Chocolate could provide the key to tackling a persistent¹ 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.

国际在线教育消息：研究者们通过实验发现，巧克力或成为医治久咳不止的一剂药方。他们研制了一种含有可可碱的成分的药物，而可可和巧克力中便富含可可碱，这项药物已经入了最后的临床实验阶段，若实验成功，药物有望于两年之内投放市场。

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 soothe² the symptoms rather than deal with the cause, and havebeen criticised for side effects such as drowsiness³.There are safety concerns about side effects from other products that are codeine-based, which use a chemical called an opioid.

全英大概有超过七百万的人口正经受久咳的折磨，咳嗽可能会持续一到两个礼拜，有的会伴随着哮喘的症状，另外一些则会出现胃灼热的情况。而大多数治疗咳嗽的药物仅仅是缓解了表面的症状，而不是根除致病源头，而同时还会带来的诸如嗜睡的副作用也备受批评。而其他镇痛止咳剂中含有可待因（鸦片的主要成分），由此引发副作用也使人们对于它的安全性产生了怀疑。

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.

英国的科学家发现，可可碱的止咳功效要比可待因高出近三成，它直接作用于迷走神经，而这便是导致久咳不止的根源所在。韩国医学学者在试验中也发现，可可碱完全不会造成普通止咳药所引发的副作用。