Cocoa Fights A Persistent Cough

Video: Cocoa Fights A Persistent Cough

Video: Cocoa Fights A Persistent Cough
Video: Is Chocolate Good for Cough ? Does It Help or Cause Coughing? 2024, November
Cocoa Fights A Persistent Cough
Cocoa Fights A Persistent Cough
Anonim

Cocoa contains a chemical that will soon become the main ingredient in a cough medicine. British scientists claim that the drug is in the final stages of clinical trials and can be marketed for up to two years.

The chemical is called theobromine and is found in chocolate and cocoa. To date, most preparations now used to treat whooping cough contain compounds that are derivatives of opiates such as codeine. Every year, millions of people around the world suffer from a persistent cough that lasts more than two weeks.

Previous research has shown that cocoa can help with diabetes and stroke. The flavonoid epicatechin contained in cocoa can save humanity from the most common diseases in the Western world: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes, according to a group of American scientists.

"Today, science recognizes 13 essential vitamins, but epicatechin is not among them because it does not correspond to the traditional concept of vitamin as a substance important for the normal functioning and growth of cells whose deficiency leads to disease. The link between high epicatechin consumption and reduced the risk of these diseases is so staggering that it needs further research. It is possible that these diseases are due to epicatechin deficiency, "said nutrition expert and vice president of the Natural Products Association Daniel Febrikant.

Chocolate Drink
Chocolate Drink

Expanding the idea of vitamins could give pharmaceutical companies a chance to enrich their range and launch epicatechin capsules, which are also found in tea, wine, chocolate and some fruits and vegetables.

According to experts, cocoa producers mistakenly extract epicatechin from the composition of the product due to its bitter taste.

The history of cocoa cultivation begins in Central America. The Aztecs knew the plant from the 14th century. The cocoa tree is evergreen. It reaches a height of 8 meters.

It grows wild in Central and South America, and is cultivated mainly in America and Africa. What is the process by which cocoa powder is produced? The large fruits are fermented, after which the seeds are separated. After removal of the seed coat, the seed core remains. It is ground to make a paste. It is then used to make chocolates, candies, cocoa butter and raw cocoa powder.

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