If you have a cold and a cough caught you off guard, do not rush to experience the advertised pharmaceutical novelties. Try cocoa butter to treat this symptom. This natural product not only actively fights coughing, but also affects the entire body in a complex manner. Thus, cocoa butter helps to recover and restore the body's defenses. An additional advantage is the ability to use it regardless of age.
Potions made with cocoa butter envelop the upper respiratory tract. Thanks to this, the cough softens and gradually disappears, and with it - the unpleasant sore throat.
What it looks like and where to buy
Natural cocoa butter is obtained from the chocolate tree - more precisely, from the seeds of its fruit. This nutritious solid fat is widely used in pharmaceuticals as a base for many suppositories and ointments. In folk medicine - as an anti-cold, in particular antitussive, remedy.
The butter is creamy, smells like chocolate and breaks easily. It remains solid if the ambient temperature does not exceed 25 ° C. This product begins to melt already at 33 ° C. If you take good quality butter in your hand, it will melt.
You can buy it at almost any pharmacy, at trade fairs, in grocery stores, or by placing an order in an online store.
Remember that before purchasing, be sure to read the accompanying instructions. You can accidentally buy a product intended for cosmetic procedures. It is strictly forbidden to eat such a product.
How to fight a cough
Cocoa butter relieves cough due to the presence of theobromine in the composition. Artificial analogues of this alkaloid are today used in the production of pharmaceuticals for coughs for bronchitis, bronchial asthma and even pulmonary hypertension.
If accompanied by a common cold, this product provides:
- high rate of regeneration of the damaged mucous membrane of the respiratory system;
- activation of expectoration and removal, thus, of the accumulated phlegm from the bronchi;
- enveloping and softening inflamed tissues, which means a decrease in soreness;
- improving the process of microcirculation in tissues, due to which harmful microorganisms and their waste products are rapidly excreted from the body (when used externally).
- support the immune system.
Recipes
Cocoa butter for coughs can be used both internally and externally. Let's talk about its internal use - prescription drugs that are available for home cooking.
With milk. Pour milk into a glass and put a teaspoon of oil there. Place in a water bath and wait for the butter to melt and dissolve in the milk. If you are not allergic to bee products, add natural honey to taste. To get rid of a cough, you need to drink at least 3 and maximum 6 glasses of this drug per day.- With badger fat. Take a tablespoon of badger fat and liquid oil each. Mix them up. Refrigerate the mixture until it is firm. If desired, you can add cocoa essential oil as a flavoring - just a couple of drops. The finished medicine should be taken half a teaspoon before eating. Please note that in the presence of diseases of the gallbladder and liver, such a drug is contraindicated.
With a chocolate bar. Melt a tablespoon of butter and a quarter of a chocolate bar. It is best to drown them together at once. Add a couple of glasses of preheated milk to this mixture. Only 2 tablespoons of this drug can be taken at a time. A day - no more than 6 times. If you have an allergy, you will have to choose some other recipe.- With propolis. Melt the butter and combine it with propolis, after crushing it. The ratio of ingredients is 10: 1. Then cool the mixture. It should be taken up to 3 times a day, half a teaspoon.
- In its purest form. If you have a dry cough that makes your throat hurt, use the oil as a medicated lozenge. Suck a small piece in your mouth 3-4 times a day. By doing this, you will not only get rid of the cough, but also eliminate the developing inflammation.
With milk. Pour milk into a glass and put a teaspoon of oil there. Place in a water bath and wait for the butter to melt and dissolve in the milk. If you are not allergic to bee products, add natural honey to taste. To get rid of a cough, you need to drink at least 3 and maximum 6 glasses of this drug per day.
With a chocolate bar. Melt a tablespoon of butter and a quarter of a chocolate bar. It is best to drown them together at once. Add a couple of glasses of preheated milk to this mixture. Only 2 tablespoons of this drug can be taken at a time. A day - no more than 6 times. If you have an allergy, you will have to choose some other recipe.We apply externally
Massage. Massaging the chest in the lung area using cocoa butter will increase blood flow to the lungs. As a result, it will become much easier for you, the cough will soften, and recovery will not be long in coming.- Ointment for the nose. If you regularly apply oil to the mucous membrane in the nasal passages, you can speed up the onset of recovery from a cold, as well as prevent the development of acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections.
- Inhalation. If you need to quickly eliminate a cough, make an inhalation mixture of tea tree and cocoa essential oils. Place 3-4 drops of each oil in heated water and breathe in the healing steam.
Massage. Massaging the chest in the lung area using cocoa butter will increase blood flow to the lungs. As a result, it will become much easier for you, the cough will soften, and recovery will not be long in coming.For the treatment of cough in children
Cocoa butter is one of the best cough remedies for children. Its main advantage is that most kids accept it with pleasure. Still would! To be treated with chocolate milk - what could be better?
For coughs, children are usually prepared a medicine from a glass of warmed milk with half a teaspoon of oil. If the child is not allergic, you can make it even more delicious by adding a little chocolate or honey. After taking such a drug, it is advisable to wrap the child well and make sure that he observes strict bed rest.
This remedy soothes and eliminates severe cough, sore throat, and also reduces fever. However, you should consult your pediatrician before giving this medicine to your child. He will recommend the appropriate dosage and check for allergic reactions or not.
As a preventive measure, it is very good for children to lubricate the inside of the nose with this oil. It will be much more difficult for harmful microbes and viruses to penetrate through it into the body. If you still have a cough, you can give your child an oil massage. As a result of improved blood circulation in the lungs and tissue nutrition, recovery will come faster.
Who is not allowed
Despite all the benefits of cocoa butter, it can be harmful if applied without adhering to the rules. So, it is prohibited to use it:
- people suffering from excess weight;
- in the evenings (has a stimulating effect);
- with diagnosed diabetes mellitus and allergy to this product.
How to choose a quality oil
Give preference to an exceptionally pure cocoa product. No flavors, colors, stabilizers, preservatives, or any other oils are allowed. To choose a truly natural oil, carefully study the composition indicated on the label.- It is advisable to choose unrefined, which is cold pressed. It contains a maximum of medicinal substances.
- A good oil has an attractive yellowish tint. If you come across white - most likely, it is a surrogate or spoiled product.
Give preference to an exceptionally pure cocoa product. No flavors, colors, stabilizers, preservatives, or any other oils are allowed. To choose a truly natural oil, carefully study the composition indicated on the label.How to store it correctly
Cocoa butter is sold in almost every pharmacy today. It is relatively inexpensive, therefore it is always popular for the treatment of cough. The most common form of release is tile. In appearance, it is very similar to white chocolate.
To prevent the oil from becoming unusable, it must be stored correctly:
- Keep the purchased product in a well-closed container (it can be in a plastic box) in the refrigerator door.
- Fresh oil can be stored for about 3-5 years.If someone in your family has frequent colds, you can purchase 3-4 tiles at once without fear that it will disappear.
- Over time, the product may become covered with a whitish coating (this also happens with natural chocolate). Do not be alarmed - it should be so.
Let's summarize
As already mentioned, cocoa butter is not a hard-to-find product at all. Therefore, it can be purchased both at the grocery supermarket and at the pharmacy. However, it is better to make a purchase at a pharmacy. Why? Because the risk of getting a low-quality product is minimized there.
Folk remedies are most effective at the initial stage of the development of the disease - that is, when the first symptoms appear. This also applies to cocoa butter. The sooner you start treatment, the faster your recovery will come and the lower your risk of complications.
This product is characterized by a very mild action. It not only relieves cough, but also helps the immune system to more actively fight invading harmful microorganisms. However, if in 2-3 days of treatment with folk recipes the cough has not softened, and its intensity has remained the same or increased, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will establish the correct diagnosis, prescribe the correct treatment and help avoid complications.
