British scientists have talked of their ambitions to develop treatments for chronic coughing – despite the failure of research into pepppers.
Scientists at Hull University, UK, say they have found a number of sensors in the throat that trigger cough.
One of the sensors – known as receptors – is triggered by cinammon.
Professor Alyn Morice says the hunt is one for new drugs after the failure of attempts to block a receptor triggered by chilli peppers – as it emerged that blocking it interfered with body temperature.
He is reporting on his findings at a conference of the British Pharmacological Society in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He said: "Chronic cough can be socially isolating and disabling and people come from all over Europe to my cough clinic because the cough is ruining their lives, yet current treatment options are limited with remedies little better than honey and lemon.
"When people have a cough they have a heightened sensitivity, which we can demonstrate in the laboratory. However, we don’t want to eliminate cough in patients because it is vital to keeping people well – it stops us getting pneumonia – so a return to normal sensitivity is the goal."
Meanwhile a second study suggests that pregnant women may protect themselves against coughs and colds by adopting a seven-a-day diet.
Researchers at Boston University, Massachusetts, USA, found that pregnant women had to eat more than the recommended five a day helpings of fruit and vegetables to stave off upper respiratory tract infections.
Their study of more than 1,000 women concluded that at least seven helpings a day cut the risk of infection by up to 26 per cent.
Researcher Professor Martha Werler said: "Pregnant women may require more fruits and vegetables than usual because of the extra demands on the body."
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