Does eating marshmallows cure cough? Here is truth behind viral claim

Does eating marshmallows cure cough? A trend is of late going viral on social media, especially TikTok, which claims that eating a marshmallow before hitting the hay can relieve you from chronic cough.

Who doesn’t want such an easy solution to an incredibly irritating problem, especially when it’s interfering with your sleep schedule and keeping you up at night? On TikTok, a woman claims her doctor advised her to eat a jumbo marshmallow before bed in order to suppress her cough.

In the video, which went viral on the platform, she explains that she was told: "Eat a jumbo marshmallow before bed. It sounds insane. There's no science behind it. But it's what I do. The gelatinhelps coat your throat even better than honey."

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So, here is the truth behind this viral claim. According to health experts, eating marshmallows during a cough won’t cure the disease; instead, it will worsen it big time.

Dr Deborah Lee was quoted by The Mirror as saying, “Marshmallows contain gelatin- a protein that comes from collagen. It's made from boiling animal bones, skin, tendons and ligaments in water - most often cows and pig bones. Gelatincontains large amounts of the amino acids glycine and proline.”

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"I find it hard to believe eating marshmallows would help to treat any type of upper respiratory tract infection. In fact, it may make symptoms worse,” she added.

The doctor later explains how eating marshmallows can provide a breeding ground for bacteria, thus exacerbating the condition.

“Gelatinis actually used in microbiology labs as it forms part of the Agar plate, in order to grow bacteria in the laboratory, because it is such a good culture medium,” she said.

“If you eat marshmallows with an acute infection, this could provide an ideal environment for bacteria to grow and multiply, and make it worse."

Eating marshmallows can also cause other side effects, the doctor noted. There is also a persistent risk of transmitting serious infections such as bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE) or mad cow disease as gelatin is made from animal bones.

(With inputs from agencies)