MidnightVoice
November 23rd, 2004, 4:08:39 PM
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996699
An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine than traditional remedies, a new study suggests.
And not only that, the UK-based research showed that the cocoa-derived compound had none of the side effects associated with standard drug treatments for persistent coughs.
“These sorts of coughs, often lasting for weeks after a viral infection, can be difficult to treat, especially since it is not possible to give large doses of opiate-based medication to patients due to the side effects,” says Peter Barnes, professor of thoracic medicine at Imperial College London, UK, who led the study.
An ingredient in chocolate may actually be a more effective cough medicine than traditional remedies, a new study suggests.
And not only that, the UK-based research showed that the cocoa-derived compound had none of the side effects associated with standard drug treatments for persistent coughs.
“These sorts of coughs, often lasting for weeks after a viral infection, can be difficult to treat, especially since it is not possible to give large doses of opiate-based medication to patients due to the side effects,” says Peter Barnes, professor of thoracic medicine at Imperial College London, UK, who led the study.