Chocolate may be a viable treatment for Coughs!

An informative look at recent Holistic Fitness News

DR KAPLAN'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

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No, I'm not joking! I quote a most respectable source for this information. No less an authority than the British Thoracic Society (BTS) entertained the presentation of serious research that suggested that chocolate contains a chemical that can suppress coughing!

The substance is called theobromine and a paper showing that early testing suggests that it can prevent coughs was presented to the winter meeting of the BTS. Dr John Harvey of the BTS, told the society that many people suffer from coughs of unknown cause. (In fact the British public spend about £100 million on cough medicines annually) Theobromine, the stuff in chocolate, performed better as a cough medicine in the trial than placebo (non-medicated tablets) and codeine a well known medical cough suppressant. If theobromine proves itself as a cough medicine, it will be produced as tasteless, calorie-free tablets (spoilsports!) - but that is only a possibility for the future. As Dr Harvey of the BTS comments:"It is too early to advise people suffering from coughs to treat themselves with chocolate!"

Too early? Is the good doctor suggesting that chocolate might be recommended as a cough medicine at some later date? The doctor writing this column recommends chocolate to be eaten in moderation for pure pleasure. (and of course for some strange problems connected to the female menstrual cycle ;-)

If theobromine proves itself as a cough medicine, there will be more efficient ways of taking it than gorging oneself on chocolate! (Possible scenario for the future: 'Hey, since eating 5 bars of chocolate a day, I don't cough anymore!! Sure I've put on about 50 pounds in the last few months, but at least I'm not driving everyone crazy with that irritating cough!)

Well that's the choice of the medical news of the week for me. Eating a lot of chocolate every day will certainly help you get fat quickly. But it may make you less likely to cough. Weigh up the pros and cons carefully. Watch the way those sexy women eat chocolate in all those magazine and television advertisements. Trust you instincts and intuition.

Mmmmmmm!

Homeopathic Tip of the Week

Do you crave chocolate just before your menstrual period? This is one of many pointers to the homeopathic remedy, Sulphur. It's preferable for a homeopathic professional to see if the remedy suits you as a whole, but I see no harm in taking a single dose of Sulphur 6c (easily obtainable at most chemists these days) instead of your usual chocolate fix. Try it and let me know.

Dr Kaplan's personal website is: www.drkaplan.co.uk and his practice website is www.140harleystreet.co.uk and he can be contacted on (020) 7487 3416