Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis from King's College London, published in Aging, examined 1,669 adults from the TwinsUK and KORA cohorts.
- Higher blood levels of the cocoa alkaloid theobromine were associated with lower epigenetic age estimates and longer telomeres.
- The relationship appeared specific to theobromine, as other tested metabolites from cocoa or coffee showed no similar pattern.
- The authors plan follow-up studies to test causality and to probe whether interactions with other chocolate compounds such as polyphenols drive the effect.
- The team cautioned against increasing chocolate intake, noting the study cannot establish cause and that chocolate also contains sugar and fat.