I honestly can't tell if this actually makes sense, or if I just REALLY want it to be true. Either way, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to eat chocolate when I have a cough.
And also, when I don't. Just to get ahead of it.
Science.
According to Professor Alyn Morice, head of cardiovascular and respiratory studies at the University of Hull, chocolate is actually a more effective method for relieving a tickle (or hacking cough) than other over-the-counter drugs.
The prof--and resident cough expert--references a recent study where patients who took a new medicine containing cocoa (versus cough syrup) saw a significant improvement in their cough within two days. Another study, performed at the Imperial College of London, further explains: There’s an alkaloid in cocoa that is better at suppressing the urge to cough than codeine. Codeine.