The Best Cough Medicine Dark Chocolate

For the last few days I have had a terrible cough (hence my title post of The Best Cough Medicine Dark Chocolate) and, since I am somewhat of a hippy, I always want an alternative way of doing something; this is not just when I am sick but in anything I do. If we were to go to a restaurant and everybody were to order the normal, salmon, chicken or pasta, I would order the Guamanian Swordfish baked in Black Caraway Seed… call me crazy but it’s just how I think.

The Best Cough Medicine Dark Chocolate

Anyway in my research I came across somebody using theobromine, or what is a chemical in dark chocolate. Theobromine was studied in London’s National Heart and Lung Institute in 2002 and was found to be 33% more effective than codeine in cough suppression.  In the study people were given codeine, theobromine and a placebo prior to being given capsaicin (chili pepper) through inhaled gas.

Theobromine was found to attack (for the lack of a better word) or work with the vagus nerve, the nerve that is directly responsible for your coughing.

But not just any Dark Chocolate:

As with anything, just any old crap dark chocolate from Safeway or your local supermarket will not do. If you have been paying attention to any of my past articles, you will know that you need at least 80% cocoa dark chocolate for this to be effective. As I have said before, when you get at least 80% cocoa dark chocolate you also get the advantage of the heart disease fighting antioxidants that also are in dark chocolate. Personally, when I get done writing this article, I will be headed to that deep dark evil company Wal-Mart to buy my $3 Lindt 85% Dark Chocolate. Too bad I’m not in Japan right now where I could just to go to 7-11 and get the ultra bitter 95% cocoa chocolate over the counter.

The Best Cough Medicine Dark Chocolate

The Added Benefits of Dark Chocolate

As mentioned above here are some other benefits of adding dark chocolate to your diet:

• The Italians have found that 3 ½ ounces of dark chocolate per day has helped people with hypertension(high blood pressure) and improved insulin sensitivity (for diabetics).
• The well know study of dark chocolate containing antioxidants that increased HDL cholesterol levels (the good cholesterol) and blocked the bad LDL cholesterol.

But don’t trust everything you read:

• Most of the studies such as HDL and LDL cholesterol are funded by the Chocolate Industry.
• Lower percentage chocolate (under 70% cocoa) and milk chocolate is nothing but candy and contains high saturated fats which actually increase LDL levels.

Now that I got you well confused, if you are going to eat chocolate do yourself a favor and get the really good stuff at 85% cocoa content and above , because life is too short to eat cheap chocolate….Now I’m off to Wal-Mart  to support what little capitalism we have left 😉

Thanks for looking at The Best Cough Medicine Dark Chocolate.