. The drug promises a good night's sleep, reduced coughing, and zero alcohol in its ingredients. Unicough also has chocolate lozenges with a mint coating to soothe your throat.