March 26, 2009

Natural Ways to Cure Coughs

There are ways to cure coughs without taking medications. The use of dark chocolate, honey, and vitamin C are a few natural ways to cure coughs.

Dark chocolate can help coughs. It has a compound called theobromine that is better than codeine at suppressing coughs without the side effects of drowsiness and constipation. Theobromine has an affect on the vagus nerve, which is responsible for coughing.

Honey can help coughs and works better than cough suppressants for relieving night time coughs and helping to fall asleep. It is assumed that honey works by soothing the throat and stimulating saliva, which calms the coughing reflex. It is found that darker honeys are preferred because they have more antioxidants in them than lighter color honeys. It is not recommended to give honey to children younger than one year old due to the risk of botulism spores.

Vitamin C can help coughs by boosting the immune system at the early stages of a cough. It also reduces inflammation and controls histamines to help stop coughs.

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