Sweet relief?Scientists discovered that an ingredient in chocolate has cough-stopping powers. Coughs form when irritants such as dust--or an infection--stimulate nerves in the lungs. The bundles of nerve cells send a signal to the brain to trigger a lung-clearing cough. Codeine codeine (kō`dēn), alkaloid found in opium. It is a narcotic whose effects, though less potent, resemble those of morphine. An effective cough suppressant, it is mainly used in cough medicines. Like other narcotics, codeine is addictive. , the leading cough suppressant Cough suppressant Medicine that stops or prevents coughing. Mentioned in: Expectorants cough suppressant Medtalk A drug used to control a dry, annoying cough , works by calming the brain's message-receiving center. But the drug has many negative side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. , including drowsiness. Dr. Peter Barnes, head of respiratory medicine at London's Imperial College, tested the effectiveness of theobromine the·o·bro·mine n. A bitter, colorless alkaloid found in chocolate products and used as a diuretic, vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant. theobromine an alkaloid prepared from dried ripe seed of the tropical American tree , a chemical compound in chocolate, at stopping coughs. The result: Theobromine, which soothes the nerves in the lungs, works better than codeine--and without the side effects. Sadly, a chocolate bar doesn't have enough theobromine to control the hacks. But Barnes says that further testing may result in improved cough medicine. |
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