Anti-aging effects may potentially be linked to dark chocolate, according to new research that has come to light.
According to a study conducted by King’s College London and published in the journal Aging, a chemical compound found in dark chocolate could slow down the rate of biological aging.
More specifically, researchers found that theobromine, a common plant compound derived from cocoa, may possess anti-aging properties.
The researchers compared the levels of theobromine in participants’ blood with biological aging markers detected in the bloodstream.
The participants came from two European study cohorts: 509 individuals from the TwinsUK cohort and 1,160 from the KORA study. The research showed that those with higher levels of theobromine in their blood had a biological age lower than their chronological one.
The team also examined whether other metabolites found in cocoa and coffee showed a similar association, but they discovered that the effect appears to apply only to theobromine.
However, despite the encouraging findings, the researchers emphasize that increased consumption of dark chocolate is not automatically beneficial, as it also contains sugar, fats and other substances. Further research is needed to understand this link in greater depth.