A kindergarten teacher shows the correct way to cough/lloki08 /Twitter
If you also have trouble sleeping at night due to a nagging cough, you might want to consider eating marshmallows.
At least that's what the TikTok user claims her doctor recommended.
But wait a minute with the quick jump to shopping at the supermarket.
A new trend that swept TikTok claims that eating marshmallows before bed helps relieve cough symptoms.
Since it is a symptom that does not allow some of us even days and weeks after the illness, there are those who are willing to try anything to make the cough stop.
TikTok user Lindsey said that she was so frustrated with her cough that she went to the doctor and he advised her to eat marshmallows before bed.
In a video
she shared on TikTok, Lindsey explained that she has been suffering from a cough that hasn't gone away for six weeks.
She explained that she was told: "'Eat a jumbo marshmallow before bed'. It sounds crazy. There's no science behind it. But that's what I do. The gelatin helps coat your throat even better than honey."
So does eating marshmallows really relieve a cough?
The Mirror spoke to Dr Deborah Lee from doctorfox to find out.
Watch her explanation
@linzyloo18 Eat More Marshmallows #doctorsorders #marshmallow #homeremedy #sinusinfection #cough #bronchitis #throatcoat #sick #illness #emergencyroom #sickfor6weeks #fyp #viral ♬ original sound - Lindsay ?
So does eating marshmallows relieve the cough?
As much as we want to shout at you "Yes!!!"
and send you to eliminate packages of marshmallows before bed, unfortunately the answer is that it will not help your cough.
According to Dr. Deborah Lee, it can actually only make your symptoms worse.
She explained: "I find it hard to believe that eating marshmallows will help treat any type of upper respiratory infection.
In fact it may make symptoms worse.
The marshmallow contains gelatin - a protein derived from collagen.
It is made by boiling animal bones, skin, tendons and ligaments in water - mostly cow and pig bones.
Gelatin contains large amounts of the amino acids glycine and proline, which are needed to form collagen and other types of connective tissue."
However, she explains, there is "very little research on the health benefits of gelatin." Dr. Lee added: "Collagen may Gelatin has some anti-inflammatory effect, but this has never been proven."
In fact, Dr. Lee warns that eating marshmallows before bed can make symptoms worse. She explained: "Gelatin is actually used in microbiology labs because it's part of an agar plate, to grow bacteria in the lab, because it's such a good culture medium.
If you eat a marshmallow when you have a bad cough, it can provide an ideal environment for bacteria to grow and multiply - and only make the situation worse!"
More on the topic:
Why does the cough last for weeks after you've recovered - and what is the method to stop it
without drugs: A pharmacist shares a tip on Tiktok to stop a dry cough in a few minutes
More in Walla!
The treatment that prolongs the lives of lung cancer patients
In collaboration with the Israeli lung cancer association
No, it won't help your cough/ShutterStock, G-Stock Studio
In addition, gelatin may cause other unwanted side effects, such as bloating, heartburn and belching.
Dr. Lee added: "Because gelatin is made from boiling animal bones, there is a risk of transmitting serious infections such as encephalitis (BSE), also known as mad cow disease."
That's not enough, a single serving of 28 grams of marshmallow contains about 90 calories, and since it's a high glycemic food, that means it releases energy quickly, which causes a spike in blood sugar - not ideal before bed.
Because they're high in sugar, they can also cause tooth decay - which is especially dangerous for children. Dr. Lee added: "I wouldn't encourage anyone to eat marshmallows when they have any type of infection, as they will wreak havoc on their dental health."
For more bizarre and interesting stories from the world - come to our WhatsApp channel >>>
However, Dr. Lee does recommend another sweet treat that can be used to ease the cough and which they must be familiar with -
honey
. She explained: "On the other hand, there is a large amount of evidence for the health benefits of honey.
In a 2021 BMJ meta-analysis of 14 studies, honey significantly reduced the frequency and severity of cough compared to standard treatment.
Honey has been studied and proven to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Instead of marshmallows, the NHS recommends drinking lemon and honey.
You will also enjoy the influx of vitamin C from the lemon juice.
Squeeze juice from half a lemon into a mug, add 2 teaspoons of honey and fill half of the mug with boiling water.
It's much more likely to help reduce a cough than eating a marshmallow."
More on the same topic:
cough
diseases
chilling
Marshmallow