Named product that slows down the aging of the body

Scientists have discovered a link between dark chocolate consumption and slowing down the biological aging of the organism. As a new study by specialists from King's College London has shown, theobromine - an alkaloid found in cocoa beans - may play a key role in this. The work is published in the journal Aging.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 1669 people from two independent registries. They evaluated the concentrations of caffeine and theobromine metabolites, as well as two markers of biological age based on changes in DNA methylation. One of them reflected the general "epigenetic age," the other - the state of telomeres, protective sections at the ends of chromosomes.

The results showed: people with higher levels of theobromine in the blood had a biological age that was on average lower than their chronological age. Neither caffeine nor other compounds present in cocoa and coffee demonstrated such a connection.

"Our research has revealed a link between a key component of dark chocolate and slower biological aging," said Jordana Bell, an epigenomic researcher at King's College London. According to her, this is not a recommendation to eat more chocolate, especially sweet chocolate.

"However, these data help to understand how common foods may be associated with healthier and longer aging," she emphasized.

The authors noted that biological age is not a formal indicator, but a reflection of the body's condition: the lower it is, the longer the functions of tissues and organs are preserved. At the same time, chocolate cannot be considered as an "anti-aging remedy": in large quantities, it remains a caloric product with high sugar and fat content.

"This is a very encouraging observation, and the next step is to understand what mechanisms are behind this connection and how dietary metabolites interact with the epigenome," said clinical geneticist Rami Saad, co-author of the work.

Scientists suggest that theobromine, like other alkaloids, may influence the regulation of gene activity, and through it - inflammation, metabolism, and aging processes. In the future, researchers plan to study whether theobromine acts on its own or in combination with other components of cocoa, such as polyphenols.

"Although additional research is needed, these results highlight the value of population data for studying aging and genetics," concluded molecular biologist Ricardo Costeira.