Ageing is a gift, but it can also be a curse. There you are, living your best life, then one day you wake up to find that your jawline has officially retired to somewhere around your neck.

Nothing can stop the march of time, and gravity will always win in the end, but a new study has found a particularly sweet way to slow down another type of age – your biological age. 

Credit: Ben Dearnley

What is biological age?

You’ve essentially got two ages – your chronological age and your biological age. Your chronological age is how many candles were on your birthday cake last year. Your biological age, on the other hand, is how fast your body is ageing at the cellular level. It relates to your overall health and how your body is functioning, rather than how many years you have lived. 

Different ‘biomarkers’ can indicate your biological age. These can include clinical biomarkers such as blood tests and things like your heart rate and blood pressure. Another indication relates to your telomeres – the protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes. Shorter telomeres are associated with ageing and age-related diseases. There are also tiny chemical ‘bookmarks’ on your DNA – a process called methylation – that act like a biological paper trail, recording exactly how much ‘mileage’ you’ve put on your body over the years.

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Credit: Armelle Habib

Dark chocolate and ageing: the research

Researchers at Kings College London, UK, looked at the chemical theobromine. This is found in cocoa, which is a key component of dark chocolate. They found that it could have anti-ageing properties. 

The researchers examined almost 2000 study participants, using two tests to establish their biological age: methylation and telomere length. Through these measures, they found that people who had higher theobromine levels in their blood had a biological age that was lower than their actual age.

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Credit: Brett Stevens

What is theobromine?

Theobromine is a plant compound that is probably best known as the ingredient in chocolate that is toxic to dogs. But plant compounds – also known as phytochemicals – have long been associated with benefits to human health. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties have been linked to the prevention of a whole range of health problems. Theobromine has, in the past, been linked to such things as a lower risk of heart disease, but has never really been deeply studied. 

“This is a very exciting finding,” lead researcher Dr Ramy Saad said in a statement. “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.”

But the researchers also stressed that you shouldn’t just take this as carte blanche to go hog-wild on the Lindt Excellence. Chocolate also contains fat and sugar, which won’t do your biological age any favours at all. 

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