Eating dark chocolate could hold key to major health benefit sought after by millions

A tasty snack might contribute to slowing the ageing process. Studies suggest that a particular compound present in chocolate could potentially help maintain a more youthful state.

Researchers at King's College London have identified that theobromine, a naturally occurring plant compound present in cocoa, may have anti-ageing properties. The study, published in the journal Ageing, analysed theobromine concentrations in participants' blood in relation to blood-based markers of biological ageing.

Biological age indicators demonstrate how old one's body appears according to its health and function, as opposed to actual chronological age. These markers depend on configurations of minuscule "bookmarks" on our DNA, referred to as methylation, which evolve over time.

Using data from two European cohorts, comprising 509 participants from TwinsUK and 1,160 from KORA, the research revealed that those with higher theobromine concentrations in their blood displayed a biological age lower than their actual chronological age.

Professor Jordana Bell, the study's senior author and Professor in Epigenomics at King's College London, commented: "Our study finds links between a key component of dark chocolate and staying younger for longer."

Nevertheless, she warned that these results shouldn't be interpreted as permission to consume excessive amounts of chocolate. According to a King's College London release, she commented: "While we're not saying that people should eat more dark chocolate, this research can help us understand how everyday foods may hold clues to healthier, longer lives."

The research team also examined whether additional compounds found in cocoa and coffee showed comparable correlations.

However, they found that this particular effect seemed to be exclusive to theobromine. The scientists utilised two approaches to assess the biological age of participants in the study.

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One analysed chemical alterations in DNA to determine the rate at which an individual is ageing.

The second method evaluated telomere length, the protective caps located at the ends of chromosomes. Reduced telomere length is associated with the ageing process and conditions related to advancing years.

Dietary plant compounds may affect how our bodies age by modifying the way our genes are switched on or off. Certain of these substances, called alkaloids, can engage with the cellular systems that govern gene activity and contribute to determining wellbeing and lifespan.

Theobromine, an alkaloid most notably known for its toxicity to canines, has been connected with health benefits in people, including decreased cardiovascular disease risk. However, it has not received extensive research attention beyond this.

Dr Ramy Saad, lead researcher at King's College London, who is additionally affiliated with University College London and practises as a clinical genetics physician, remarked: "This is a very exciting finding, and the next important questions are what is behind this association and how can we explore the interactions between dietary metabolites and our epigenome further? This approach could lead us to important discoveries towards ageing, and beyond, in common and rare diseases."

The scientific team, featuring Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Professor of Human Nutrition at King's College London, is exploring potential avenues for further investigation to scrutinise these results more comprehensively. A key outstanding question is whether this phenomenon is attributable solely to theobromine, or whether theobromine might operate in conjunction with other components present in dark chocolate, including polyphenols, which are acknowledged for their beneficial effects on human well-being.

Dr Ricardo Costeira, postdoctoral research associate at King's College London, observed: "This study identifies another molecular mechanism through which naturally occurring compounds in cocoa may support health. While more research is needed, the findings from this study highlight the value of population-level analyses in ageing and genetics."

Nevertheless, despite these promising findings, the researchers stress that merely increasing dark chocolate consumption isn't automatically beneficial, given that it also contains sugar, fat and other substances, and further investigation is needed to understand this connection more thoroughly.