Healthcare (Commonwealth Union) – Dark chocolate is well recognized as one of the healthier sweet treats in comparison to many other sugary foods. The evolution of dark chocolate into milk chocolate and then its mixture with a variety other food that include hazel nuts, cashew and many more to the modern chocolate bar has been well documented.
Researchers at King’s College London have identified theobromine—a naturally occurring compound found in cocoa—as a substance that may help slow aspects of the ageing process.
The findings, published in the journal Aging, examined the relationship between theobromine levels in the bloodstream and biological indicators of ageing measured through blood samples.
Unlike chronological age, biological age reflects how old the body appears in terms of its overall health and functional state. These indicators are derived from DNA methylation patterns—tiny chemical tags on DNA that shift predictably as people grow older.
Analysing data from two European population groups—509 participants from the TwinsUK study and 1,160 individuals from the KORA cohort—the researchers observed that higher concentrations of theobromine in the blood were associated with a younger biological age relative to actual age.
The researchers also looked at whether other substances that are often found in cocoa and coffee had the same effects. They only found a link with theobromine, which suggests that this compound has a unique role.
The researchers used two different ways to figure out how old each participant was biologically. One method looked at changes in DNA chemicals to figure out how fast people age, and the other looked at the length of telomeres, which are the protective ends of chromosomes. Telomeres that are shorter are linked to getting older and health problems that come with getting older.
Some of the chemicals in the plants we eat may change the way genes are turned on or off, which could affect how our bodies age. Alkaloids are a type of compound that can change how genes work in cells, which can affect health and life span.
Theobromine, an alkaloid that is most well-known for being bad for dogs, has been linked to health benefits in people, such as a lower risk of heart disease. Still, not much research has been done on it.
Dr. Ramy Saad, the lead researcher at King’s College London, who also works at University College London and is a Clinical Genetics physician, indicated that it is an extremely exciting discovery and the next key questions are what drives this link and how can they better understand the interactions between dietary metabolites and our epigenome? Exploring this could open the door to important insights into ageing and, more broadly, both common and rare diseases.
The research team, led by Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, a Professor of Human Nutrition at King’s College London, is investigating potential directions for future studies to better understand these findings. One key question is whether the observed effects are specific to theobromine alone or if theobromine interacts with other compounds in dark chocolate, such as polyphenols, which are already recognized for their health-promoting properties.
Dr Ricardo Costeira, a Postdoctoral Research Associate from King’s College London, explained “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 aging and genetics.”
Despite these promising findings, the researchers caution that eating more dark chocolate isn’t a guaranteed health boost, since it also contains sugar, fat, and other compounds. Further studies are needed to unravel the full impact on health.
The role of food and diet has always been a key focus on human health together with the environment. The harmony between the food we eat and its impact on our health has seen an increased focus by many researchers in recent years.
