Study: Chocolate Works Better Than Cough Syrup

(CBS Philly/CBS Local) - Have a nagging cough that won't go away? You may want to try eating some chocolate.

Researchers at the the University of Hull in Yorkshire, England said in 2016 that chocolate can help suppress a cough better than cough syrup. This report resurfaced recently in the news.

The group examined 163 patients who had a cough and randomly prescribed them regular codeine or a chocolate-based medicine called ROCOCO.

They found that those using the chocolate-based medication reported a "significant improvement" in their symptoms within two days, compared to those on the regular cough syrup.

Researchers believe the properties of cocoa are stickier and more viscose than standard medicine. They say the chocolate forms a coating in the throat which helps protect the nerve endings that trigger a cough.