Chocolate could provide the key to tackling a persistent cough, researchers claim.They are carryingout the final stages of clinical trials on a drug that contains theobromine, an ingredient naturallypresent in cocoa and chocolate.If the trials are successful, the drug could be on the market withintwo years.

國(guó)際在線教育消息：研究者們通過實(shí)驗(yàn)發(fā)現(xiàn)，巧克力或成為醫(yī)治久咳不止的一劑藥方。他們研制了一種含有可可堿的成分的藥物，而可可和巧克力中便富含可可堿，這項(xiàng)藥物已經(jīng)入了最后的臨床實(shí)驗(yàn)階段，若實(shí)驗(yàn)成功，藥物有望于兩年之內(nèi)投放市場(chǎng)。

　　More than seven million Britons suffer from a persistent cough, defined as one that lasts for morethan two weeks.Some have asthma-like symptoms while others suffer from heartburn. But most widely available cough products soothe the symptoms rather than deal with the cause, and havebeen criticised for side effects such as drowsiness.There are safety concerns about side effects from other products that are codeine-based, which use a chemical called an opioid.

全英大概有超過七百萬的人口正經(jīng)受久咳的折磨，咳嗽可能會(huì)持續(xù)一到兩個(gè)禮拜，有的會(huì)伴隨著哮喘的癥狀，另外一些則會(huì)出現(xiàn)胃灼熱的情況。而大多數(shù)治療咳嗽的藥物僅僅是緩解了表面的癥狀，而不是根除致病源頭，而同時(shí)還會(huì)帶來的諸如嗜睡的副作用也備受批評(píng)。而其他鎮(zhèn)痛止咳劑中含有可待因（鴉片的主要成分），由此引發(fā)副作用也使人們對(duì)于它的安全性產(chǎn)生了懷疑。

　　Previous research by London’s National Heart and Lung Institute found that theobromine is 33 per centmore effective than codeine at stopping coughing. It works directly on the vagus nerve, which isresponsible for persistent coughing.Research in South Korea has shown that theobromine has none of the side effects associated withstandard drug treatments for persistent cough.

　　英國(guó)的科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)，可可堿的止咳功效要比可待因高出近三成，它直接作用于迷走神經(jīng)，而這便是導(dǎo)致久咳不止的根源所在。韓國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)學(xué)者在試驗(yàn)中也發(fā)現(xiàn)，可可堿完全不會(huì)造成普通止咳藥所引發(fā)的副作用。